5 Ways to Add Modern Farmhouse Style to Your Home

What is Modern Farmhouse Style?

Modern Farmhouse decor is the cozy, rustic charm that is sweeping the nation. Some stores are changing their traditional style just to keep up with this overwhelming trend! It’s all about texture. It’s perfectly imperfect. Chunky blankets draping a cushy, oversized couch, alongside the purposely distressed furniture. (Talk about perfect for kids!) Modern farmhouse gives a clean airy feel but brings an element of coziness and warmth that is lacking in traditional minimalism. The best part about it is the style is very open to personalization. If you love antiques, you can easily mix in your old vintage pieces with new modern pieces.

Farmhouse style is all about mixing and matching to your liking. There are so many spinoffs of farmhouse style, there’s bound to be one that fits your liking! There’s coastal farmhouse, rustic farmhouse, cottage farmhouse, bohemian farmhouse, French farmhouse, you name it. Some prefer a very textured almost beat up look. Some go very farm-centric and add milk pails and similar true elements you would find in a house on a farm. You get the idea.

When the constant inspiration that is Joanna Gaines and your favorite place to accidentally spend all their money (you know I’m talking about Target) team up, home decor happiness is found. Modern farmhouse style is now more attainable than ever.

Key Elements of Farmhouse Style

• reclaimed, rustic wood
• shiplap
• salvaged items – windows, mirrors, and vases
• iron accents
• soft soothing colors with white (or light) walls

Achieve a Modern Farmhouse Look in 5 Simple Steps

1. Mix Textures

A touch a galvanized metal, a sprinkling of glass vases, some chunky wooden candle stands. It’s the perfect recipe for mixing textures and creating that perfectly imperfect look. Think of it as mixed fonts. The same font together is good but can be boring. A sleek font paired with a cursive font adds character and excitement. It’s interesting and eye-catching.

Mix heavy and light. Chunky heavy tables with thin industrial chairs. Mix wooden signs with metal cutouts. Take tip #3 and spell out something with letters in different textures.

2. Neutral Color Palettes

Follow the 60-30-10 rule when it comes to your colors. Your dominant color should be white or something very similar. Then your next to colors should compliment and accent, whether they are black, gray, brown, tan etc. You can mix your neutrals or go for specific. If you love grays, go fully cool toned. If you love warm colors, go for all shades of tan, gold, and brown. Be true to you because any will be beautiful. I post lots of modern farmhouse inspiration on my Pinterest so be sure to follow my home decor decoration + interior design board!

3. Add Character

Here’s where you can really express yourself. There are so many signs with cute sayings and wall art to show your personality through your home decor. Hobby Lobby and Etsy are my favorite places for finding sayings and quotes to express my humor and personal values. You want to find signs on rustic reclaimed wood or a metal cutout. Add a barn door if you have space for it. Barn doors scream farmhouse!

4. Don’t Clutter

Remember that farmhouse style stems from minimalism. You want lived in, not junky. This is where that crucial skill comes in where you know when to stop when creating something. You know, when you’re painting or crafting, you just keep adding things like glitter or color until eventually, it looks like crap. And you realize it looked great three additions back. Not something I was ever good as when I was younger!

It’s important to pick a few items that speak to you per room and no more. Don’t keep collecting. Don’t do it. No. If you truly feel like it’s unfinished then go for it, but be honest with yourself!

5. Paint Interior Doors

There is nothing cuter than a door with an unexpected color. It can be a pop of bright or even black. It adds character while also creating a statement. It’s not something you expect to see, but it adds an extra element of ‘wow’.

If you love the modern look but want something a little edgier, check out my post on industrial farmhouse!