Grand Designs

The old lifeboat station in Tenby was home to the brave souls of the RNLI for over 100 years.

When they moved out, Tim O'Donovan and his wife Philomena saw an opportunity not only to convert it into a unique, contemporary home but also to rescue this historic property for the nation.

But nothing could have prepared Tim and Philomena for the battles they faced to pull the building into shape.

Perched precariously on a steel pier 40 feet above the sea, with no access except across the soft, sandy beach, the lifeboat station was and always will be at the mercy of the sea.

Any deliveries have to be timed to beat the rapid incoming tides that often get the better of Tim's floundering machinery. Then there's the building itself to contend with - a weather worn, rusting and rotten hulk that was never designed to be lived in.

As Tim wages war on the surly structure, it falls to Philomena to transform the interior from what was once little more than a tin shed into a beautiful, modern home with far reaching views of the sea.