‘I tried to give IT CHARACTER’

Having lived in a shared house in Hackney for 12 years, surrounded by people, I started feeling unsettled and fed up with renting, so began looking for a place of my own,’ says Jessie. ‘I wanted to stay in the East End of London, as my workshop and shop are close by in the Columbia Road Flower Market, and I like the vibrancy of the area with all its quirky shops, markets and cafés.

I heard that an old factory was being renovated nearby, so