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

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."