What farmhouse style is all about

Farmhouse style brings modern design to cozy country-style aesthetic that’ll give your home a livable, welcoming feel. Thanks to Fixer Upper on HGTV (hey Joanna Gaines!), modern farmhouse is all the rage in interior design — and for good reasons!

The style is personal, simple, and perfect for DIY folks. It’s all about recycling, renovating, and honestly, anyone can adapt it into their home! Whether traditional, industrial, colonial, or rustic, here’s how you can get that cozy, sleek modern barn look no matter where you live.

Design Elements

Family-style furniture

Big, inviting furniture creates a laid-back feel where guests and family can kick-off their shoes and relax.

Decorative salvage

Take previously loved items and breathe some new life into them. Lots of love goes into farmhouse design with DIY painted antiques, up-cycled accessories, and embellishments that personalize your space! Think of weathered wood, wrought iron, and galvanized elements.

Light walls, wood floors

Every masterpiece starts with a blank canvas. In farmhouse interiors, go for white or ivory walls to brighten up the room and create a neutral backdrop. For flooring, you can choose any from wide plank to whitewashed gray and matte stained. If it’s wood, it’s good!

“Old Meets New” Accessories

The best part of Farmhouse style is being able to design with items you love. Because of it’s focus on upcycling and repurposing, any collection of vintage accessories can be gathered and used in your space.

Family Artifacts

Farmhouse style is about nostalgia — what better way to feel it than with family history! This can be anything from antiques from Grandmas attic, to handed-down furnishings or books from mom & dad. Doesn’t matter how much they cost, just as long as they tell your family story.

Open Shelving

What good are your family history and favorite collections if they’re hidden away? Whether bookcase, shoe cart reproduction, or metal floating shelves, showcase your most beautiful accessories with open shelving.

Farmhouse color palettes

Farmhouse style highlights the use of neutrals for base. Pale shades of white, beige, and gray, or “griege” as one popular blogger puts it. Other muted colors are:

• Slate
• Sage
• Fawn
• Navy
• Greens

Materials & Textiles

Choose purpose over aesthetic. By decorating with only the essentials in your home, you capture the warm and welcoming spirit of early American decor.For example, present a floral arrangement in an aged metal jug instead of a vase for a touch of practical aesthetic.

Textiles are incredibly important for Farmhouse interiors — they’re what brings comfort and warmth forward in your space. Different shades of wood work well together, mixing painted wood with natural finishes.

Upholstery

Whether solid or patterned, use muted, neutral, and monochromatic palettes to create a calming and relaxed look. Ticking stripes and small-scale ginghams are classic farmhouse designs

Braided Rugs

A braided area rug not only protects your floors, but brings a softness to the area and pulls the entire room together. Rugs make a perfect focal point for designing because they add color and texture to any farmhouse interior.

Throw Pillows

Warm up your space with a couple of throw pillows. Muted colors are ok here, but farmhouse is also about pops of color and texture! This is a great chance to showcase fun motifs and looks.

Easy-Care Fabrics

In farmhouse design, airy and light fabrics such as linen and cotton bring casual and comfortable feel to pillows, seating, couches and more. Durable rugs, like jute and ultra wool, give a welcoming backdrop to your space. Wool is a beautiful, and comfortable choice for flooring and cozy blankets.

Patterns

• Ticking stripes
• Buffalo check
• Plaid
• Gingham
• Toile
• Cabin Check

Materials

There are certain materials that give farmhouse a lived-in, welcoming feel. To give that country-cozy comfort,

• Handmade ceramic tiles
• Pine or reclaimed wood furniture
• Shiplap
• Metals - copper, galvanized, steel, wrought iron
• Ceramic collections
• Painted wood
• Natural materials