Modern Farmhouse Design (Interior & Exterior Ideas)

Have you ever desired a little rustic, a little bit Scandinavian and some highlight touches of Shabby Chic in your house? Do you fantasize patches of reclaimed wood, rugged white walls, and some authentic vintage lighting? Well, Modern Farmhouse design has the answers to it all.

Not incredibly old, the modern farmhouse style came into the limelight in 2015 and ever since then, it has been applauded for its trendy and dynamic impact on the homeowners. This eclectic style has been revived from a traditional farmhouse design with an increased appreciation of subtlety and timelessness.

Modern Farmhouse design draws tremendous inspiration from industrial, classic and traditional styles that are known to exist independently and tends to incorporate some of the striking minimalist and contemporary features of the era.

The core of this style lies in an open, spacious floor plan with highly reflective surfaces to create a light and fragile environment. Clean and crisp lines, warm woods and neutral accents unzip the modern farmhouse look into a fresh, welcoming and a positive realm.

Modern Farmhouse Style

Centered around comfort and deep-rooted in rustic charm with striking minimalism, this style offers a wide array of design elements specialized for all the spaces in a house.

Let’s have a look at these mesmerizing features that could be observed in modern farmhouse decor and make you feel awe-inspired by their natural look.

• Wide plank floors
• Vintage accessories
• Comfortable furniture
• Natural hues
• Reclaimed wood
• Pine accessories
• Wrought-iron elements
• Apron sinks
• Traditional fabrics
• Excessive natural light
• Rustic wood accents

How to Get the Look?

Revamping your home into a modern farmhouse style and blending it with present contemporary, modern, or transitional style might seem daunting but could be achieved easily. Just a few add-on touches, a little décor and a bit makeover might alter the look of your house to a perfect dream farmhouse look.

Defined by warmth and natural textures, a layer of wood in the furniture or calm fabrics on the furnishings could be a thrilling start to a modern farmhouse look. Traditional homes might need to remove cluttered accessories, jazzy colored furnishings and patterns to give a clean and sorted look.

Acquiring a natural style by adding textures for a rustic feel plays a significant role. For instance, staggered wood logs could play as a focal point in the house and give an identity to the space.

Painting the rooms with neutral color palettes and avoiding multi-colored tints and contrasts or adding wood in the furniture or structure could give a vintage and antique feel to your space that well defines a modern farmhouse look.

It is no surprise that this style requires a cozy environment; Adding indoor plants, excessive cushions and a warm, spacious hue will embrace the feel and make your space versatile and timeless leading to the guests’ admiring the house and stealing an eye.

Due to the modernization in this style, there are a few dont’s from the traditional elements that are to be noted; Barn doors may seem to be the most eye-catchy element of farmhouse design, however this costly trend may fade away over time.

Vintage signs and art objects define authenticity, but over-utilization may cause the space to turn into “country”. Similarly, saxophones, bicycles and mason jars may seem to add the “over” factor and end up annulling the sophistication of the space.

Exterior Design

Modern Farmhouse Style is more than a mere design style. It ranges from accessories to furniture to interiors and even the building exteriors. With such a broad spectrum, this design style proves to be a feeling that homeowners look forward to inculcating in their spaces.

This design style requires an amalgamation of the exteriors’ modern and traditional elements to give the homes a perfect rustic yet fabulous touch.

For all those looking to remodel the house to give a “farmhouse” look or the ones with a completely new ground-up structure, several distinctive elements must be noted.

Color Palette

Draw inspiration from the Scandinavian style and wash the walls with beige, grey, white or an off-white. Lighter hues account for lively and delicate experiences that further enlighten the space and makes them look bigger. You could even leave the walls unfinished with a rugged white plaster or paint on it.

Covered Porch

Traditional farmhouses were famous for outdoor living which is why the feature has been revived in the modern designs. The culture of inside yet outside experience and enjoying the property and its surroundings has been in the limelight for the farmhouses.

These covered porches allow the homeowners to enjoy the rainy weather while sipping on their evening tea. Covered patios are often used for backyard areas.

Massive Openings

Highly inspired by nature, massive openings are majorly preached by the homeowners to get an inside-out feel. In traditional farmhouses, the windows were purposely designed to be larger to keep an eye on the outside. However, reviving in the modern typology, these windows also let in plenty of sunlight to enlighten the indoors.

Barn-Style Exterior Lighting

Barn-style torch lights are used on the exteriors to light up the façade. These products are built in molded wrought iron or caged glass to give a rustic look to even the slightest.

