UNDER her maiden name of Seymour-Cole, Camilla Tom designed the interiors of many of London's most beautiful houses. Along with her mother, she owned five antique shops around London until a holiday in Spain made her rethink her life.

For the past three years, Camilla, 36, has lived and worked in Sotogrande, the impressive sporting resort at the western end of the Costa del Sol, where she and husband Graham have chosen to raise their two children, Isabella, 10, and Alexander, eight.

"I love London and I loved my work there but the logistics simply wore me out. Life in Sotogrande is led at a different pace. Everything is hassle-free, whereas in London, life could seem a battle," she says. ...