Key Takeaways
- Incorporate natural materials, such as wood and stone, to add warmth and texture.
- Use neutral color palettes with warm undertones to create a cozy ambiance.
- Mix vintage and modern elements for a balanced, lived-in feel.
- Enhance spaces with rustic lighting fixtures and exposed beams.
- Personalize your decor with DIY projects and antique finds.
A farmhouse style will bring rustic elegance into your home by creating inviting spaces that combine timeless tradition, comfort, and function. You do not have to remodel an entire area of your home to create a farmhouse feel; rather, by adding intentional elements such as reclaimed wood, calming colors, vintage flair, etc., anywhere can have this inviting, cozy feel. Farmhouse decor can be used in a suburban home, an urban apartment, or a rural vacation property to add warmth and personality to any space. Shop farmhouse decor at Antique Farmhouse to find beautiful farmhouse-inspired pieces to complement your room and create an atmosphere of classic elegance.
Farmhouse decor is deeply rooted in authenticity and simplicity, utilizing materials and artisan detailing that connect to the past. The importance of having items with a story—e.g., an antique table, a hand-stitched, homemade quilt, or rustic pottery—adds charm and character to what would otherwise be sterile front rooms. The beauty of the farmhouse look lies in layering, creating a relaxed, inviting atmosphere through combining different textures and colors, and layering through both subtle and stark variations.
Incorporating functional farmhouse style elements (i.e., sturdy furniture pieces and open shelving) into all areas of your home allows you to express individuality. However, do not shy away from using decorative items—basketry and metal lanterns are perfect examples—to create visual interest within a space. Combining pieces you grew up with or inherited from family members, along with newer items and DIYs, gives you the ability to create spaces that reflect who you are. Incorporating other elements, such as open shelving in the kitchen and rustic accents in the living room, throughout your home will create an overall feeling of comfort, ease, and tranquility.
Embrace Natural Materials
If you want to achieve a classic, timeless farmhouse aesthetic, start by incorporating elements of the farmhouse style into your home that embody all the natural materials of authenticity and sustainability. Natural materials like wood, stone and metal will give your space an incredible amount of texture, as well as character. For example, you could create a rustic shiplap accent wall using reclaimed wood, create a rugged dining table using reclaimed barn wood or build your countertop using stone.
Also, natural materials such as wooden floors, butcher block islands, and iron hardware create inviting environments by providing warmth and aesthetic appeal. Create balance in your space with hard, weathered surfaces through the use of soft woven textiles such as linen curtains, cotton throws, and jute rugs to achieve a warm and inviting look.
Opt for Neutral Color Palettes
Farmhouse decorating primarily consists of soft, neutral tones with soothing or calming effects; therefore, it is essential that these colours are used as the foundation for all of your decor choices. Soft white, warm beige, and soft grey are very peaceful colours and allow the natural materials to take centre stage. Start by painting your walls light and adding subtle colour with accessories such as tan coloured baskets or clay pots.
To create contrast in your farmhouse decor, use wood mouldings, charcoal metallics, and sage green fabrics as accent colours. These colour choices will have the effect of enlarging your room and making it brighter while creating a serene atmosphere for vintage accents & statement pieces of furniture.
Mix Vintage and Modern Elements
A true farmhouse style is anything but one-dimensional; the beauty of farmhouse style is found in finding balance between aged characteristics and modern day trends. For example, take a distressed pine farmhouse kitchen table and pair it with streamlined upholstered seating. Hang a modern abstract print above a sideboard that is several centuries old. By mixing these two items together, you provide your home with personality while making period items feel new and relevant.
Incorporating industrial-style accessories and lighting into the ‘modern farmhouse’ will only enhance your ability to create an inviting and functional space for both you and your family members, rather than a relic or movie set from another time.
Incorporate Rustic Lighting Fixtures
In terms of functionality and style, lighting plays an important role in Farmhouse spaces. Oversized wrought iron chandeliers as well as barn-inspired pendant lights can add a layer of architectural interest to any farmhouse space while casting a warm glow throughout the room. Wrought iron glow finishes, wire and natural fiber shades have the ability to create a rustic feel, accentuating the rooms’ overall warmth.
Along with lighting options such as string lights hung over beams and elegant table lamps with beautiful linen shades, there are plenty of options available to create a soothing ambiance that sets a farmhouse style and a “lived-in feel.”
Add Exposed Beams
Exposed wood beams exemplify Farmhouse style’s visual characteristics. When placed in a home, they make an instant impact with their character, craftsmanship and character, regardless of the home’s age or original construction. If the home does not have exposed wood beams, consider putting in Faux Beams made from reclaimed or new wood, so they still have the rustic charm of authentic wood beams but do not require the same amount of structural repairs.
Decoratively using exposed wood beams to visually separate different spaces within open floor plans can provide an attractive method to separate spaces. Hanging them across the ceiling is a great way to add visual depth, texture and contrast on the ceilings that will add to the overall feeling of elegance and grandeur to the space.
Personalize with DIY Projects
Farmhouse style decorating is about creating items rather than buying them. Adding splashes of color through painted furniture, creating wood shelving using reclaimed barn wood or the many different ways to make a home-made wreath using natural materials will give your home character and personality.
Thrifted items and antiques can be up-cycled by painting them with chalk paint or adding new hardware.
Use mismatched vintage frames and display photographs of family members, or build an accent wall with shiplap, to create a gallery wall that tells your family’s history. Not only do these projects allow you to create something special to your family while saving money, but they allow you to express your personal style in your home.
Decorate with Antique Finds
Incorporate unique items from flea markets, antiquing shows or family attics that incorporate a sense of history into your home. An original trunk, enamelware set and primitive items can serve as an anchor point for the rest of your decor, while smaller vintage items such as clocks, books and quilts create layers of interest throughout your home.
Mix antiques throughout your entire home; for example, even though a bathroom or bedroom might not typically be thought of as being decorated with antiques, you can still incorporate antique touches and ideas into those areas to give them more of a rustic farmhouse feel.
Final Thoughts
Creating farmhouse charm at Home is not necessarily about sticking to any hard and fast rules; It’s about comfort, tradition, and natural beauty. Embracing wood and rustic designs, neutral colours, handmade items, and nostalgic pieces will provide a warm and welcoming home with all of the essences of traditional farmhouse life while being a contemporary one. As this is your house, you have made the decision to use what is most comfortable and meaningful to you. Therefore, it is up to your discretion and preference to create your own style of living in the same spirit of farmhouse living.