Gables

Multiple sloped gables in a house are highly identical to a modern farmhouse style. Mostly used in black or grey, this hallmark adds the authentic touch to the house.

Interior Designs

Modern farmhouse interior design is all about a low-key mixture of country aura and a soothing minimalistic theme. It revolves around the comfort factor in defining the style and building up the natural aura for the homeowners.

A strong vibrancy and enthusiasm can be felt in the farmhouse interiors that enhance our moods and blends us in various farmhouse lifestyles.

‘Wabi-Sabi’ is a term that fits in with this design style; The juxtaposition of the era’s minimalism and yet the country design; ‘New and yet the old’ is glorified precisely in their design elements.

It celebrates the not-so-perfect style by using distressed wooden beams, unfinished rugged brick or concrete walls, exposed metal furniture and industrial lights.

To simplify the feel, let’s look at some of the key features of modern farmhouse interiors.

Woodwork

When paired with light, airy walls, the rustic woodwork tends to give the space a natural and industrial look.

You could treat the wood with special varnishes or stains to maintain them from time to time for a much more authentic look. Tongue and grove wood flooring, wood open beams, and shiplap ceilings are all popular features in modern farmhouse homes.

Pale Off White Walls

Pale off-white or beige walls are constructed to complement the hardwood flooring. Walls are not characterized to be fancy, multi-color painted, or wallpaper designed, instead just naturally white-washed.

Spacious Kitchens

Kitchens are the heart of our homes. However, the sizes should be comparatively larger and flexible. Traditional farmhouse kitchens held larger kitchens due to cooking for larger groups of farmers and armies.

These have been revived to give a modern classic touch in the eclectic fashion. Wooden countertops, backsplash and island elements are the key factors to be implemented with a mixture of glass cabinets and wooden shelves.

Rustic and Contempoary Living Spaces

Modern farmhouse living rooms strike the perfect balance between rustic charm and contemporary cool. You’ll find warm wood tones and natural materials like exposed wood beams, shiplap walls, and rough-hewn hardwood floors that evoke a cozy, pastoral vibe.

But these rustic elements are paired with the clean lines and minimalist aesthetic of modern design. Think sleek sofas with angular metal legs or sparse decor with industrial-inspired accents.

It’s all about the contrasts! Vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces like refurbished farmhouse tables or antique armoires add character and soul. The color palette celebrates earthy, natural hues – warm whites, soft grays, organic greens – with pops of black to keep things feeling current.

By thoughtfully combining these opposing yet complementary elements, you get a living space that feels equal parts inviting and elevated, relaxed and refined. These designs have mastered the art of highbrow meets down-home.

Natural Fibers

Avoid the artificial by bringing nature in. Natural wood, cotton, hemp, and linen are appropriate materials to be used that will synchronize with the interiors and add on to the farmhouse beauty of the house.

Materials

Sophistication is the key to modern farmhouse design. Using a high matte finish and avoiding glossy materials would authenticate your space to a natural farmhouse look and set a casual and comfortable environment. Introduce exposed material walls and industrial decor items in the space with sleek, straight lines and minimal cluttering.

Explore the Eclectic

Modern farmhouse design is a product of blending modern with traditional whilst keeping a rustic touch onboard.

Collaborate the old with new to give the space authenticity and a vibrant touch. This design style perfectly amalgamates the distressed wooden beams with modern stainless steel to provide a vintage product. See our article on faux wood beams to see how you can implement this style in your own home.

Modern farmhouse entryway with traditional style Dutch door

Play with Contrasts

Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling

Avoiding flashy colors to simplify the interiors in a more subtle-contrasting way can polish your space with a modern farmhouse look.

This style evokes low-key luxury, authenticity in materials, a relaxed style aura, and natural finishes within the indoors. A slight contrast of shades of whites, greys, and blacks are observed with tints of burnt orange and earthy tones.

Even though the words, “Modern” and “Farmhouse” may seem contradictory together, the duo never misses out on being placed on the design headlines. Chip and Joanna Gaines elevated the true perspective of the design style that earned popularity early during its evolution.

This eclectic approach towards multiple design styles leads to the commemoration of reviving the authentic traditional farmhouse style with a modernist approach to usher the space. This style is more of a lifestyle than the design itself.

It is a feeling that many homeowners contemplated for generations and not only altered their personalities but also rejuvenated the glory of its existence.

For more related designs see our gallery of farmhouse kitchen cabinet ideas here.