Ferme Park Road, Stroud Green, N4

Light, colour and character run right through this first floor flat, set within a red brick Victorian house with ornate white-painted bays and a pretty columned porch. Honey-toned pine floorboards glow underfoot. Each room has been dressed with a confident eye for colour, from soft sage to blush pink, giving the whole home a settled, happy feel. A clever split-level layout gives the kitchen its own bright corner a few steps below the living room. Crouch Hill Station is around five minutes away on foot, putting the best of Stroud Green and Crouch End within an easy stroll.

The living room is well proportioned at over 12ft in each direction, with a wide window framing a view across neighbouring rooftops and chimney pots. White built-in shelving fills the alcove, ready for books, records and favourite finds. The stripped boards bring warmth and texture. There’s plenty of room for a generous corner sofa with an armchair by the window for that first coffee of the day.

A short flight of timber-tread steps leads down to the kitchen, a cheerful space lit by two windows to the rear. Glossy white cabinetry with brushed steel bar handles pairs with crisp white worktops and classic metro tiles with contrast grout. A stainless steel oven sits beneath a sleek black hob with a chimney-style extractor above. Tall units add useful storage. A sash-style window over the sink looks out onto greenery, with recessed spotlights keeping things bright after dark. Against a blush pink feature wall there’s a sweet spot for a little dining table, just right for weekend brunch or a glass of wine while dinner bubbles away.

Back through the living room, a hallway with the same warm floorboards leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. The principal bedroom is a calm retreat, painted in soft sage green with ornate ceiling cornicing, a large window and neutral carpet underfoot. Alcoves either side of the chimney breast are perfect for a pair of chests of drawers. A built-in wardrobe keeps everyday clutter out of sight. The second bedroom is currently set up as a bright home office with a tall sash window, and would work just as well as a nursery or dressing room.

The bathroom is fresh and well put together, with a full-size bath and thermostatic shower behind a curved glass screen. Large-format stone-toned wall tiles with a subtle linear texture sit beautifully against patterned grey and white floor tiles with a Victorian feel. A tall chrome heated towel rail is a welcome comfort on chilly mornings.

Outside, mature planting fills the front garden behind a low wall, softening the approach from the street. The flat also comes with a long lease of 173 years and a modest service charge of £240 a year, keeping running costs pleasingly low.

The Neighbourhood: Stroud Green

Ferme Park Road has much of what makes this corner of north London so liveable within a ten minute stroll. At the foot of Crouch Hill, Max’s Sandwich Shop has a loyal following for its inventive, generously filled sandwiches and late opening hours. A few doors along, The Robin pours real ale and cider from small independent breweries across twenty taps. The historic Old Dairy on the corner of Crouch Hill is coming back to life too, reopening for comedy and cabaret nights from the end of October.

For green space, Stationers Park is close by, with tennis courts, playgrounds, two ponds and a café known for its cakes. The Parkland Walk, a former railway line turned nature reserve, makes a leafy route north towards Highgate or south into Finsbury Park. Crouch Hill Station on the Suffragette line is moments away. Finsbury Park Station, with the Piccadilly and Victoria lines plus Great Northern services, puts the City and West End within easy reach.