Modern farmhouse style has been incredibly popular among homebuyers and renovators for nearly a decade. But some architects report that requests for modern farmhouse designs are dropping, and media reports claim the style is growing stale. Are they right? Or is modern farmhouse simply evolving? Here’s what you need to know.
Elements of modern farmhouse style
Modern farmhouse interiors and exteriors became popular in the mid-2010s thanks to Joanna Gaines and her HGTV show, Fixer Upper. The modern farmhouse style has been epitomized by:
- White exterior walls with metal roofs and black window frames.
- Peaked rooflines.
- Large covered porches.
- Exposed ceiling beams.
- White, black and cool neutral colors.
- Interior barn doors.
- Shiplap interior walls.
- Apron kitchen sinks.
What the experts say
Opinions vary, but many designers say the modern farmhouse style is here to stay. Where the modern farmhouse of the 2010s had a “downhome” feel; however, today, the style has evolved to feel more streamlined and warmer, incorporating some modern pieces with authentic items.
Some farmhouse furnishings, such as Windsor chairs, farm tables and vintage rugs, are classics that will never go out of style. But to make a modern farmhouse seem fresher, try including more warm but still muted colors and creamier whites inside and out. Instead of making every detail of your home a modern farmhouse, include only building materials and furnishings that really appeal to you. And to give your home a more current look, consider getting rid of the following.
- Typographical signs. Many experts say it’s time to take down the “Live, Laugh, Love” plaques because they seem dated. Replacing them with landscape paintings and botanical prints will maintain the organic feel of modern farmhouse style but freshen it.
- Barn doors. Homeowners have learned that these doors don’t completely seal openings, giving them less privacy than standard doors. They also no longer fit with the more streamlined feel of today’s modern farmhouses.
- White shiplap walls. Shiplap is a classic building material, and original shiplap will never go out of style. But you can give a more modern feel to shiplap walls by painting them a color. Installing shiplap vertically rather than horizontally is another way to freshen the look.
- Faux distressed furniture. Painted furniture will never go out of style, and today’s modern farmhouse style is still enhanced by original flea market pieces with chipped paint. But tables and chairs with distressing that was obviously added in a factory now seem dated.
- Materials such as burlap, chicken wire and buffalo checks.
Related – The Comfy Minimalism of Modern Farmhouse Design
