My Houzz: Family and Nature at the Heart of It All
A designer transforms a run-down house into a clean and comfortable family home
With an interior design degree under her belt, Lauren Modi couldn’t have been more excited to use her newly acquired skills on her own home. Modi and her husband, Sunny, have made what was a flea-infested, outdated house into a comfortable family nest to welcome their 6-month-old son, Ariton, into the world. Modi is the co-owner of The Borrowed Nursery and combines her design aesthetic with her love of nature, which can be seen throughout the home with an array of indoor plants.
This was no small renovation. They moved walls around to make better use of the existing space and extended the front section of the house.
One of the biggest jobs during the renovation was creating more space in the living room by knocking down the wall separating the living room from a bedroom. Modi recalls a few people questioning why she decided to open up this space when she could’ve had a five-bedroom house, but she knew that the extra living space would become an ideal play area for their son. “I can see exactly what he is up to when I am working or cooking. I can also keep the mess of scattered toys and play equipment confined to one area of the house,” Modi says. Her father made the wood playhouse frame.
One of the biggest jobs during the renovation was creating more space in the living room by knocking down the wall separating the living room from a bedroom. Modi recalls a few people questioning why she decided to open up this space when she could’ve had a five-bedroom house, but she knew that the extra living space would become an ideal play area for their son. “I can see exactly what he is up to when I am working or cooking. I can also keep the mess of scattered toys and play equipment confined to one area of the house,” Modi says. Her father made the wood playhouse frame.
Initially, the budget to complete the addition was about $20,000. They planned to complete the rest of the renovation in stages. On commencing work, however, they made additional changes, and other incidentals cropped up that added to the costs. The budget soon blew out to more than $50,000. “We weren’t too worried about this because the property market was on the rise again and we felt confident that the money was going into a strong investment,” Modi says.
Modi particularly loves the open kitchen and living area, and says this is where they spend most of their time. Their 3-year-old goldendoodle, Marshall, is part of the family.
Sofa: King Furniture
Sofa: King Furniture
The bi-fold doors open out to a small deck. On a dry day, the couple enjoy relaxing with a beer on the deck overlooking the pool and enjoying the view of the neighboring park. They plan to extend the deck to allow for more outdoor dining and lounging.
The home is also quite the party house. They have a large group of friends and host upward of 80 people for various celebrations.
The home is also quite the party house. They have a large group of friends and host upward of 80 people for various celebrations.
The kitchen and dining room were the third stage of renovations, costing the couple $10,000, including appliances. Modi says they were mindful of the design features for both areas and stuck to a strict budget. She had originally planned to use tiles on the backsplash that would’ve cost $7.50 per square foot, but reduced the cost by switching to an Italian tile that was only $1 per square foot. “I’m so happy I did this because I love it and we get so many compliments on it,” she says.
They decided to splurge on the stone countertop, which is simple and white, but also adds a sense of luxury to the space. The kitchen cabinetry is by Masters.
Ornaments on display around the home have been collected over the years from traveling, local thrift shops and garage sales. Some were also gifts, such as these beautiful wood and copper spoons in the kitchen.
Modi, who has designed many cafes and commercial kitchens on Australia’s Gold Coast, wanted her kitchen to work in a similar way. The tiled counter is inspired by a cafe-style bar. It was a bit of a challenge to build, and involved a lot of discussion between her father and their tiler, Chris Mason, a family friend.
The kitchen was also designed around Modi’s love of tea. She has a tea station with a fridge below where she makes a lot of tea and coffee for her husband and guests. “I wanted everything to be within arm’s reach, so all my supplies are stored above this, and my favorite mugs are ready to go on the hardwood timber shelving,” Modi says.
Modi designed this section of the kitchen cabinetry to house the major appliances. It brings yet another unique design feature to this functional kitchen.
Next to the dining table sits this sideboard, made from a plank of wood the couple used to serve food on at their wedding. It rests on Ikea trestle legs. It’s here that Modi decided to display a big mosaic artwork that she bought some years ago from the markets in Lismore, Australia, for less than $20. “It’s one of my favorite things and brings the right amount of color to my neutral palette,” she says.
The main bathroom is located along the hallway, and Modi refers to it as her “sanctuary.” This doorway originally led to a separate toilet next to the bathroom, but she redesigned the area to merge both spaces together.
