Where: Dennis Severs' House
Californian Dennis Severs bought this run-down home in Spitalfields in 1979, and decided to renovate it true to the Georgian era when it was first built. To do so, he invented the fictional Jervis family, Huguenot silkweavers from France who lived in the house from 1724 onwards.
He appointed each room with furniture and items the Jervis family members would have used, either made by Severs himself using scrap materials or picked up at markets - while not all "authentic", they certainly look and feel the part.
Severs himself lived here until his untimely death in 1999, often hosting private parties for friends and guided tours for visitors. The house is now owned and maintained by the Spitalfields Trust, and is open for guided and unguided visits from Thursday to Sunday.
