A farmhouse must provide you with cocoon-like comfort. It should become a home that feels light, warm, relaxing, casual yet sleek, and full of character. So, pay attention to your farmhouse interior design, which will help you create all this and more.
According to Liz Fourez (in his book – A Touch of Farmhouse Charm), decorating with farmhouse style today is all about blending modern amenities with elements that take you back to a simpler time. The perfect setting for those family get-togethers and laid-back weekends. Today, it’s a balance between the new and the old with simple, sleek, earthy, and rustic features.
There are several factors of the same type, that when combined, create the right vibe for a farmhouse design style. Let’s explore these elements of farmhouse decor that you can decode and use along your journey to reaching your comfort haven.
15 Simple yet Transforming Farmhouse Interior Design Tips
Design for farmhouse interiors prioritises an open floor plan, allowing seamless flow between the kitchen, dining area, and living room, perfect for family gatherings and entertaining guests.
01. Embrace Exposed Wooden Beams
Exposed wooden beams make for a fundamental feature in a modern farmhouse design. A classic element from the good old days of impressive craftsmanship.
Today, the skill might be a little dusty, but with a few days and basic skills, you can make a beam and panel ceiling. This also makes for the perfect cover for popcorn ceilings. In case your ceiling with the wooden beam is on a lower level, you can hang utensils from them, adding extra space in the kitchen. They bring in a pop element for the viewer’s eyes.
02. Suspended Mirrors
Search for old mirrors, serving trays, or plates of a similar kind. Collect them and arrange them on a blank wall to create the illusion that the space is bigger than it is.
This becomes an accent wall and showcases different types and sizes of reflective surfaces on one wall. All other walls can be minimalised by keeping them clean and blank.
03. Install Barn Doors
Barn doors are a must-have when it comes to farmhouse interior design. But if you do not have one already, you can use it as part of your décor. For that, you don’t need to use it as a door for a room. Shelves and cupboards could also feature a sliding barn door, making it easy to access things inside and hide the unorganised mess behind. You could also use it as a cover for pantry stations that have too many things on them. A barn door in this case would be a perfect buffer that balances the space.
04. Clean Walls of White
With a lot of different elements in play across the room, having a clean white wall can help enhance their presence. Colours and textures might overpower the setting you worked so hard on.
White to off-white shades in your modern farmhouse interior design not only give the space a light background but also make it appear bigger. It makes each piece of decor stand out by tying the picture together.
05. Light it up Stylish Lanterns
Thinking about conventional lighting options for your farmhouse interior design? Why not lanterns for lighting? Opt for a black or dark colour that contrasts the wall.
Hang them around the room in place of scones and other wall lighting features. This can be ambient lighting that sets the mood when you want to lay back and relax.
06. Include Antique Decor Elements
From refurbished furniture to vintage signboards, you can add antique notes to the space. This gives it a more rustic appearance that fits with the theme of farmhouse decor.
Take up the furniture from your grandparent’s time, or find a thrift store that sells some selected, unique pieces. You wouldn’t regret this addition, as it’s going to last and will do less damage to the earth as well.
07. Reclaimed Wooden Accents – A must-have
What is farmhouse interior design and decor without wood? Use reclaimed wood for furniture parts, or even add accents to elements across the room. That country aesthetic of the wood will give the space a unique vibe that is undeniable. The furniture doesn’t need to be in the most perfect condition.
The imperfections found in them give them an irreplaceable character. Giving a little twist to the style, you can mix contemporary minimalism with a country vibe to add a bit of personality and charm to the space.
08. Be Minimalistic with Natural Materials
The use of natural materials like wood, rattan, bamboo, and others can become quite heavy and detail-oriented. Making them on minimalistic themes can not only bring the country farmhouse essence but also make them look less bulky.
You don’t want to be in a heavy setting when you are looking for some comfort and relaxation. The farmhouse interior design style has the advantage of giving a light and airy feel to the space.
