The modern farmhouse aesthetic is the perfect vibe for anyone who enjoys cozy, neutral design with a bit of modern flair. Modern farmhouse interiors combine the best of modern simplicity with cozy farmhouse textiles and patterns for a look that's fresh and quaint at the same time. Read below to learn everything there is to know about modern farmhouse style.

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What Is Modern Farmhouse Style?
Principles of Modern Farmhouse Design
Modern Farmhouse Style vs. Other Design Styles

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What Is Modern Farmhouse Style?

"Modern farmhouse" is a design style that takes everything you love about farmhouse aesthetics – wide floor planks, exposed wood, cozy textiles, and vintage decor – and brings it up to speed with the modern home through light, neutral color schemes, contemporary patterns, and simple silhouettes. Modern farmhouse interiors ultimately create a balance between cozy farmstead and sleek minimalism for a refreshing blend of tradition and modernity.

Principles of Modern Farmhouse Design

Wondering how to achieve a modern farmhouse interior? It's much easier than you think! Review the key design principles of this style to determine how to create a modern farmhouse aesthetic in your home.

Light, Bright Neutrals

When in doubt, keep rooms light and bright with a blend of neutral colors and light wood tones. White, cream, beige, and light gray color schemes help create the relaxed, fresh vibe that modern farmhouse is all about. You also can't go wrong with subtle additions of warm colors like rustic orange, yellow, and light shades of pink. This relatively pared-back color scheme gives you the flexibility to swap in seasonal pops of color or patterns while sticking to a minimalist color palette.

High-Contrast Schemes

Just because a modern farmhouse color palette is all about light neutrals doesn't mean that it doesn't appreciate the visual appeal of a high-contrast color scheme. This design style uses black or dark gray accents to provide a striking contrast to white interiors. You commonly see this in the modern farmhouse kitchen in the form of white backsplashes/countertops and black cabinets (or the reverse). It's also popular to paint window frames black to pop against white walls and furnishings.

Open, Pared-Back Rooms

When trying to put the "modern" into a farmhouse aesthetic, less is always more. Modern farmhouse interiors take this concept from minimalist design to promote a calm, uncluttered home aesthetic. This means reducing the amount of wall accents, room decor, and keeping furnishings streamlined to help rooms seem larger and uncomplicated. Wide floor planks also help to create a simplified look.

Tip!

Learn more about how to furnish your home to achieve the modern farmhouse style in our guide on Modern Farmhouse Furniture to Elevate Your Home.

Both Contemporary & Traditional Materials

Upgrade canvas, cotton, and linen materials in your home by pairing them with modern materials as well. The modern farmhouse aesthetic prioritizes natural, organic materials like rattan, bamboo, jute & sisal, and other sustainable options. These materials add warmth and woven texture to interior spaces. The classic farmhouse wood-and-metal material combo appears in modern farmhouse style as well, although modern farmhouse includes polished or matte metal rather than rusted metal pieces. Velvet is also a great way to add a luxe sheen to otherwise neutral rooms in modern farmhouse style.

Both Contemporary & Traditional Decor

Modern farmhouse interiors focus on crafting a balance between classic, vintage decor and modern decor. A vintage milk jug or farm animal sculpture paired with an abstract vase or candelabra is just one way to fuse these styles together. Some modern farmhouse aesthetics incorporate traditional paintings or wallpaper patterns to contrast modern furnishings. Mid-century modern decor has also become a popular addition to modern farmhouse interiors for a retro twist (think sputnik chandeliers and 70’s artwork). When it comes to modern farmhouse decor, it's all about mixing and matching the right pieces that work for your modern take on traditional farmhouse style.

Both Contemporary & Traditional Appliances

Modern farmhouse style blends contemporary and traditional appliances to maintain character while enhancing the practicality of the space. An example of this is including a clawfoot bathtub into an otherwise modern bathroom, or upgrading the kitchen faucet design while keeping the apron-front sink. Stainless steel appliances are also another great way to modernize farmhouse kitchens. These adjustments help enhance the fusion of farmhouse and modern styles in your home.

Modern Countertops & Metallic Hardware

Keep your rustic cabinets and kitchen island frame and just modernize it a bit! Light and medium-toned wood cabinetry looks especially striking when paired with white marble or granite countertops. Copper, gold, or silver drawer pulls and hardware help add a metallic sheen to otherwise rustic spaces. Already have white cabinets and countertops? Modernize them with matte black drawer pulls and hardware.

Check out this next section to enhance your understanding of how the modern farmhouse differs from the classic or "traditional farmhouse" and other similar styles.

Modern Farmhouse Style vs. Other Design Styles

So, how do you differentiate between the modern farmhouse aesthetic and other interior design styles? Read below to help learn what sets the modern farmhouse apart from other options and how to ensure success with the "modern" farmhouse look.

How does it differ from classic farmhouse style?

You could say that the modern farmhouse aesthetic is the simplified version of the classic style. For example, classic farmhouse interiors might have rich wood paneled walls, while modern farmhouses have white-washed wood paneling. Classic farmhouses have a lot of vintage-like decor, while modern farmhouses keep vintage decor minimal and intentional.

How does it differ from country style?

Country style overlaps with farmhouse style in its use of vintage furnishings and home decor. However, the term "country" also translates to a cottage or shabby-chic aesthetic. This means country style uses more bold colors (mint green, pink, blue) and patterns (paisleys and florals). It also focuses on vintage furnishings/decor. In contrast, modern farmhouse aesthetics prioritize light neutrals, subtle patterns (stripes, checks, geometric shapes), and keep vintage furnishings/decor to a minimum.

How does it differ from industrial style?

Both modern farmhouse interior design and industrial design styles love to incorporate reclaimed wood and metal, which makes them easy to blend with one another. The main difference is the color palette of each style. While modern farmhouse interiors are all about light neutrals, industrial style is all about rich-toned wood, black, steel gray, dark blues, greens, and browns. Industrial style also places more influence on rugged textures like cast iron and live-edge wood, while modern farmhouses prefer to keep things sleek, simple, and refined.

Design your way to a modern farmhouse, now: