What Makes a Farmhouse Special?

If you’re looking for a timeless yet casual, great yet minimalist and unpretentious styled home, farmhouses can be an exceptional choice for you. However, did you know that the term ‘Farmhouse’ doesn’t always refer to style? Contrary to popular belief, the word is more often used to describe function.

Originally dating back to the 1700s, this country style home decor was initially influenced by geography and materials available when early colonial families came to the lands of America. They were styled to cater to and protect the inhabitants of green agricultural lands, with the aim of increased practicality.  Soon by the mid-19th century, when railroads enabled cross-country travel, farmhouses took many different personalities.

Farmhouses to date are a popular trend and have been rising in mainstream popularity for the last few years. To ensure your farmhouse or farmhouse home decor is on the fleek, let’s have a look at the six principle features that make a farmhouse special.

Historical Relevance or Style

A picture of two farmhouses elevated on wooden sticks on green agricultural lands.

Historical relevance or style is central to the farmhouse aesthetic. Special farmhouses preserve the authenticity and give a sense of place and time, complementing the landscapes and climate. One of the ways to ensure your farmhouse radiates history is preserving nature around it. From the mature trees to the rustic barn and more, it is incredibly essential to take the harmony of home and land as a whole into consideration.

One can also instill history in a new modern farmhouse by making use of archetypal features. Common examples of such features include farmhouse sinks, raised-panel, and carriage-house-style doors. You may also incorporate natural materials indicative of the past.

Organic and Salvaged Material Decor

Image of a wooden cartwheel with a stone-brick wall as a background.

To make sure that your farmhouse has a luxury yet elegant vibe, the following organic and salvaged materials can be a great choice to add warmth and character to your farmhouse.

Stone and Bricks

Picture of a brick wall featuring a window and a farmhouse sink.

Ever since the advent of farmhouses, farmers have used the stone as a sturdy and inexpensive building material. In our new times of modern farmhouses, using such materials can add more character and historical relevance. You can use locally harvested or salvaged stone and brick for constructing floors, fireplaces, and quoin.

Wood

An image of a beautiful wood made modern farmhouse.

Long used to provide structure, wooden boards, and beams even now prove to be an excellent material for structuring and decorating modern farmhouses. We recommend going with wooden furniture, millworks, or cabinets and floors to incorporate wood.

Means of Coping & Connecting With Nature

An image with flowers surrounding the fence of a wooden farmhouse.

The close connection of farmhouses with nature instead of technology is probably one of the most endearing aspects of this country style living. To make your farmhouse special, pay close attention to the geography and environmental factors of the farmhouse landscape. Utilize the observation to create perfectly ventilated farmhouses and outdoor and indoor porches. Some more farmhouse features that may help you connect or cope with nature include fireplaces, verandas, gardens, and lakes.

A Family-Centered Appeal

Picture of  an old wooden farmhouse

In modern times, architects actively modify farmhouses to suit the lifestyle and norms of a modern-day family to make sure you and your family have an exceptional quality time together. Many modern farmhouses host floor plans that allow families to settle in. There are rooms and facilities suited for both kids, teens, elders, and young couples. The styling of the floors radiates a home-like vibe, making farmhouses centers of family get-togethers. Some farmhouses also have porches, lakes, pools, and purpose-built rooms to allow family-friendly activities and fun.

Fusion of History with Modern Technology

A modern yet simple blue farmhouse in farmlands.

Farmhouses with a fusion of history and modern technology let you have the best of both the past and present. One such example where architects do this to make farmhouses distinctive is them making use of the modern composite wood instead of the natural one in farmhouses. They do this as the contemporary composite wood has many benefits over the wild ones: they need little to no maintenance, they are bug-resistant, and do not rot as well.

Simple Yet Brilliantly Practical Designs

A picture showcasing a beautiful wooden farmhouse near one green, wild lake.

Since the purpose of a farmhouse is to maximize comfort and allow practicality, simplicity is the key when designing the map of a farmhouse. Proportions and scales of a farmhouse should also reflect ease of construction. Some features that could help you achieve this are:

Straightforward Mapping

Keep the map of your home simple and easy. Make sure all areas of the house are easily accessible and spacious.

Mud Rooms

Mudrooms were a necessity in country homes as inhabitants had to access the agricultural lands daily. They served as secondary access to farmhouses, keeping the main entrance clean.

While they may not be a necessity in modern urban life farmhouses, they are highly versatile and useful. They let you keep the main entrances formal.

Sliding Barn doors

Sliding barn doors can create compact and beautiful living spaces in farmhouses. They allow you to separate some areas or sections of the farmhouse temporarily. People often have sliding barn doors to keep their kitchen and dining rooms apart.

Farmhouse Sinks

Many historical farmhouses contain these.

Open Shelving

Open shelving in a farmhouse kitchen allows you to accommodate a large number of people on a short time notice. With plate rails, they give a furnishing look to your kitchen, allowing flexibility.

An image of a simple farmhouse on an agricultural barn.

Some other features and products you can incorporate for a beautiful farmhouse are sturdy farmhouse tables, metal beds, and clawfoot bathtubs. One may also add vintage farmhouse lighting for a final touch to enhance the elegance of a beautiful farmhouse.

The Bottomline

For a dip and delve into the historical realm of the farm life, farmhouses can be a brilliant place for you to visit. Modern farmhouses are good sources of relaxation for everyone, allowing you to develop a deeper connection with nature and your family. While farmhouses have drastically changed over the years, architectures have preserved some factors as they help you capture the real essence of country life. These factors and features are also what make farmhouses distinct.

To learn more about farmhouses, have a look at our ‘9 Gorgeous Farmhouses Across America’.