Class Act

Jean and Doug Hill found that a converted school was the perfect backdrop for their treasured collection of art, sculptures and one-off finds

- Maggie Colvin

Having spent much of their married life travelling the world in the antiques business, Jean and Doug hill have called a host of locations home. Their first place together was a Georgian house on Richmond hill, then they moved to Twickenham and Spain, before living in a chalet in Switzerland, a townhouse in the South of France, and finally this schoolhouse in southwest London.

The motivation for the hills’ decision to return to the UK was to allow them to spend more time with their grandchildren, Sebastian and Ben, sons of their younger daughter, Daisy. But, as the couple wanted something a little out of the ordinary, finding the right home was easier said than done.

‘For some time, we had our eye on a converted warehouse in Bermondsey, which was part of a leather factory,’ says Doug. ‘But there was little scope for us to stamp it with our own personality.’