Neatly arranged across two floors, this three-bedroom flat is in John Darbourne and Geoffrey Darke’s award-winning Lillington Gardens Estate in Pimlico, south-west London. Once described as ‘ruggedly romantic’, the estate is known for its staggered design that enables a high density of flats at a low level. This flat is just as cleverly conceived, with the living room and separate kitchen at the heart of the first floor. The owners have made good use of the space, installing a wall of Vitsoe shelving in the living room and bespoke units by Uncommon Projects in the kitchen, keeping the space clean-lined and clutter-free.

Here’s a space with plenty of personality, thanks to the punchy and playful colour palette. Every inch of this two-bedroom maisonette flat in Bethnal Green’s Avebury Estate has been used cleverly – from the blue and white breakfast bar that provides a useful divide between the kitchen and the living area, to the emerald green-painted built-in cupboards under the stairs that make use of otherwise dead space. The upstairs bedrooms are painted in calmer whites but echo the approach to open living of the floor below, and are surprisingly spacious considering the flat’s relatively compact size.

Sitting within a handsome 1890 mansion block near Stoke Newington, north London, is this nifty three-bedroom flat, which has been sensitively overhauled by the owners and architecture studio MS-DA to maximise the space available. The kitchen, by Cardel Grant, is filled with storage, including open shelves, units and deep drawers, which sit harmoniously together. Bedroom storage is equally plentiful, including walls of built-in wardrobes in two of them and an imaginatively designed wrap-around desk unit in the third, which is currently used as a study. The palette throughout is all creamy whites and neutrals – a smart choice, as it gives the illusion of a much more expansive space.

Forming part of Bow’s Ranwell East Estate, this two-bedroom flat is spread across an equal number of floors. The space reflects the 1960s building within which it sits, with many elements of the original aesthetic remaining, along with sensitive additions such as reclaimed parquet flooring in the living area. The kitchen offers ample storage through a combination of open shelves and stainless steel cabinets, while the bedrooms upstairs are unexpectedly spacious and light thanks to the huge windows.

This two-bedroom flat in Camberwell offers the best of both worlds – it’s manageable in size, but sits at the top of an impressive Georgian building. The best bit? You get a sweeping view of the road upon which it lies, one of Camberwell’s finest tree-lined streets. The main bedroom is particularly roomy, with an original fireplace and sash window adding to its charm. Light pours in through the window, as it does throughout the flat – especially in the living and dining area, where two large Velux windows let plenty of sunshine in. Looking out onto the trees outside, it’s almost like being in an urban treehouse that blurs the boundary between inside and out. What’s not to like?