FRENCH LEAVE

Sophie and Baligh have found a little piece of paradise on France's Blue Coast- and their home's interior is also divine

- EMMA LOVE

So often a milestone birthday sparks big life changes. In the case of Sophie Ferjani, it was her husband Baligh’s 4 0th that prompted the pair to leave Paris, their home for 20 years, and finally realise their long-held dream of opening a shop together.

‘Baligh has worked in retail for a long time, so we always knew that we wanted to have a concept store together; we just didn’t know where or when,’ recalls interior designer Sophie, of the move they undertook six years ago. ‘ We were drawn to the south of France for the sunshine, and chose Marseille because when I was young my mother used to take me there during the summer holidays. I remembered it as a place full of energy and possibilities, which it still is.’