St James's Villa, Swains Lane

This exceptional house lies on the fringes of Highgate Cemetery and Waterlow Park in north London. Originally built in the 1880s, the house was updated by renowned modernist architect John Winter in the 1970s. Inside, a spectacular double-height reception room has banks of glazing with treetop views, while a living space on the first floor opens onto a serene private balcony overlooking Waterlow Park. A later extension houses a light-filled studio, and pretty gardens at the front and rear of the house are filled with greenery. The excellent shops, bars and restaurants of Highgate Village and Swains Lane are all close at hand, as are the great expanses of Hampstead Heath.