When young farmers Nicole and Tom Björkstén were looking to put down roots in the hinterland of Byron Bay, Australia, they had to balance competing priorities: fertile land for organic farming, and a livable house.

“In this area, it’s usually one or the other: decent acreage with an old farmhouse, or a beautifully renovated home on land that doesn’t quite speak to you,” Nicole explains.

So they felt they’d hit the jackpot when they found an 11-hectare property that ticked both boxes: red earth ripe for farming and a solid home that “had soul.” The 1930s-era farmhouse had been rebuilt after a fire in 2006, using century-old hoop pine trusses to create a dramatic raked ceiling.

Before: Kitchen

“The house was a little tired, but it had fantastic bones,” says Nicole, who has a background in graphic design and fashion. “The previous owner was an artist who had filled the home with bold colors and expressive details, and it instantly reminded me of the creative, art-filled homes I grew up in.”

While the couple got to work pursuing their dream of regenerative farming, their renovation plans moved slowly. But that gave them time to get to know the home.

“The house had a quirky, unconventional layout, with lots of small, pokey rooms, and the kitchen was an awkward L-shape with hardly any usable storage,” Nicole says.

“We wanted the space to feel expansive, so we focused on small but impactful changes like knocking down a wall to open up the kitchen and reworking the layout to create a more natural flow.”

Nicole and Tom worked with builder Ben Eliya on the first stage, which included renovating the laundry and primary bathroom to quickly address mold issues, and enclosing a veranda to create a bedroom. But when it came time for more major upgrades, Nicole decided to enlist interior designer Jana Isaza-Smith of Studio Isaza to help refine her vision.

After: Kitchen

“I’m a bit of a dreamer and tend to get carried away, so I really needed someone who could ground me in function,” Nicole says. “Jana was calm, practical, and often had to gently reel me back in—like, ‘That’s probably not possible, Nic.’”

Having grown up on a farm in New Zealand, Isaza-Smith uniquely understood the couple’s needs. “Farming involves very long hours, it’s laborious, and it can be really serious at times,” she says. “The house required a level of robustness, because it’s a red earth farm and they have three big dogs, but I also wanted to create this really warm, joyful, and inviting space.”

At the heart of the brief was remodeling the kitchen. The couple do a lot of cooking, using their organic produce to make products to sell at the local growers’ markets, so functionality and space were key—but with its mosaic tiles, overhead cabinets, and slim island bench, the original space was impractical and outdated. “It looked like it belonged in a city apartment,” explains Isaza-Smith.

Compounding the issue were awkwardly placed full-length windows and French doors that curtailed bench space. “We pulled out the windows and put in big bifold doors that opened the kitchen to the lovely farmland outside,” Isaza-Smith explains. “That allowed us to increase the bench space and enlarge the overall size of the kitchen. We also doubled the size of the island bench for more functionality.”

To meet Nicole’s request for “sparkle and personality,” Isaza-Smith designed scalloped pantry doors in a spotted gum veneer that she says “feel quite playful but still elegant” and added muted color with a burgundy Euro Appliances oven, pink Breccia Damascata marble benchtops and a shimmering Moroccan tile backsplash.

“It’s a palette that can stand the test of time, and it reflects the surroundings with earthy, dusty tones,” Isaza-Smith says.

Before: Bathroom

The bathroom was another huge transformation. Replacing the original boxed-in bath with a freestanding tub opened up valuable floor space, while tongue-and-groove paneling, vintage light fittings, and a custom shower-curtain rail added character more in keeping with farmhouse style.

In an effort to reuse as many materials as they could, Tom and Nicole chose to repurpose the original sink and tapware, which is now set atop a new vanity base.

After: Bathroom

While spaces like the dining room and primary bedroom had already been revamped in the first stage of the renovation, Isaza-Smith helped finish the project, giving Nicole’s extensive collection of artwork and family heirlooms a cohesive feel. She commissioned the oversized pendant lights in the dining room and kitchen from Australian lighting artist Lana Launay, guided Nicole’s vintage light-fitting choices and placement, and selected the duck egg–blue accent used on the architraves and skirting boards.

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

All up the work took the better part of a year, creating some chaos for Tom and Nicole, who had to decamp to a tiny studio on the property with their three dogs so they could keep running their farm business, Misty Creek Agroforestry.

“It was hilarious and challenging at times, but it brought us closer to the project and gave us a real sense of what was working and what needed adjusting,” Nicole recalls.

Happily, work on the house finished in time for the arrival of their first child.

After: Entrance

After: Primary Bedroom

“As farmers, we spend so much time at home. Living in a space we’ve poured so much love into is the icing on the cake after a hard day’s work,” Nicole says.

“We grow most of our food, so the table is always covered in seasonal produce, fresh flowers, and ferments in progress. There’s usually a big pot of chicken soup on the stove or yogurt culturing on the bench. In the evenings we gather by the fire, and now we’re welcoming a new little addition to the home. I can’t wait to see him grow up here.”

After: Exterior

More Before & After stories:

There’s a Hidden Meadow at the Heart of This Wabi-Sabi D.C. Home

A Surprising Home Springs Up in a Basic Barcelona Storefront

She Pivoted a “Corporate” Apartment Into a Cozy, Wood-Wrapped Home

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Jana Isaza-Smith, Studio Isaza / @studioisaza

Builder: Ben Eliya Construction / @beneliyaconstruction

Joinery: Turner Kitchen & Joinery

Metalwork: Archer Industrial

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Before & After: An Aussie Farmhouse That Was a “Little Tired” Gets a Joyful Makeover