The contemporary farmhouse style is an effortless way to turn your house into a home.
Cozy, modern, and timeless, there is a reason that modern farmhouse design is taking the real estate industry by storm. With clean design lines and decoration that focuses on textiles and industrial materials, this design style encapsulates the best part of minimalism and traditional home values.
If you are wondering how you can achieve the luxury farmhouse look with design and decoration, then keep reading. Today, we’re going over the best features of a contemporary farmhouse home and how you can make this dream your reality.
What Is Contemporary Farmhouse Style?
First things first, let’s break down what the farmhouse style consists of. Farmhouse style is an interior decorating style that prioritizes traditional homes, rustic charm, and simple living.
However, don’t be confused by the “farm” in farmhouse style- this is not your grandmother’s country home with decorations of roosters, textured wallpaper, or wall-to-wall carpet. Instead, this is a modern revamp of the more charming farmhouse elements to create a modern and clean space.
Here are the staples of the modern farmhouse style:
Crisp, White Walls
When you start Pinteresting farmhouse design, the first thing you’ll notice is the use of white. White walls, white ceilings, white furniture. Although you’ll notice that it contrasts with some minimalist designs that gained popularity that farmhouse design incorporates multiple shades of white rather than one stark, bright white. Think mascarpone, eggshell, and warmer shades of white to create a clean yet cozy space.
Here are a few of the best shades of white, gray, and barely-there green to use in contemporary farmhouse design:
- White dove
- Alabaster
- Sea salt
- Silver sage
Natural Materials
In farmhouse design, the best accent for a warm white wall is natural materials. Think of wood tones as accents on the wall or ceiling.
If you don’t have any walls that are wood, then the easiest way to incorporate this beautiful look is through your furniture! Think of benches, chairs, and tables made of a gorgeous warm wood tone like maple to ground the space.
When selecting your furniture, be careful to make sure everything isn’t so matchy-matchy. As in nature, not everything should be the exact same type of wood to add some dynamic contrast to the space as a whole.
Just as you would with paint samples, try creating a palette of woods that complement each other that you want to incorporate into the space. Here are a few wood tones to try:
- Natural
- Golden Oak
- Provincial
- Weathered Oak
- Early American
- English Chestnut
- Special walnut
- Dark walnut
These wood tones will take you from dark to light shades effortlessly without having to worry.
Combining the natural materials with the white walls, another beautiful staple in farmhouse home design is incorporating shiplap! Shiplap is one of the easiest ways to break up the space and create an accent wall while still keeping it neutral.
The idea behind shiplap is that it invokes the sense of outdoor utilitarian buildings such as barns but actually looks incredible indoors.
Black Accents
To create contrasts with the white walls and natural wood materials in the home, black accents are a key feature in modern farmhouse design.
Taking traditional features like a farmhouse sink and making it black creates a dramatic statement in the kitchen while still keeping in line with the neutral tones of the rest of the home. Black lights hanging down, black hooks on the wall, or black dining room chairs are all ways to add this semi-industrial element that brings the farmhouse look right into the 21st century.
If you fall in love with black accents, another great place to incorporate this is to have a traditional sliding barn door in a jet-black. Black bedframes or painted window trim are other subtle ways to incorporate this that will still keep the bright and airiness of your farmhouse decor.
Texture and Textiles
Perhaps the most important element of the farmhouse decoration is the use of textiles and textures within the space!
The color palette for farmhouse design is very neutral and bright, so texture and textiles are a way to add dimension and personality to a space without distracting the eye with loads of different colors and patterns.
With this approach, you will immediately feel a sense of calm when entering a space that allows your eye to naturally pick up on playful patterns or materials without being overwhelmed all at once.
Here are some great opportunities to add texture and dimension to your farmhouse space:
- Rugs: Fluffy, subtly patterned, and large area rugs are a fabulous way to incorporate an added level of coziness into your home. Consider layering rugs to create different living zones in your open floor plan.
- Pillows, cushions, and blankets: Rather than sticking with one fabric type or color, mix and match light sand, beiges, and whites into the linens in your home. Adding a stylish throw blanket onto your couch that has tassels or pom-poms is such a simple way to add personality.
- Tiles: Kitchen backsplash, bathroom tiles, shower tiles, sky is the limit! Think of creating interest by using an interesting geometric pattern rather than using it as an opportunity to add a stark contrasting color. Geometric shapes will draw the eye while keeping the atmosphere calm and collected. Not to mention a neutral, high-quality tile installation is a great way to ensure added resale value to your home.
- Greenery: The decoration trend that will never go out of style is to bring life into your home! You can literally do this by incorporating greenery and fresh flowers into all of your living spaces. Seeing a bouquet of fresh flowers or an impressive monstera plant is an instant mood boost.
- Natural elements: Keeping in line with the wood tones- utilizing decoration elements such as rattan, bamboo, pampas grass, sand, etc., are all great ways to create a calm and modern atmosphere without your home feeling cold.
Common Mistakes People Make with the Modern Farmhouse Style
There are definitely a few common pitfalls that can happen when it comes to creating a luxury farmhouse space. Careful planning and slow accumulation of interior pieces are the best ways to watch out for these mistakes so that you can achieve the look you’re after.
Here are the most common mistakes:
- Undervaluing the kitchen: At the core of farmhouse style is the celebration of traditional values. This design focuses on the kitchen as the hearth of the home and ensuring every design element is immaculate will be the springboard for the rest of the home.
- Skipping out on vintage and well-worn items: Farmhouse style is a mix of the old and the new. Just because “modern” is in the title doesn’t mean that you should pass on fabulous vintage pieces like a dining room table or darling bedframe in the name of contemporary.
- Mixing multiple styles: The most common pitfall is thinking that you can combine more than one style. The truth is interior design is a skill and if you want to attempt combining styles, it’s best to meet with a professional. Mixing farmhouse with minimalist design or mid-century modern design can end up being a complete disaster if you aren’t careful.
How to Achieve the Farmhouse Look
The best way to achieve the luxury farmhouse style of your dreams is to begin incorporating it from the conception of your home. While it is possible to renovate a home to incorporate the farmhouse style, it often ends up costing an arm and a leg and will not compare to a custom-designed space.
Using a custom home design service to create the luxury farmhouse style will ensure that you have the structure in place to decorate your home exactly how you like. One of the staples of luxury farmhouse decor is high ceilings, a large kitchen space, and an open floorplan. These are all difficult targets to hit if you’re renovating your home.
Luckily, designing your residential home has never been easier with MJS Designers Group. We ensure that home design is not only fun but instructive and will result in a home that is completely unique to you.
We focus on all of the details from the design to outstanding craftsmanship so that you have a high-quality home that you can enjoy living in.
Get the Contemporary Farmhouse Look with Custom Home Design
Now you understand the best features of a contemporary farmhouse home. This timeless design will carry you through the years and help turn your home into a true oasis to enjoy with family.
The nice thing about the farmhouse design is that it can evolve as your style changes. You can do this by switching out textiles, trying different furniture layouts, etc. You can customize the interior decoration while keeping the bones of the design the same.
If you are interested in custom home design to create the house of your dreams, then please contact us at MJS Designers Group. We are here to help.