The Ultimate Guide To Farmhouse Decor

Farmhouse décor is a style that combines the coziness of countryside living with the comfort and elegance of modern design. With its rustic appeal and simplicity, this type of décor has risen in popularity and continues to do so. Many adore the farmhouse style for its pleasing country aesthetics yet stylish modernization. Farm-styled and country homes are often seen as old-fashioned and outdated. Because we're living in 2022, this type of living isn't as accepted or as sought after, especially by the younger generations, as it once was. Many people have grown accustomed to living a fancy life with modern-looking homes, furniture, décor, and technology.

Still, some also appreciate the old-fashioned way of living. For those who love country life yet are also drawn to a chic modern style, farmhouse décor will bring both qualities to your home and leave you feeling relaxed and comfortable in your living space.

When introducing a farmhouse aesthetic to your home, you will want to choose a neutral color palette. Colors such as gray, beige, white, taupe, cream, and brown are the perfect color combinations to use throughout the home to instill a country vibe. Using neutrals can improve a home's appeal and create a warm and welcoming space to relax in. 

According to MasterClass, neutral colors can produce a soothing feeling and be paired with any decorating style -– including farmhouse. Brighter colors would have the opposite effect, so they should be avoided when designing your farmhouse-styled home. Although, it may not hurt to add a few pops of color here and there -– just don't overdo it. 

Adding muted colors — colors lower on the saturation scale of primary colors — could also tie in together with your farmhouse theme. Think of light shades of blue and green or hues that have been mixed with gray to dull them down. They will pair perfectly with the rustic aesthetic.

Nothing says farmhouse like natural or unfinished wood décor. Coffee tables, console tables, chests, end tables, and other such items can be bought in unfinished wood and add to the farmhouse vibe you want to incorporate into your home. There's a variety of different wood types you can choose from, and all of them have their own features that make them unique or appealing. CO Lumber & Real Wood Furniture mentions the benefits of purchasing unfinished wood items, including making them your own since you can pick out the stain and sealer. 

When it comes to wood pieces — whether natural, finished, or unfinished — they bring a sense of nature and natural beauty to the home. These pieces are durable and versatile, and unfinished wood is often budget-friendly. Just be mindful of caring for unfinished wood pieces. Since unfinished wood comes without a sealant, liquids can cause damage to the wood by either warping or staining it.

If you want some functionality with your farmhouse décor, opt for open shelving. These shelves can be made from natural wood, unfinished wood, distressed wood, or even mixed metals, which are a great accessory to the farmhouse aesthetic. Open shelves are easy to install and will provide you with a suitable place to display some knickknacks and a place to hold your everyday and essential items for easy access. 

They can also be a great asset to your kitchen space, where you can use them to hold kitchenware that is frequently used, such as wine glasses or cooking utensils, spices, and other kitchen-friendly items. Iron Abode notes that you can also go the design-focused route with them and decorate the shelving with succulents and photos of your loved ones to make your kitchen feel homier. Regardless of what you need them for, open shelving is a valuable addition to any space.

Want a true blast from the past in your farmhouse-styled home? Then try replacing your kitchen sink with an apron sink instead. Apron sinks were often used in old-styled and rural farmhouses to bring comfort to the user, so incorporating one into a modern farmhouse would bring comfort to those using the sink and be visually pleasing in terms of a farmhouse design.

Not only do these sinks bring comfort, but they also bring more space for you to do your dishes since the depth and width of the apron sink are often greater than modern-day sinks. According to Native Trails, these sinks are also designed to help protect the cabinets below them from water damage. With so many benefits to having an apron sink and the obvious farmhouse aesthetic they can bring, it's sensible to consider adding one to your kitchen if you're going for a farmhouse vibe.

Exposed wooden beams are a great addition to farmhouse living spaces, bedrooms, and entryways. These beams can provide your room with a simple and subtly authentic, homey, and rustic atmosphere. They can be incorporated in various patterns such as vertical, horizontal, slanted, zig-zagged, and more. Architecture Art Designs mentions how wood beams can highlight an interior space, making it feel warm and welcoming, and we couldn't agree more. Exposed beams are versatile, too, and can fit various themes but look especially good when incorporated into a farmhouse design.

You could also choose to go for mixed metal beams instead of wood, especially if you already have plenty of wooden furniture. The metal beams can pair well with a mix of wood furnishings and add to the modern aesthetic of a farmhouse plan. Regardless of which path you choose, exposed beams will bring sophistication and coziness to your home.

Fireplaces not only provide your home with an authentic country feel, but they also help in reduce energy bills, provide you with heat and a light source in case of power outages, increase the value of your home, and also create a warm and friendly environment that you and your loved ones can enjoy relaxing in. Unfortunately, most modern homes do not usually have fireplaces built into them, but that shouldn't stop you from hiring a contractor to add one to your home. If hiring a contractor is too costly, you could also opt for electric fireplaces. There are several that appear realistic and can give you the same sense of comfort a real one would provide.

Home Stratosphere mentions some of the most popular types of fireplaces available today, and at the top of their list are electric fireplaces. With so many different types of fireplaces on the market to choose from, it shouldn't be hard to find one that fits the aesthetics of your farmhouse home.

Antique and vintage furniture and accessories can provide your home with a unique look and feel while also manifesting a countryside atmosphere for your farmhouse theme. By adding in some vintage furniture, you can take your home back in time to when rural and country living was the norm. Vintage furniture was often made with top-quality craftsmanship, so the pieces are usually durable, strong, and long-lasting. Paired with the fact that these pieces are often found at garage sales, estate sales, and thrift stores, you're sure to get a great deal when purchasing this type of furniture, and it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg.

