Your Guide to the Modern Farmhouse Style

The traditional farmhouse look can sometimes feel like an old blanket—homey and comforting yet somewhat archaic. If you love the cosiness of this style but want a look that's more modern, opt for the modern farmhouse, which is current, clean and chic without losing its sense of familiarity. The following tips should help you get this style on point for your home:

1. Get a barn door

A barn door instantly says ‘Yeehaw!’ and it’s great for adding a focal point to a space. The key to keeping it tasteful is not to have one too many of it. Don’t incorporate it at every entrance to your rooms for instance. Keep to just one entrance in your home.

Design: Country Concept

Design: Lemonfridge Studio

Design: Fuse Concept

Another great way to incorporate barn doors is to switch up your regular wardrobe fronts with barn door style ones.

Design: Linear Space Concepts

Design: Versaform

Design: The 80's Studio

2. Go for a white backdrop

Materials in a farmhouse design tend to be visually heavy—think rustic, reclaimed woods and metals—which is why a crisp, white interior canvas would help to balance out this heftiness and serve as a nice contrast. If you want a bit of colour as an accent, grey is a good choice in keeping with the modern theme, while pastels like yellow or blue can help to soften the overall milieu.

Design: The 80's Studio

Design: Three-D Conceptwerke

Design: The 80's Studio

3. Go for shaker style cabinets, butcher block counters and get a large, farmhouse sink

The heart and hub of activity in any country home is its kitchen, so pay particular attention to the design in your cooking space. While there are no hard-and-fast rules, elements like shaker style cabinets, butcher block countertops and a large, apron-style sink immediately conjure up images of a homey country-style home.

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To keep things looking modern and practical, pair shaker style bottom cabinets with modish top glass cabinets. Reserve butcher block counters for your island, while using a neutral-coloured quartz for the rest of your other countertops. Stainless steel appliances, hardware with a modern finish and simple lines, or glossy white subway tiles can also help to update the old-fashioned, rustic look commonly associated with the traditional farmhouse style.

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4. Deck your walls with shiplap, board & batten or beadboard

Wall panels tend to feature in farmhouse designs. They are a great way to add architectural interest to a space and a good option if you’re going for an all-white scheme as the extra detail really adds a pop to the space.

Design: Three-D Conceptwerke

Design: Country Concept

For farmhouse appeal, deck your surfaces in whitewashed shiplap, board and batten or beadboard. Shiplap offers a more casual, beach house vibe, while board and batten and beadboard feel a bit more formal. Go beyond the four walls and clad your ceiling with panelling too.

Design: The Association

5. Opt for comfortable and practical furniture

Farmhouse furniture are cosy, yet incredibly sturdy. Unlike stiff, formal pieces you would find in other interior design themes like the Victorian style for instance, furniture found in country style homes are workhorses that you would feel completely at home in.

Design: Fuse Concept

Get sofas with a clean, modern silhouette, but amped up with throws and cushions. Deck out the space with a few freestanding storage pieces like hutches and sideboards rather than go for full-on built-in carpentry. Juxtapose rustic, antique pieces alongside more modern woodwork.

Design: Linear Space Concepts

If the kitchen is the heart of the farmhouse home, then the dining area is the soul. Opt for a large wooden table with a weathered finish and complement it with wooden Windsor chairs. Include a dining bench, which not only provides more seating to your space but also adds to the homey appeal.

Don’t forget furnishings. Decorate with vintage flea market finds or repurposed wares and mix and match them with more contemporary decor with simpler lines and cleaner finishes. Lighting is also an easy way to introduce an instant country style vibe. There are so many options: try industrial style lighting, iron chandeliers, birdcage pendants, exposed bulbs encased in a wire box frame or roped-hung pendants.

Design: Lemonfridge Studio