How to Create a Farmhouse Style Interior
The meaning of Farmhouse is quite simply put, a house built on a farm. A farmhouse interior oozes original charm, with design fundamentally geared towards assisting farmworkers, porches for taking off muddy boots, butler sinks for preparing and boiling food and cleaning clothes, and barn doors were functional because they allowed farmers to open doors without cold air rushing in and startling livestock. All these traditional features are quintessential farmhouse characteristics. Below, we give you a few pointers on how you can create a farmhouse style interior in your very own home.
Choosing your Style
Plenty of branches stem from the ‘farmhouse’ tree, so you could go for English country cottage vibes, French farmhouse chic or a modern farmhouse interior. All have different design elements to them and certain styles look best in certain homes.
An English country cottage typically has craftsman windows and window seats and raised paneling on the doors, whereas the French farmhouse aesthetic features button back furniture and provincial beds. So, consider how high your ceilings are, what condition your exposed beams are and how much natural character you have in your home, before choosing the style that works best.
A Farmhouse Style Kitchen
Perhaps the most identifiable of country style, the kitchen was, and still is the most important and practical space in the home, but there are some design elements that have stood the test of time. Butler sinks are still dominant in farmhouse interior design, add a bunch of fresh flowers and you have a beautiful Instagram post!
To give your home that signature rustic style, choose shaker style kitchen cabinets, with some open cabinets and a built-in pantry filled with jars of delicious jams, eggs, fruit and grains. Opt for a range cooker, with some hanging pots and pans, and add a farmhouse style dining table and chairs for true country style.
Authentic Textures and Timbers
Old farmhouses usually have a lot of traditional character. Beams or ceiling rafters, brick, stone or textured walls and exposed brick open fires are all synonymous with farmhouse design, and that character should be respected and loved, showcasing the true history of a farmhouse. If your farmhouse is lacking in authentic features, then these can always be restored or added in.
Modern farmhouses tend to restore bits of old brickwork and spruce up the exposed beams to give it some contemporary charm. Farmhouses don’t typically include paneling, if there is any at all, it’s usually wainscoting of beadboard on half walls and doors. A sliding barn door could also be installed but adding this to a featureless farmhouse will certainly give it some oomph.
Antique Accents
Antique furniture plays an important part in farmhouse style furniture. A rocking chair in the corner of a room, vintage lights suspended over your kitchen island, and trinkets from your travels will certainly spruce up your farmhouse decor.
Add some agricultural finds to your farmhouse décor to bring your interior to life. Reclaimed wooden tables, log bins, weathervanes and a kitchen chopping block will make your interior a little more rustic, and a little more unique.
The Finishing Touches
Farmhouses should be almost fairytale-esque, and textiles can help soften and give your interior a little edge. Gingham, tartan and patterned linen will make the house warm and cosy. Whitewashed, un-ironed linen is a beautiful addition to a cottage by the sea and it works wonderfully in a farmhouse style living room or bedroom.
Leather is another material that resonates with farmhouse interior. Leather armchairs by the original, open fireside and leather sofas in front of your bookcase in your study are the essence of farmhouse living and adds rich warmth to a home. Woolen rugs, plaid and blue china pottery are also greatly connected with farmhouse style and will inject a little life into your interior.
Farmhouse style is meant to celebrate agricultural farming and good old-fashioned, lived-in décor, if you’d like to see more farmhouse interior ideas, have a scroll over on our Instagram page for more inspiration.