Crawshay Road, Brixton, SW9

Crawshay Road, in Brixton, is lined with Victorian houses of yellow stock brick, and this third-floor flat occupies the upper storey of a four-storey conversion, reached over an encaustic-tiled path. The decorative cornicing that survives in the rooms is the first sign that the original house has been treated with some respect. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms and one reception room across 978 sq ft, and the share of the freehold means the residents own the building between them. The feel is traditional but softened: walls in a pale pink plaster shade with off-white trim, mid-brown herringbone parquet underfoot, and antique and mid-century pieces settled together, with a kitchen and bathrooms that have been gently refreshed.

Entrance hall 1.41m x 2.62m (4'8" x 8'7")

A tiled floor in the entrance hall takes the wear from boots and bags, and the hall is a calm, neat space from which every room is reached.

Sitting room 4.20m x 5.00m (13'9" x 16'5")

A wood-burning stove in a painted timber surround is the heart of the sitting room, and a bay window lets in a generous amount of afternoon light from the west. Herringbone parquet runs wall to wall beneath a faded Persian rug and a rust velvet sofa, a cut-glass pendant hangs overhead and full-length linen curtains frame the glass. Original cornicing runs around the ceiling.

Kitchen 2.80m x 4.16m (9'2" x 13'8")

Putty-coloured shaker units are rounded off by a butler sink and a rail in aged brass, in a scheme that is more country kitchen than city flat. A breakfast bar provides a place to perch for coffee, and the proportions allow two people to cook in the room at once.

Principal bedroom 4.00m x 3.78m (13'1" x 12'5")

A built-in desk stands in the principal bedroom, so the room can double as a place to work without cluttering the rest of the flat. Four-panel doors, painted to match the walls, keep the scheme gentle and unified.

Bedroom 2 3.16m x 2.86m (10'4" x 9'5")

A sash window looks out from the second bedroom, and the room is of a size that suits a child, a guest or a small office.

Bedroom 3 2.62m x 3.66m (8'7" x 12'0")

The third bedroom is longer than it is wide and also has a built-in desk, which makes it a ready-made study as much as a place to sleep.

Bathroom 1.99m x 2.79m (6'6" x 9'2")

The bathroom has a bath but no separate shower enclosure, and a painted panelled vanity with a marble top sits beside herringbone tiles, a small, quietly updated room that keeps to the character of the flat.

En-suite 1.57m x 2.36m (5'2" x 7'9")

The en-suite has a freestanding bath, a marble-topped washstand and small white hexagonal tiles, a surprisingly elegant little room for its size.

No private outside space or parking is offered with the flat. Windows on the west side catch the long summer light, and Brixton's pavements and shops are at your door instead.

Trains from Brixton reach London Victoria with Southeastern, while the Victoria line from the Underground stop runs the other way into the West End. St Matthew's Church, a Grade II* listed building on Brixton Green, was built in 1822 and stands among the oldest buildings in the area, while Ashby's Mill, built in 1816, is one of the few surviving windmills in London. Brockwell Park is the green space most Brixton residents head for on a fine weekend, and the market stalls on Station Road are on hand for daily shopping.