09. Mismatched Table and Chairs
Including a built-in set of table and chairs does create a symmetrical and simple vibe, but what if you disrupted that uniformity? This is how you add character to a seating space. You can take seats of all kinds, from materials like distressed metal furniture to ones with upholstery.
Benches with woven throws can work too. Now put all or a few under the one big wooden table to create a balanced mixture of different colours and textures that go well together. Viola! You’ve customised your table and chair set from a farmhouse interior design perspective.
10. Set up Eclectic Signages
Apart from functional elements in the space, adding a bit of culture with sign boards that illustrate aesthetics from the farmhouse era can create the ambience as well. Farmhouse interior design ideas encourage incorporating wall signs of simple farm-fresh living that remind a person entering the space to slow down and appreciate a simple life.
You can either find stores that sell these wall signs, or better yet make them yourself. These can include signs that represent farmers’ markets, fresh flowers, and time well spent.
11. Pick Natural Rugs
As the farmhouse aesthetic relates to everything natural, including natural rugs would be a default. You can pair rugs made of jute, sisal, or wool with an easy living room, giving it warmth and comfort as a statement piece.
You can even opt for braided rugs in softer, earthy colour that look best over hardwood floors for your weekend home design. Mixing such textures in a balanced colour palette can give you a play on the feel of the whole space.
Here’s a video to sum up all the points mentioned above & below:
12. Invest in Statement Art Pieces
When it comes to selecting art pieces, it comes down to their quality and whether they go with the aesthetic.
You can include pictures and art depicting life on the farm with animals and farm equipment. You can explore beyond that with antique church benches and other country aesthetics.
13. Stock up on Greenery
Being in the countryside, greenery surrounds farmhouses. Farmhouse design ideas bring that aspect into the house.
Fresh-cut boughs in steel buckets make for a good table centerpiece, and hanging wreaths on the wall also creates a perfect look. They also come with properties like purifying indoor air with the production of oxygen.
14. Pop of colour to Include
With the general aesthetic of farmhouse interior design being more on the warm, earthy side of colours, including pops of other shades can bring it out further. It will balance out the uniformity and create a kind of statement as well.
You can go from painting your kitchen cabinets a different colour to including upholstery or bedding that is colourful. Try to include colours like green, baby blue, and tints of yellow and grey that are more on a pastel colour palette.
15. Build a Floor-to-Ceiling Shiplap
Shiplap is something found on the exterior of a farmhouse. Bringing that feature indoors can create a whole new country vibe that you wouldn’t want to let go of. This would also expose the beams that add further character to the space.
You can choose to paint it white or leave it rustic and raw. Either way, you would be bringing the farmhouse frame into your decor with this element.
The farmhouse interior design has been around for a decade now, but it’s only recently that people have been craving a more relaxed and homelier vibe in their houses. Knowing how to achieve this, even by living on the urban side, can be tricky but achievable with the right elements. Balance and lightness are key to composing the perfect country vibe with these elements. Play with different textures and shades while keeping the theme similar, and you will be sure to crack it.
FAQs
01. What is a Cozy Farmhouse Style?
A design that includes more warm tones derived from natural materials and textures can create such a vibe. A farmhouse style that is not too heavy on the eye and that is relaxing and airy, has that effect on the user. Smaller spaces with the same aesthetic can create that feel as well.
02. How do I make my House look like a Farmhouse?
To do that, you must consider aesthetics along the warm, cosy, light, and relaxing lines. The space would include furniture pieces and complementary decor items. You can use natural textures like wood, woven fabric, warm colours, and rustic elements to create this style.
03. What are the elements of a Modern Farmhouse Interior Design?
Some common elements of modern farmhouse interior design include clean lines and a simple design, reclaimed wood, exposed beams, the creation of a focal point like a kitchen space or a fireplace, and much more. The inclusion of natural tones and textures with antique and rustic furniture takes centre stage in this decor.
If farmhouse style impressed you, then do not miss out on Tuscan Style, which is similar to farmhouse style. Click the link below:
Tuscan Style Décor Ideas that Brings Rustic Charm!
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.
