Haselrigge Road, Clapham, SW4

Haselrigge Road gives Clapham some of its most characterful cottage streets, and this one wears its London stock brick and stucco trim with an Arts and Crafts flavour that sets it apart from its neighbours. Sash windows and ceiling roses survive from the Victorian build; everything added since has been chosen for lightness, from the pale ash boards to the soft white walls and the occasional black accent. Across two floors and 980 sq ft the cottage fits three bedrooms, one sitting room and two bathrooms, and outside there is a south-facing garden.

Hall 1.65m x 3.41m (5'5" x 11'2")

The entrance is narrow, as a cottage hall should be, and the stripped-pine staircase is the main event, climbing straight ahead with its natural colour left to show. Plain skirtings and white-painted window reveals keep the surroundings calm.

Sitting room 3.49m x 5.22m (11'5" x 17'2")

A bay window brings the front of the room alive, and the wood-burning stove in its painted surround gives the evenings a focus. An oatmeal sofa on a plain off-white rug and a round oak table are the whole of the furniture, and with no curtains at the glass the room relies on the sky for its brightness. Opal globe pendants hang in a loose cluster overhead.

Kitchen 2.54m x 4.47m (8'4" x 14'8")

Birch plywood fronts and a white composite worktop give the kitchen a clean, workshop look, and a breakfast bar lets two people eat without leaving it. Though narrow, the room is well organised and opens on to the rear of the house.

Principal bedroom 4.01m x 4.17m (13'2" x 13'8")

At the front of the first floor, the principal bedroom has fitted wardrobes across one wall and a floor that carries the same pale ash as downstairs. It is the only bedroom here with space for a full set of bedroom furniture.

Bedroom 2 3.14m x 3.36m (10'4" x 11'0")

A built-in desk under the window makes this a natural study as much as a bedroom, and the proportions are close to square, which is useful for either purpose.

Bedroom 3 2.52m x 3.46m (8'3" x 11'4")

The smallest bedroom is fitted with wardrobes, which leaves the floor free for a single bed or a child's play area.

Bathroom 1.95m x 2.65m (6'5" x 8'8")

A walk-in shower, simply tiled in white, serves the first-floor landing and is kept plain to match the rest of the cottage.

En-suite 1.53m x 2.14m (5'0" x 7'0")

A freestanding bath sits in what is a small room for one, a pleasing luxury that adds character to the principal suite.

The garden at the back faces south, and the afternoon sun reaches most of it. The street is permit-controlled for residents, which is usual for a cottage this close to the Common.

Clapham Common has about 220 acres of green space, with three ponds and a bandstand, and is the nearest great open ground. Clapham Common, Clapham North and Clapham South are all on the Northern line, while Clapham High Street has Overground services. Holy Trinity, the Georgian church on the north side of the Common, is a reminder of the area's long history as a place of reformers and diarists.