Rustic Meets Refined: 15 Ways to Add Farmhouse Style

Interior Designer Heide Hendricks' color sense hits the perfect pitch in this kitchen. "The surrounding meadows filled with Goldenrod and Black-Eyed Susan helped choose the colors," she says. Hendricks collaborated with her husband Rafe Churchill on this country home for a family of four. Cabinetry painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Babouche' yellow compliments the dark grey of custom-fabricated soapstone sink and counters. Added to the softly textured white of rubbed plaster walls and ceilings, and vintage plumbing and light fixtures, the space feels traditional, yet fresh.

Covering one large wall with 100-year-old barnwood gave this master bedroom instant farmhouse appeal. Designers Leslie Calish and Gayle Leksan of LMK Interiors then furnished the space with a mix of transitional and contemporary pieces, creating a fresh, modern look. Combining disparate elements is the key to the room’s success. "The wood and the steel sliding-door hardware add that farmhouse flavor to an otherwise clean design," they say. "The right mix keeps a space feeling current, not contrived."

Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV's hit show Fixer Upper helped a Hillsboro, Texas couple transform a once-neglected 1920s home into a welcoming, family-friendly haven. The home's come-on-in attitude starts in the foyer, where Joanna treated the space to a pale gray-and-white color palette, then added character with distressed flea-market finds like the framed chalkboard and plant stand. 

Old-fashioned farmhouse interiors may have been cozy, but they were also often dark. Today’s approach to farmhouse design combines many of the style's classic elements — wide-plank wood floors, exposed beams and rustic wood furnishings, with a much brighter take. Here, H2 Design + Build created their own interpretation of a modern farmhouse in the heart of Medina, Washington. In the dining room, Katie Hackworth paired an old farmhouse table and iconic Louis ghost chairs creating a casual but elegant space as well suited to a late night dinner party as it is to a weekend birthday celebration.