Style
Modern Farmhouse
Practical, warm and wooden, descended from rooms that were worked in rather than decorated.
See the living room, $3,457
About the style
Farmhouse is a functional tradition before it is a decorative one. The forms it borrows, the long table, the open shelf, the deep sink, the plain painted cabinet, all come from rooms organized around work. Keeping that logic is what separates a farmhouse kitchen from a farmhouse-themed one.
The trap is signage and props. The style is carried by wood, paint, worn metal and things visibly in use, so the decorative shortcuts sold as farmhouse decor are the part most likely to tip a room into pastiche.
Palette
- Warm whites
- Natural woods
- Black accents
- Earthy tones
Materials
- Reclaimed wood
- Wrought iron
- Cotton
- Ceramic
Key elements
- Vintage-inspired pieces
- Open shelving
- Mixed textures
- Practical comfort
Where to start
- Put a real wooden surface where your hands actually go: a table top, a counter, a board.
- Choose painted finishes over stained, in muted greens, clays and off-whites.
- Let the working objects be the decoration rather than buying decorative versions of them.
Want the full guide?
What defines farmhouse, where it goes wrong, and how it lands in every room of a house.
Read the full Farmhouse guide