The Design Files: A beloved family home, rebuilt from the ground-up

Who: Sarah Woodhouse and Brad Nicholls

What: A beloved family home, rebuilt from the ground-up

Where: Narre Warren North, Victoria

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All homes tell a story, but this is especially true of the Narre Warren North home of Sarah Woodhouse and Brad Nicholls.

The Nicholls’ family home is on a 40-hectare property, owned by Brad’s family for 55 years, alongside the 170-year-old homestead where he grew up.

Here, three generations of the Nicholls family live and work in close proximity – Sarah and Brad’s furniture business is based on the property, too.

This modernist-inspired home is actually the second iteration of their house, after a freak accident saw most of their beloved original home (built in 2006) burn to the ground. The couple and their sons, Tom, 14, and Angus, 9, set out to design a new and improved version, which was complete in 2012.

The central rammed-earth wall was one of the only original elements to survive, and forms the centrepiece of their new home.

The badly soot-damaged bedroom side of the wall has since been stained black, while plants were integrated into the incredible living room side to hide burn marks. “Seven years on, it is now turning into a jungle,” Woodhouse says.

With limited time and budget, the couple worked on developing a practical, cost-effective floor plan, with the roof pitch set at the same slope as the land.

Most of the project was designed and built by them, alongside their builder, Lucas Constructions. The couple are the owners of furniture label Nicholls Design, so naturally almost all the furniture was made by them too. “Our house is filled with prototypes,” Woodhouse says.

The couple wanted the home to blur the distinction between indoors and out, with plenty of natural light, and no wasted space.

The earthy, relaxed and homely interiors feature plenty of handmade touches throughout. Woodhouse describes the aesthetic as “modern country, with mid-century Scandinavian and Japanese influences”.

There’s also a strong emphasis on recycled materials, including windows made from recycled hardwood salvaged from one of the original foundries on Spencer Street in Melbourne’s CBD.

This is a remarkable home by any standard, but especially given the circumstances under which it was created. The land it’s on is also particularly special, being such a large semi-rural property, within 40 minutes of the CBD.

“There are very few properties this size left in our area,” Woodhouse says. ‘It was challenging building the second time around, but we think we have built a better house.’

How to create a vertical garden

As homes get smaller, and gardens get, well, in some areas almost non-existent, it’s no surprise we’re craving so much lush, leafy foliage in our interiors right now. If you’re tight on space, one way to maximise indoor plant life is to go vertical.

• Hanging “pocket planters” are available in various sizes, just add soil and plants.
• Alternatively, display individual wall-mounted pots or bag-like planters en masse, for a more ad-hoc vertical garden.
• Choose plants with trailing foliage to maximise leafy coverage – indoors, consider varieties like devil’s ivy, hoyas, philodendrons or string of hearts.
• Trim regularly to ensure plants don’t overcrowd each other or become entangled.
• Expect a few spills and puddles beneath wall-mounted plants. Vertical gardens are best installed over concrete floors or tiled surfaces.
• The key with any garden, vertical or otherwise, is to ensure you select the right plants for the conditions. Consider the available light, heat and moisture and select plants accordingly.