Shopping for vintage furniture can also be fun, according to The Spruce. It's like an adventure, especially since you won't be able to predict the treasures you might find on your hunt. Some examples of antique furniture that you could include in your home are old dressers, old vanities, old mirrors, and old clocks. Another great advantage of having antique furniture in your home is the fact that you can also paint it, distress it, and make it your own.

Textures can help add visual interest to your home. These textures can be anything from rugs, throw pillows, tapestries, artwork, lamps, and other items. For example, a huge cream-colored area rug that is quilted or shaggy can be thrown under your dining room table to give a farmhouse feel. Or maybe you can throw in some throw pillows or blankets to your sofas and chairs. The options for adding texture to your home are endless.

You could also layer your textures, and House Beautiful gives some amazing advice on achieving this type of look, including using a lot of mixed materials. Playing with textures is especially great when playing with monochrome color palettes. "If a space I'm designing is white, I never try to stay with the same white tone. I use an entire spectrum of whites, beige, taupe, ivory, even black. It's the build-up of sameness that keeps the space from feeling flat or cold," designer Lori Paranjape said. Another trick is to avoid layering similar textures together. "When designing a room, I'm constantly reminding myself of what materials are being used where to ensure there's enough contrast. I'm making sure I'm not pulling a brass lamp to go on a brass side table or an oak mirror to go over an oak console," designer Liz Foster told the publication.

Layering textures can take quite a bit of time, so don't feel like you have to rush into buying many odd pieces. There's no time limit on building up your collection. Add to your home's interior design here and there, when you have the energy and money to do so.

A farmhouse design, which draws a lot of inspiration from country living, would not be complete without some form of plaid being incorporated. There are several ways to accomplish this and many different plaid styles you can choose from. An example of some ways to introduce plaid to your space would be hanging up plaid curtains, using plaid bedding, adding plaid rugs or throw pillows, or even adding a plaid backdrop to one of your rooms.

And as for the different styles of plaid, there's definitely something for everyone. According to House & Home, one of the most popular styles is tartan, which is the standard horizontal and vertical stripes in various colors. Of course, red and black are the most common colors for plaid, and we absolutely love those colors, but there are also greens, yellows, grays, and beiges. There is something for everyone.

Decorating with plants and flowers can add a nice visual touch to your home. However, not everyone has the time or energy to take care of live plants. That's why dried flowers are so nice. They are easier to care for and can last up to six years if properly cared for. Apartment Therapy also mentions the ease of taking care of dried flowers over live ones, stating that dried flowers are frozen in time and, though not as vibrant as live flowers, they have a dark beauty that is just as attractive. Plus, you can choose cut leaves and branches in place of flowers to go for a more rustic look.

You can purchase dried flowers or dry them yourself, and there are a variety of different ways you can arrange them. For example, you can put them into a bouquet, a wreath, frame them, bundle them up, or just display a few throughout your home in various places.

Picnic-style tables can add a nice touch to the dining room area, which can sometimes be overlooked when decorating. While they certainly provide your home with a farmhouse feel, they also offer the functionality of your whole family being able to sit down and enjoy a cozy meal together. There is an assortment of styles and sizes to choose from that can fit your family's needs. If it's just you and your significant other, you can select a two-seater table. If you have a bigger family, you can choose one that seats four, six, or more. There are even modern indoor picnic tables that can give your space a sleek style, according to Decoist.

Alternatively, you could put an outdoor picnic table on your patio or in your yard to give some farmhouse vibes to your home's exterior as well. This would also allow your guests to have a nice place to relax when you're having a BBQ.

Leather furniture has a lot of benefits. It's comfortable, long-lasting, easily cleaned, and makes your space seem luxurious. Incorporating leather furniture into your home can make it appear both modern and rustic, as long as you choose the right colors. If you do, it will create the ultimate farmhouse living area to unwind in. Victoria Advocate mentions that leather provides better value than fabric furniture because it can last up to four times longer than upholstery, which is a great selling point.

Plus, it's great for allergy sufferers since pollutants are less likely to cling to leather, and with it being so easy to clean, those with pets and kids can get a lot of benefits from choosing leather furniture. For a farmhouse theme, you will want to pick leather furniture that is colored white, cream, beige, or caramel. Pick out a sofa and a couple of armchairs, then throw in plaid throws and decorative pillows to complete the ensemble.

Weathered and distressed furniture is trendy and popular, and can instill a feeling of history into your living space. It will make your farmhouse furniture or décor appear aged as though it had been handed down to you from generations past, and will provide your room with a cozy and relaxing atmosphere. Distressed furniture can also bring a certain rural and rustic charm to your home.

There are many tips and tricks on creating distressed furniture with pieces you already own, which means there's no need to go out and buy new things if you have a strict budget. HGTV has a six-step guide on distressing your own furniture, which includes sanding, cleaning, and painting the piece. Pro tip: chalk paint is usually the best for these projects, as it adheres better to wood if you don't feel like priming it beforehand. By distressing your own furniture, you can truly make it your own.

Rocking chairs have a history of being the go-to chair for relaxation, for growing "old together" in the country, for a time before technology when you and your significant other, family member, or friend would sit on the porch and watch the sunset with nothing but the countryside at your feet. Rocking chairs are not only useful for an old-timey decoration, but also for the relaxing properties that they still possess even today. Adding one or two to your porch, summer room, or home office can introduce a true authentic farmhouse look and feel.

Trex Outdoor Furniture gives a brief history of the rocking chair, including how President John F. Kennedy had a custom-designed one in almost every room of the White House to help with his chronic back pain. Aside from the benefits and relaxing qualities that rocking chairs provide, they're just an overall nice addition to a farmhouse theme — one that you, your family, and your friends can enjoy for years to come.