“When I was pregnant with Ariton, I would have a bath with candles and oils every night, and listen to birth affirmations,” Modi says. It’s a peaceful and neutral space with natural wood textures and, yes, more plants, of course!
The bathroom renovation cost the couple about $8,000. To keep costs low, Modi chose an economical tile but had it laid in interesting patterns. “The one thing we have learned from this is not to skimp on the tiler,” she says.
The bathroom renovation cost the couple about $8,000. To keep costs low, Modi chose an economical tile but had it laid in interesting patterns. “The one thing we have learned from this is not to skimp on the tiler,” she says.
The handmade copper faucets add warmth to the space and were made by a friend from WaterCycle Solutions Plumbing.
Located farther along the hallway on the other side of the bathroom is Ariton’s nursery. Modi has always loved this room. When she was pregnant, she recalls spending time in here imagining what her baby would be like.
The couple chose to keep the gender of their baby a surprise, so they decorated the room with a neutral palette, adding a mint-green wall, mint-green cushions and a macramé hanging made by a friend over the crib.
The couple chose to keep the gender of their baby a surprise, so they decorated the room with a neutral palette, adding a mint-green wall, mint-green cushions and a macramé hanging made by a friend over the crib.
A few weeks after bringing Ariton home, Modi realized that the room didn’t suit him. “It was way too soft…. I have slowly been trying to change it, adding more boyish things,” she says. She gave this Ikea bookshelf a quirky edge by adding a tree branch from which to hang his clothes.
“I don’t have a theme for his room. I’m going to let it evolve as he does. As a child, I loved decorating my room, so I’m looking forward to doing this with Ariton,” she says. For now this wall above the changing table has a treasured family photo alongside a Charlie Brown poster Modi found in New York and a framed owl print by local artist My Friend Can Paint.
At the northern end of the home is the oversize master bedroom, which was originally the garage.
Modi is a big Sibella Court fan. “Her concepts are based around collecting things that you love and displaying them in interesting ways,” she says.
One of these collected pieces is this vintage vanity, which was a gift to Modi from husband on her 25th birthday.
The couple spent three months in New York as an extension of their honeymoon before returning to Australia to purchase this home. The warmth of the brick adds an urban edge and is reminiscent of their time in the Big Apple.
The couple spent three months in New York as an extension of their honeymoon before returning to Australia to purchase this home. The warmth of the brick adds an urban edge and is reminiscent of their time in the Big Apple.
Due to a fascination since childhood, Modi has a small collection of birds’ nests that have been nailed to the wall in the bedroom next to some family photos. Not only do they complement the hard-edged frames with soft, organic shapes, but they also carry connotations of a nurturing space — ideal for this family nest.
The couple used hardwood left over from the construction to build a garden bed at the front of the new addition. The rich wood perfectly complements the charcoal clapboard that’s reminiscent of an original Queenslander — Modi’s dream home. “This garden bed is filled with rejects from The Borrowed Nursery,” she says. “Plants that were not good enough to sell ended up being planted quite randomly, and now most of them are flourishing. The Alocasia started out as nothing more than a bulb and one sad leaf less than six months ago, and is now huge!”
Although most of the home has been transformed, the two still have plans for the next few stages, which include a revamp of the outdoor deck and pool area, and a fresh update for the en suite. They always envisioned a home that they could enjoy with friends and family. “I’m not precious about keeping it perfect or things getting worn or broken because that’s what a home is for,” Modi says.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Although most of the home has been transformed, the two still have plans for the next few stages, which include a revamp of the outdoor deck and pool area, and a fresh update for the en suite. They always envisioned a home that they could enjoy with friends and family. “I’m not precious about keeping it perfect or things getting worn or broken because that’s what a home is for,” Modi says.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Lauren Modi and husband Sunny, son Ariton, dog Marshall and cat Roscoe
Location: Robina, Queensland, Australia
Size: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms
The day Modi first got the keys to her new house, she opened the door with a sense of excitement. But that excitement quickly turned to dismay. “We knew it was a doer-upper, but it really was filthy. When I started wandering through the bedrooms, I realized something was crawling on my feet. Fleas! The house was riddled with them,” Modi says.
After ridding the home of the pesky ankle biters, she set about renovating the home to meet their needs. With the help of her dad, Allan, and her husband, Sunny, Modi designed and managed the entire renovation. “I have designed many projects from concept through to construction drawings and specifications, but being on-site and much more hands-on was a completely different experience,” she says.