![Scholarly SANCTUARY](https://cdn.magzter.com/1422868554/1714547900/articles/xolKH3eQD1714634972371/SCHOLARLY-SANCTUARY.jpg)
Jean Hill and her late husband Douglas came across the property that became their London home a little over a decade ago, after many years of living in Mougins, France, where they ran a shop specialising in antiques and decoration.
As well as antiques, Doug had also always been very interested in property. Originally from South Africa, he first came to the UK in his twenties to further his studies in acting and dance. 'Tall and rather attractive - like many an actor before and since whilst "resting" between roles he would work as a photographic model,' says Jean.
By the time he and Jean met on a photographic shoot, he'd managed to buy several rundown houses in Fulham. I helped him with renovating, decorating and sourcing the furniture. After each house was sold we did another and then another, learning more about decoration and antiques with each project,' she recalls. 'There was no stopping us decorative antiques had become our passion.'
The couple got married a year or two later and, while their two daughters were still quite small, they bought a ramshackle farmhouse in the south of France as a holiday home. Having renovated this, they sold it on and began to repeat the pattern they'd established in the UK. Soon they were living in France full-time, based in a 12th-century village house in Mougins, just north of Cannes, which became their much-loved home for several decades. They also opened their shop, which helped to fulfil their enduring passion for sourcing decorative pieces and antiques.
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/9ESGopytQ1724222107128/COLLECTING-DIORAMAS-MINIATURE-WORLDS.jpg)
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
![Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/BKLd-eUUP1724221897604/PRIDE-OF-PLACE-LEEDS-CREAMWARE.jpg)
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
![Bohemian Rhapsody](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/K35RWpAAE1724221704872/BOHEMIAN-RHAPSODY.jpg)
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
![THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/_DCbK_C4J1724221533652/THE-ANTIQUES-THAT-SHAPED-ME-RORY-HUTTON.jpg)
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
![European HERITAGE B&Bs](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/dsrzR5Slh1724221261449/EUROPEAN-HERITAGE-BBS.jpg)
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
![STAR SALES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/1yI4aGKIL1724220978503/STAR-SALES.jpg)
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
![Textile designs by artists](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/rdGXovk6_1724220799355/TEXTILE-DESIGNS-BY-ARTISTS.jpg)
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
![Period DRAMA](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/D8lhKvMHu1724220591464/PERIOD-DRAMA.jpg)
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
![An artist's RESIDENCE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/bvfWw_1WK1724220175321/AN-ARTISTS-RESIDENCE.jpg)
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
![Carefully Curated LIVING](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8815/1805018/Sq398kaYP1724219648647/CAREFULLY-CURATED-LIVING.jpg)
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques