All About Modern Farmhouse Style

Comfy, cozy, and full of charm, the modern farmhouse is not going out of style anytime soon. Designers like Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” have showcased this style in all its comforting glory, and people are flocking to the look. In many ways, it grew in response to the popular minimalist trend in the 1990s and early 2000s. Modern farmhouse design allows people to embrace tradition and surround themselves with decor that makes them feel good—but with a modern twist reflective of the times. 

Here’s what you need to know to get the modern farmhouse look.

What Is Modern Farmhouse Style?

Modern farmhouse style blends traditional farmhouse decor with contemporary design, furnishings, and color schemes, such as incorporating rustic wooden beams or a shiplap accent wall in a sleek white kitchen with stainless steel appliances or adding reclaimed wood furniture to an airy, minimal great room. This classic-meets-current style evokes feelings of warmth. It’s classic without being fussy and makes elevated designs comfortable.

While the classic farmhouse style evokes homesteads with plenty of vintage furnishings and traditional fabrics, the modern farmhouse style is a bit less rustic. It adds more contemporary touches, such as a neutral color palette and smooth lines. Modern farmhouse design is all about mixing relaxed furniture with salvaged materials, such as reclaimed wood. 

Antiques can be at home in modern farmhouse interiors, though they should be tactile and tangible. Most of all, the modern farmhouse style is cozy without being cluttered.

Modern Farmhouse Color Schemes

Modern farmhouse colors are easy on the eyes, effortless, and blend in with the room. The best colors are warm and cool neutrals, like cream, beige, brown, gray, and white, and natural, earthy tones, like blues, greens, yellows, and dark orange.

• White: Modern farmhouse homes often incorporate white paint, furniture, or accents to make the rooms feel bright and open.
• Warm neutrals: Warm neutrals like cream, beige, and brown feel soft because they are tones found in nature. Think sand, soil, flowers, and plants.
• Cool neutrals: Cool neutrals like gray, silver, blue, and light green have a blue undertone. These colors are naturally soothing and serene.
• Earthy accents: Nature gives us wood, greenery, changing foliage colors, and ocean and sky blues. These warm woods, deeper reds, and radiant oranges are not bold or jarring; they’re relaxing, reassuring, and grounding.

Key Elements of Modern Farmhouse Style

In every modern farmhouse home, you’ll find some combination of these decor elements:

• Reclaimed wood
• Barnboard details 
• Big comfortable furniture
• Architectural salvage
• Pine furniture
• Wrought iron accents
• Wide plank floors
• Vintage accessories

How Modern Farmhouse Compares to Other Styles

Modern farmhouse design is similar to country style. However, while country tends to lean a little toward kitschy, modern farmhouse retains a certain level of sophistication. Country style also relies heavily on accessories, while modern farmhouse keeps them to a minimum.

The industrial farmhouse style has become an offshoot of the modern farmhouse. As its name suggests, it draws inspiration from farmhouse and industrial styles. The industrial style plays up raw architectural elements, including mixed metals, live-edged wood, bricks, glass, and concrete using dark, neutral tones. Modern farmhouse, on the other hand, tends to be whiter and brighter.

There is a small sliver of overlap between modern farmhouse style and cottagecore. While modern farmhouse feels classic, sprawling, airy, and rustic, cottagecore relies on bright colors, kitschy patterns, and maximalist decor. It’s the difference between a quirky, comfortably cluttered English cottage and a larger, classic American home in a more rural area.

Get the Modern Farmhouse Look

The key to achieving a modern farmhouse interior and exterior is comfort. Furniture should invite you to sit down; nothing should look too fragile to touch. Modern farmhouse decor has a down-home feeling that should invite laughter and fun.

• Use light neutrals as a base: Start with a color palette of warm or cool neutrals (cream, beige, silver, sage, and gray all work well), then layer in some natural wood tones. Look for salvaged woods that have some wear and tear whenever possible. Scratches, knots, and nicks add to the authenticity of the look.
• Add accent colors: Feel free to use colors you like as accent pieces. Stay true to the look by keeping the overall color scheme neutral with light colors. Contrasting black elements can add a bit of edge.
• Incorporate texture: Use a variety of textures for some depth. Also combine fabrics, such as cotton, canvas, wool, chenille, or whatever else you like. Because the modern farmhouse style is primarily made up of neutral colors, you’ll need a mix of textures to keep the space from looking flat. For example, in a modern farmhouse living room, you could add texture with upholstered furniture, pillows, curtains, and even wall art.
• Mix in metal accents: Layer in some mixed metals through light fixtures, hardware, and architectural details like railings. Generally, using no more than three metals per room is best. For instance, you might have complementary metals on your appliances, cabinet hardware, and lighting in a modern farmhouse kitchen.
• Pull inspiration from nature: Use organic materials to help the space feel connected to the outdoors. Wood floors and architectural details are best, but consider introducing stone, wicker, rattan, sisal, and other natural materials wherever it makes sense.
• Introduce accessories sparingly: Accessories are essential, but you should not overdo it. A few well-placed farmhouse accessories that have room to breathe are all you need.

Modern Farmhouse Interiors vs. Exteriors

A modern farmhouse exterior often has some combination of the following elements:

• White paint (can be painted brick, siding, etc.)
• Potentially board and batten or x-shaped trim that’s reminiscent of barns
• Simple front door—often a double door and a door with windows or sidelights to let in extra natural light—that’s commonly stained wood or painted in a subtle color
• A black, gray, or metal roof
• Not overly ornate trim
• Potentially shutters
• A simple rectangular structure, possibly with additions that are also rectangular
• A large, covered front porch
• Many windows
• Modern versions of rustic lighting, such as a streamlined lantern
• Neat and simple landscaping

The exterior of a modern farmhouse offers a stylistic preview of the home’s interior. For example, the windows let in lots of natural light, which makes the interior feel bright, inviting, and homey. The exterior’s simplicity and clean lines also sets the tone for the house’s uncomplicated modern farmhouse decor. Large front porches or wraparound porches are also typical and indicate that the home is a place to gather.