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Home Tour: Inside A Byron Hinterland Home Balancing Beauty and Life
A working family farm renovation with both warmth and practicality at heart.
While every home should hold a sense of rest and refuge, farmhouses call for a deeper level of calm and care. After all, they sit within the same landscape where the rest of country life unfolds, from work to play. For Jana Isaza�Smith, Interior Designer and founder of Studio Isaza, the Misty Creek Farmhouse required that extra special touch to ensure this working agroforestry farm felt at once connected to the land yet a step removed.
Set in Byron Bay’s golden hinterland, practicality came first. With the rich red earth of Bundjalung Country underfoot, three resident farm dogs, wandering chickens and a young child in the mix, robust materials were essential. Finishes that would “look beautiful as they age and handle a coating of red dust now and then.” Jana and her clients also wanted to stir in a hearty dose of whimsy and wonder.
Texture and materiality played a central role in fusing traditional “farmhouse vernacular” with practicality and warmth. Spotted gum was chosen for its richness and tonal variety, as well as its ability to complement the existing flooring and furniture. Meanwhile, 100-year�old beams salvaged from the Grafton Bank add a layer of history and ground the home in time and place.
With the practical and historical elements in place, the next phase was about incorporating the owners’ playful personality and penchant for maximalism without spaces feeling jumbled or messy. Jana’s advice for those looking to do the same? “Consider scale; look for larger impactful pieces, vary your heights and cluster items together. Be thoughtful with your palette — a handful of complementary colours weaves a consistent thread through your spaces.”
On the art of fusing modern elements with historic touches, Jana notes, “Creating tension between old and new, glossy and matte, hard and soft, that is where a project gets interesting and feels really dynamic. Too much of the same sheen leaves a home feeling flat.”
And the cherry on top? Lighting, of course. Essential to the ambience of any space, Jana’s goal was to further weave personality through the home, whilst making the most of the natural light already filtering in.
“Creating tension between old and new, glossy and matte, hard and soft, that is where a project gets interesting and feels really dynamic. Too much of the same sheen leaves a home feeling flat.” — Jana Isaza-Smith
“Layered and unique lighting makes a space sing, and the Lana Launay pendants created such an impact as well as providing beautiful, diffused light”, adds Jana. “We had fun selecting beautiful Murano lights for the entrance and bathroom. Mixing vintage and contemporary pieces creates a layered, welcoming atmosphere.”
Bespoke detailing — from the scalloped kitchen cabinets to the brass hardware — helped bring the family’s original vision of a deeply personal space firmly into focus. For Jana, the end result was everything. “The home feels joyful, it’s filled with sentimental pieces that connect the family to their heritage.” The result is a home with mud on its boots, beauty in its bones and a strong sense of family running through it.
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Project Credits
Built By: Ben Eliya Constructions
Interior Design: Studio Isaza
Styled By: Studio Isaza and Jessica Bartlett
Photography: Natalie McCommas
Loved touring this gorgeous home and looking for more inspo? Be sure to take a peep at this space, designed with slow living in mind, as well as this blushing pink beauty.
