Design Elements
· Initiate and cozy environment
· Highly decorative with natural, rustic and time-tested items: mason jars, aprons, wire baskets, grain sacks, wooden spoons, plate racks, large glass jars, burlap
· Simple, sensible styling that’s brimming with personal details
· Natural and premium materials are used throughout the home
· Large family-style cooking spaces create a familiar, laid-back vibe
· Furniture is typically handcrafted from distressed woods and wrought iron
· Soft color palettes with white, gray, cream, navy, and sage
· Open shelving showcases necessities and heirloom pieces
· Old becomes new with the style's focus on upcycling and renovating
· Farmhouse, or apron-front, sinks are a must
· Kitchen cabinets are usually white, glass front or open shelving
· Painted wood planked walls offer a country-side yet modern aesthetic
· Style with porches, barn doors, and bar beam anything
· Garden to table living, spruce the kitchen up with visible fruits, vegetables and spices for practical usage and decor
What is "Farmhouse" Style?
Farmhouse style is an extremely popular theme in today's day-and-age. It's a reflection of old, country-style living with modern and industrial twists. Originally, though, this type of style was developed out of necessity rather than for trendy aesthetics. It was born out of geography for farmers as a place to live. Their houses reflected the land, building material and goods in the surrounding rural area. Thus the name "farmhouse".
A farmhouse usually included a transition area from the outside-in. The front of the home was the "formal" area where guests were welcomed. Although quite simple, it served to meet the formal social norms of the day. The back of the house usually had the kitchen and a bedroom, or if the home was two-stories, the bedrooms would be on the second level. There wasn't much room for anything else, so functionality and practicality were the front-most importance of the living arrangements.
Today, farmhouse style reflects the love of the land with a simple and very welcoming aesthetic. Farmhouse style is very versatile and can be mixed-and-matched with other styles without hindering the core theme. Some of the more popular methods is to take pieces from contemporary and/or industrial accents to blend together a uniquely modern look.
Function and Practicality
There's a reason why so many people continue to fall head-over-heels for the farmhouse style. Its unique take on comfort and simplicity creates an aura that could make anyone feel at home, even if they've never set foot on a farm. When you consider the ins-and-outs of farm life, it's no surprise that practicality reigns supreme. While you should always consider functionality and usage as an integral part of any design, in this case, it needs to be your first point of consideration.
Kitchens and dining rooms are the heart of a farmhouse style home. They showcase the style's main tenet: function above all else. Just like in the old days, these rooms are the place where families and guests would meet. They should be large and filled with practical fixtures to accommodate big groups of people. Deep apron-front sinks, overhead task lighting, and larger butcher block islands for food prep and bar-top seating make the home cook and entertainer's life easy.
Furnish with Character
Farmhouse style is distinctly all-American yet surprisingly savvy. As a nod to its homegrown roots, this style has a collected-over-time look, complete with old-school prints, distressed furnishings, and vintage finishes. Farmhouse decorating is warm, cozy, relaxing, and full of charm and character. It eschews modern sensibilities and goes back to a simpler time.
It should be a warm mix of form and function. Sturdy materials (wood and steel), age-worn finishes, streamlined shapes, and textiles bring this lived-in rustic look home. Vintage decor pieces, or "vintage-inspired" items are a must! Your decor should incorporate flea market and thrift store finds seamlessly. Antique signs or chalkboards work well with the rustic feeling.
To keep a farmhouse from looking too "country kitsch", there needs to be a balance of old and new. It should be clean, stylish and warmhearted. Breezy, low-maintenance fabrics, like linen and cotton, lend softness and a relaxed feel on seating, headboards, and more. For pillows and throws, striped wool and vintage knits add a casual detail draped across any chair or bed.
Modern and Industrial Accents
Modern farmhouse style is known for its warmth and simplicity, characterized by natural textures and materials like wood or galvanized steel. While cream and other neutral palettes are still the color of choice, bright and cold hues can also be used to give your area a spruce of unique personality.
Natural wood accents are a must-have for any farmhouse style home, be it wood panels on a wall, exposed beams on the ceiling, or large barn-style doors. These types of wood accents pair nicely with wrought iron detailing, which can give your area a hint of an industrial feeling, as well.
With furnishings, they do not need to have the perfect paint job. Chipping or uneven textured paint can give the area a rustic yet cozy feeling, which is perfect for farmhouse style since it emphasizes well-used and loved aesthetics.