Farmhouse Design Style 101

What Is Farmhouse Style?

American farmhouse “style” was initially a matter of practicality: a wide, deep, apron-front sink simplified chores, you needed a long, sturdy table to serve your whole household, and room-spanning, hand-hewn, exposed ceiling beams were ubiquitous (because they kept your house standing). Just 1% of us live on farms these days, but following their recipe for warm, welcoming spaces is as easy as pie. Gather ingredients like these to bring the farm to your table (and chairs, walls, floors … you get the idea).

Farmhouse Kitchens are Practical + Pretty

The old-fashioned appeal of a sweet space like this one stems from how beautifully it serves as a prep and gathering space. Designed pre-plumbing to accommodate well water carried in by hand, generous farmhouse sinks are both eye-catching and handy for cooks who plan to feed a crowd. Develop a farmhouse personality in your own kitchen by using whitewash or pale, pastel milk or chalk paint for cabinetry and walls, installing butcher block countertops and incorporating functional and decorative elements (think pegs for pottery and pretty tea towels, or open shelving to display vintage dishes and glassware).

Farmhouse Appliances Have Personality

Colorful retro refrigerators, lovingly-refurbished stoves and panel-clad appliances that blend in with cabinetry are all key players in a farmhouse kitchen. Range hoods can also contribute charm as farmhouse statement pieces: look for classic materials like oil-rubbed bronze, pewter and copper, or create your own design moment by framing an existing hood in distressed or reclaimed wood.

Farmhouse Textiles Are Often Heirlooms

The most iconic way to bring homespun style to a farmhouse bedroom is to cover the bed with one-of-a-kind pieces like quilts, embroidered linens and handmade lace. The subtly-ticked cornflower blue panels on this gorgeous quilt are a classic fabric choice; patterns like gingham and toile are equally evocative, as are textural natural solids like linen, chambray, denim and burlap.

Barn Doors Are Ideal Farmhouse Accents

Space-saving, statement-making alternatives to pocket doors that show no signs of falling (rolling?) out of fashion, barn doors can add farmhouse character to just about any framed space. A bathroom suite? Absolutely. A mudroom? Perfect. A butler’s pantry? Why not! Dial up the rusticity of the look by deploying reclaimed wood, salvaged doors and rugged hardware; modernize it, in turn, by streamlining accessories and sanding or painting your planks.

Farmhouse Style Is All About Shared Space

Constructed of long, sturdy planks and capable of holding a feast for a crowd, traditional farmhouse tables are the centerpieces of rustic dining rooms. This eclectic farmhouse space is full of style MVPs that appear beside and around those tables: cheerfully mismatched chairs stand at its head, foot and one side, while a long, dark bench anchors its opposite. Dazzling, lantern-inspired copper statement pendants cultivate a vintage vibe, and a distressed antique buffet adds a bit of history. And, speaking of antiques …

Farmhouse Decor Features Upcycled Finds

Display found objects and repurpose secondhand scores to infuse any room with farmhouse style. Well-worn kitchen implements like cutting boards, bottles and dishes are all ideal for countertop arrangements and eclectic wall displays, and larger pieces like galvanized troughs, pallets and doors can be repurposed as sinks, ottomans and headboards — you get the idea. Aim for architectural salvage stores and flea markets and land … well, who knows where?

Farmhouse Style Mixes and Matches

This dining room features farmhouse staples like pale green Windsor dining chairs, a wrought iron, candelabra-style chandelier (hanging from a shiplap-paneled ceiling, no less), a rustic plank dining table, a tall china cabinet, multiple upholstery fabrics … we could go on. Their eclectic combination is itself a hallmark of farmhouse style: the come-as-you-are element of surprise is part of the fun.