A monochromatic take on the converted school building, this exceptional apartment in Battersea is a rare work of the late great designer François Catroux. It exceeds 5,700 sq ft in space, with a breathtaking central open-plan space lit by a series of sweeping sash windows. A handsome palette of steel, granite, glass and concrete makes the home a serious class act.

Delectably redesigned, this former bakery in Brixton Hill has been impeccably transformed. Many of its original features are still in situ (cast-iron radiators, Victorian glazed tiles), though the overall profile is arrestingly contemporary. The kitchen is part of the airy open-plan living space so that any budding pâtissier never has to miss out on the fun.

Featured on George Clark’s Amazing Spaces, this masterfully reconfigured stationery warehouse makes clever use of space, light and smart technology. Thorough though the redesign may be, its industrial palette remains tangible and has been cleverly softened by tactile additions including bamboo screening, exposed plaster walls and oak cabinetry.

From the outside, there is little evidence of this seaside retreat’s former life. It is, in fact, a particularly unique one: in the 1920s, a local railway company allowed its workers to purchase rolling stock and drag the carriages down to the shingle beach. Many stayed, creating a nexus of quirky dwellings. Inside are the trappings of comfortable coastal consorting – a log-burning fire warms during the cold winter nights, while wide windows frame views of the singular seascape.

A distinctly industrial aesthetic shapes this converted basket-weaving factory close to London’s South Bank: red-brick walls, exaggerated proportions and towering Crittall windows stand as reminders of its former life. Yet, woven around these original features, are a series of contemporary interventions that make for comfortable modern-day living, including a handy hatch between the living room and kitchen.

What was once a home for horses has been converted, under the watchful eye of A+Architecture, into an exceedingly easy-going space for human dwelling. Stable doors no more, the house’s wonderfully bright spaces are connected by a striking wooden staircase that coils up through its core. We are especially fond of the front stable-door; a modern nod to usage past.

One of the first buildings to be converted in Angel’s Wenlock Basin, the Royle Building – FKA the Royle Print Works – is characterised by its vertiginous glazing and sweeping proportions. Its proximity to the Regent’s Canal and its meandering footpath would once have served a functional purpose, but these days makes for a sublime Sunday stroll – stop-off lunch at Towpath optional.