We renovated our home on a tiny budget

In an incredible leap of faith, Becca Allen bought a large derelict house in Cornwall and spent a year resurrecting it for next to nothing

Inspiring homes

‘Our living room would not have the same feel if it wasn’t for the tropical cushions,’ Becca says. ‘They set the mood and inspired the plant selection in the room’

Shopping

Take a peek at the best budget wall art over on page 24

Living room

‘I still can’t believe our sofa was £100 on Gumtree – it was nearly brand new! I love how well my Austrian tropical print fabric cushions go with it, too. The G Plan glass coffee table is also a strong favourite and adds to the eclectic mix of furniture.’

Becca stitches her own cushions with material she has collected over the years, along with fabric that she has designed

My story...

The only place I have ever wanted to return to after living in Austria was the coast of Falmouth, Cornwall. After studying here for three years I longed to return one day – I just didn’t think it would be this soon!

Jack and I started out looking for small two-bed cottages, but there was absolutely nothing in our price range. Then I found a 200-year-old, three-story town house that once used to be an old sweet shop. It was in desperate need of TLC and was calling out for someone to love it. After our first viewing (our first house viewing, ever!) we fell completely in love and all I wanted to do was care for this building and bring it back to life. We put in an offer that same day, and moved in on the 21st December 2013.