Mum creates cottagecore lifestyle in 400-year-old home on 'tight budget'

Mum creates cottagecore lifestyle in 400-year-old home on 'tight budget' (Image: PA)

A mother-of-two has become an internet sensation by transforming her 400 year old cottage into a "cottagecore" paradise, all while sticking to a shoestring budget, and in the process, she's garnered thousands of followers who are enchanted by her lifestyle.

Rebecca Lovatt, 49, along with her husband Jamie, 52, and their two children, Freddie, 15, and Verity, 13, have been living in their Grade II-listed home on the Cambridge-Suffolk border for over a decade since moving from Cheshire in 2013.

Despite challenges like single-pane windows and a hefty £30,000 bill for roof thatching, Rebecca, a columnist for Preloved Magazine and a content creator, insists their abode is filled with "magic" and is "definitely worth" the effort to maintain.

Embracing the cottagecore trend, which glorifies simple, rural living, Rebecca has skilfully achieved the look without breaking the bank. She hunts for bargains on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, often finding items for as little as £5, and then upcycles them herself.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Rebecca began sharing glimpses of her idyllic life online, captivating audiences with images and videos of her apple-picking, baking in her old-fashioned kitchen, and crafting wreaths. Her charming content has attracted 210,000 Instagram admirers and her TikTok account has amassed over one million likes.

The savvy mum created the home on a budget (Image: PA)

Rebecca shared with PA Real Life: "It's a moment in time when you can escape from the scary, real world and just pretend that you lived some years ago when it's just about picking apples and having a restful moment."

She believes there are many romantics seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life. She added: "I think there are lots of romantics out there, modern life is really hectic and I think we all look for places to escape to. We were on a really tight budget when we moved here so it's all been just bit by bit."

In 2013, Rebecca, her husband and their two children left Cheshire for a three-bedroom cottage nestled in the countryside on the Suffolk-Cambridge border.

"Having children really did make me slow down a lot and we were looking for a quieter and slower way of life," she explained.

Upon seeing the cottage for the first time, they knew they had found something special. Rebecca added: "When we first saw the cottage, we knew we had found somewhere extraordinary and I don't know how many places have that feel of magic and calm we are beyond lucky.

"It had been empty for a year-and-a-half and it was completely stripped to nothing. We were starting from scratch and it was a case of getting rid of dead rat bodies, scrubbing the brick floors and getting the wood back to how it would have been.

The mum finds items on eBay and Facebook Marketplace (Image: PA)

"The wind comes through the beams and it's single-pane windows so the curtains are thick, blanket-lined and the roof currently needs thatching too, which is terrifying because it's so expensive. It is a lot of work to maintain, there's always something to do, but it's definitely worth it."

After settling in, she began focusing on interior design, choosing floral patterns, pinks and earthy tones.

She managed to find furniture that matched her style without breaking the bank, often sourcing second-hand items from eBay or Facebook Marketplace which she would then refurbish.

On one occasion, she bought a dark wood bookcase for just £5 and gave it a complete makeover to suit her taste. "I took it all apart and wallpapered it at the back so it tied in with the floral, painted it a really muted grey and then limewashed it so it looked really old," she explained.

Rebecca added: "I find things on eBay and Facebook Marketplace but we've also got quite a few antique places around here." Embracing the cottagecore lifestyle, Rebecca engages in various activities that allow her to "maintain that simple life".

During the COVID-19 lockdown, she noticed the cottagecore trend gaining popularity online. Rebbeca noted: "Everyone was just desperate to escape from reality and I think that's when cottagecore really took off. People have stayed with me ever since."

The family restored the property from scratch (Image: PA)

Rebecca has been delighting her 210,000 Instagram followers and 96,000 TikTok fans with charming photos and videos of her cottage. Her account boasts a staggering 1.1 million likes and her posts regularly attract thousands of views.

One of her most viewed videos, amassing over 800,000 views, provides a leisurely tour of her dining room and kitchen. The video showcases rustic wooden beams, shelves adorned with jars and fresh flowers, and her dog, Dottie, lounging in a sunlit chair.

Speaking about her family's reaction to her content creation, Rebecca revealed they have been "amazing". "I was worried when the children got older they might be embarrassed but they're really supportive," she shared.

"It was literally just me taking photos when I first started and they can see that I've grown something that has actually now given me a career I think they're proud of me."

Living with two males, Rebecca disclosed that the abundance of pink in their home doesn't bother them. "They get quite passionately cross about the cushions and the amount of them but other than that, they're really supportive," she admitted.

Despite having a plethora of "lovely" and "positive" followers, Rebecca has faced some criticism. "I will occasionally get people saying how disgusting the books are and how they attract dirt and dust, and a lot of comments saying 'it's all too much'," she confessed.

"I do find it really hard sometimes and I'm not very thick-skinned but this is my home, this is what I've created and what makes us happy. I'm really lucky and my followers do tend to be really lovely, positive people."