This RIBA-nominated house, by architecture firm Shedkm, is part Palm Springs, part Scandinavia, with its mid-century lines, wide, open rooms, whitewashed brick and red steel columns. Its location, however, is neither: it’s on a leafy private road, a five-minute walk away from the centre of the parish town of Formby, set back behind pine woodland from the dune-studded coast. It’s just half an hour’s drive from central Liverpool. 

The ground floor, surrounded on all sides by verdant gardens, has floor-to-ceiling windows, while upstairs is clad in cleverly appointed Iroko wood, slatted in parts, which allows in light while creating privacy – although the most notable neighbours include a rare population of red squirrels which live on the neighbouring National Trust land. 

To the sea! Specifically, to Ramsgate, where nine Georgian-era converted apartments have come on the market. They are set inside two handsome 1820s Mary Townley-designed townhouses, formerly a hotel.

Fleet Architects were sensitive in their restoration, celebrating the tall ceilings and sash windows, many of which look out to the boat-dotted waters. The style is classic and warm, with parquet floors, oak joinery in the kitchens, solid brass features and terracotta. Some of the apartments have wood-burning stoves and Carrara marble kitchen island tops, while every bathroom has Alpina marble floors and Flos lighting. There is also a sea-facing communal garden.

The seaside delights of Ramsgate are beckoning more people, especially those from London (which is 75 minutes away by train to St Pancras station), partially owing to the boom in popularity of neighbouring Broadstairs. Ramsgate shares many of its charms, notably decent seafood, antique shops, traditional boozers and a boutique hotel.

This three-bedroom house in New Malden, by architect Enrico Arrigoni, is monastic in style and scale. The double-height, vaulted ceiling with roof lights cast moving strips of light across surfaces of the living area throughout the day; while the picture windows, white walls and abundant use of birch plywood (in floors, kitchen cabinets and storage) create an almost spiritual simplicity.

It’s set back from the road behind a private walled garden, meaning more space for quiet contemplation. And, if you tire of that, you’re in one of the greenest parts of the city, with Bushy Park, Hampton Court, Richmond Park and Wimbledon and Putney Commons all in close proximity.

Imagine taking out your keys to enter a piece of modern history: the BBC’s former Television Centre. The three-bedroom penthouse apartment, designed by the veteran firm AHMM, is located in the newly built crescent, which follows the silhouette of the famous doughnut-shaped Helios building.

The apartment is a place for hosting: the kitchen, with its long walnut bar looking out to Hammersmith Park, is at its heart, fanning out to a large living area on one side. Three terraces provide opportunities for al fresco dining (or reclining). And from a British institution to an Italian one: Cassina has taken care of the interiors with iconic pieces, such as the LC4 chaise-longue, the Infinito bookcase and Charlotte Perriand’s 1943 curved Indochine armchairs.

The area itself, White City, has fast become a hub of activity, with good restaurants (Kricket, Patty&Bun) and the RCA School of Communication, all presided over, quite literally, by Soho House (also located inside the Television Centre), whose gym residents have access to.

This former coach house is in the highly desirable St Margaret’s Trust Grounds in Twickenham. It was conceived as one of the first garden suburbs, and so has ‘pleasure’ grounds, comprising three gated landscaped gardens (one of which has views over the Thames) and tennis courts. The fact that JMW Turner lived in a house on the edge of the estate says it all. There are community events such as sports days and Easter egg hunts, making it an ideal location for families – as is the house itself.

Inside and out, modern touches abound, not least in the choice of ecological materials selected by TDO Architects (who also designed our offices). There’s also a sustainable Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery, which provides fresh, filtered air while retaining energy, plus VOC-free paint. The palette opts for striking deep green kitchen cabinets and a peachy pink wall in the principal bedroom.

A modernist, minimalist home in the hamlet of Moreton Paddox, which was shortlisted in 2019 for RIBA’s House of the Year. BPN Architects sought to reference the work of concrete devotee Tadao Ando to striking effect. The result is an imposing, box-like, gridded structure, partially sunken and so infinitely private, and surrounded by inky black concrete pools which reflect the light.

Concrete is indeed king: it’s built almost entirely out of the material, with swathes of it on ceilings and walls creating a bare, industrial-bent canvas. The symmetrical folded-steel staircases which frame the entrance is a design touch borrowed from the sweeping staircases of country houses, a nod to the manor house which was once on the estate. 

The Signal Townhouses are AHMM’s RIBA award-winning, contemporary take on ‘back-to-back’ Victorian housing in the neighbouring streets of Greenwich. This one has three bedrooms and is at the end of a terrace. There’s a communal gated driveway and bike storage, perfect for weekend jaunts down the River Thames cycle path to Greenwich Village.

The design prioritises natural light, which will allow interior choices to sing. Floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors run the length of the living room; large windows and Juliet balconies create airy-feeling bedrooms; and a skylight above the stairs is an upgrade the Victorians could only dream of. The crowning glory? The private roof terrace with views towards Greenwich Observatory.

Spencer Courtyard is a collection of five homes in Finchley designed by Kennedy Twaddle, who have created a contemporary urban mews in a former merchant’s yard. The buildings have pitched sedum roofs and private courtyards, sealed with decorative, perforated brickwork which cast jazzy shadow patterns and allow light into living spaces.

There are two apartments and two semi-detached, two-bedroom houses available. All have open-plan living areas with handmade birch-ply kitchens and oak flooring, creating a light, natural feel.