The 10 Most Important Elements of Farmhouse Design

Have you ever looked at a photo on Houzz and thought, “How did they get that to look so perfect?” Then you have come to the right place. The secret to creating a space that’s stunning and magazine worthy is making the many individual choices that create a cohesive overall design. Many times when trying to design a new space our clients want to create it in a farmhouse style, but get off track when they see something they like that isn’t in alignment with their goals. Without realizing it, the design is muddied up and doesn’t quite achieve the look they were after. We’ve created this short guide to keep you on track and give you the information you need to create your own HGTV home. 

Farmhouse Design Elements

Let’s talk about one of the hottest trends in home design, Modern Farmhouse Design. If you’ve watched more than one Fixer Upper episode, or you’ve seen their collection at Target, then Joanna Gaines has properly introduced you to this cozy style. Warm colors, inviting layers, and homey details; it’s easy to see why this style has exploded in popularity in the last 5 years. Let’s jump in and give you the tools you need to achieve this highly sought after style for yourself!

1. First things first, the color pallet. Before planning a wedding or throwing a party, a theme and a color scheme are always chosen first. Designing a kitchen or bathroom is the same way. When looking to create a perfect farmhouse kitchen or bathroom, stick with a warm or cool neutral color pallet. Grays, creams, and colors like buttermilk yellow and sage green are perfect for a farmhouse design. 
2. Keeping the space feeling as connected to the outdoors as possible is essential to farmhouse design. Think about it; a farmhouse is where farmers of crops and livestock live. Everything is about practicality and the outdoors. Keep that in mind when selecting items for your farmhouse style home. 
3. When it comes to things like furniture, ceiling beams, and accent pieces; rough and possibly reclaimed wood is the best option. However, don’t be afraid to mix textures and materials like woods, metals; and even fabrics like canvas, cotton, wool. Mixing textures is going to keep the space from looking dull or too modern with the monochromatic color scheme chosen earlier. 
4. When trying to achieve a more modern focused farmhouse feel, try adding some industrial touches throughout the space. Lighting fixtures and stools are a great way to do this. 
5. Speaking of fixtures, finishes on things like lighting fixtures and faucets shouldn’t be shiny chrome but instead should look more aged and worn. This could mean oil rubbed bronze or a stylish matte black. 
6. Onto a more significant part of any kitchen or bathroom remodel…..cabinetry. There are a few cabinet door styles that could work in a farmhouse space, but the one recommend the most is Shaker style. Since farmhouse style tends to be more of a “busy” texture, Shaker style cabinetry will ground everything with it’s clean and simple pallet. A very exciting part of the design is tile! Whether it be backsplash in a kitchen or shower tile in a bathroom, tile design is vital to pulling a space together cohesively. When it comes to farmhouse style, there are a few options to play with. Rectangular tiles laid in the subway style are the perfect addition to a farmhouse kitchen or bathroom. Want to spice it up a bit? Consider a herringbone pattern. Alternatively, things can get really fun with a patterned tile. Of course, there is always the option of mixing and matching all these styles together too!
7. A marble stone countertop is sure to give that elegant farmhouse feel that everyone is dying for. However, if marble’s higher maintenance is daunting for a busy family, consider quartz with a marble pattern. New manufacturing technologies have enabled quartz to look more like marble than ever before, without all that maintenance. 
8. Be sure to throw in some family antiques around the house as well. The worn wood will add loads of character and interest to a farmhouse space. 
9. For some final touches add in some throw pillows, blankets, and unique cooking utensils on display in the kitchen. These are small ways to add the cherry on top of an already beautiful farmhouse design. 

The main thing to remember when designing a farmhouse space is to keep it natural. Natural looking woods, colors, materials, fabrics are going to keep the area cozy and inviting; which is the goal with farmhouse design and probably why we all love it so much. 

If you’re looking for some inspiration check out our two favorite farmhouse style kitchen and bathroom in our gallery!

Smart People Make Smart Choices

Our goal with these pieces is to help you get the information you need to make educated choices for your home and family. If you’ve found this helpful, share it with others. If you have questions or would like to request other topics to be covered, please use the comment section below and we’ll make sure you get you the answers you need.