A working fireplace is a joy in any house nowadays, when gathering around the hearth is something of a novelty, but even those that have been blocked for years can make a striking centrepiece for a room.

Ham & High: Elsworthy Road, NW3, John D WoodElsworthy Road, NW3, John D Wood (Image: Archant)

Kidderpore Gardens, NW3, £1,150,000

Ham & High: Kidderpore Avenue, NW3, Abbey PropertiesKidderpore Avenue, NW3, Abbey Properties (Image: Jerome Scott-Blount)

This newly re-furbished two-bedroom apartment covers the entire top floor of an Edwardian house in Hampstead and leads out onto a private south-facing terrace.

The property has some of its original features and the open plan dining and reception area includes an attractive fireplace.

Abbey Properties

Elsworthy Road, NW3, £3,950,000

Ham & High: Elsworthy Road, NW3, John D WoodElsworthy Road, NW3, John D Wood (Image: Archant)

A maisonette on the ground and raised ground floors of this Victorian building with a private garden designed by Claire Mee and roof terrace.

While extensively remodelled with a contemporary extension, the flat also has some striking period features including ceiling roses, cornicing, full-height sash windows and marble fireplaces in the reception and dining rooms.

John D Wood

Bishops Avenue, N2, £4,000,000

Ham & High: Bishops Avenue, N2, Hamptons InternationalBishops Avenue, N2, Hamptons International (Image: SAM AWAD 2013)

Set back from the street behind a mature front garden, this double-fronted detached house offers a rare degree of privacy, with a detached double garage at the back and a parking in front accessed via a private road.

The interiors boast wooden floors, a contemporary colour scheme and plenty of natural light, as well as two fireplaces in the reception rooms.

Hamptons International