Built as primary residences in rural or agricultural areas around the world, farmhouses have traditionally been combined with a housebarn for animals, or connected to one or more barns to form a courtyard.
No cows or chickens? No worries.
Design your family’s dream farmhouse now with favorite elements from centuries of style.
Classic
American farmhouses have a simple rectangular floor plan, one or two stories built with local materials, a large wrap-around porch, formal front rooms and a large kitchen at the rear of the home with a fireplace for cooking and heating.
Think cozy and rustic. Reclaimed wood, wide plank floors, wrought iron and architectural salvage details. Traditional without being fussy, classic farmhouses evoke warmth and comfort where antiques are right at home.
Like cottage homes, farmhouse interiors are filled with whites, on everything from furniture to linens. Weathered and rustic finishes like oil-rubbed bronze and copper, wood counter-tops, open shelving, farmhouse sinks and brick accent walls. Tables of vintage maple or oak, big and comfortable upholstered furniture, with bedding and draperies often decorated with charming historical and pastoral scenes.
Modern
Intertwining luxurious conveniences with the familiarity and natural elements of the classic, the modern farmhouse is designed with a light colored exterior, usually white with black trim, pitched gable roofs, often with dormers, large windows and open floor plans.
Warm minimalist furnishings in a neutral palette, with industrial elements of mixed metal or galvanized steel can update a classic decor.
Everything including the kitchen sink
Classic or modern, that charming apron-front sink can add just the right touch of nostalgia to your farmhouse kitchen. Let the water flow in a graceful arch with a gleaming chrome faucet inspired by farmyard water pumps.
