Magazine of Northwest Arkansas
Modern Farmhouse Design
Did you have grandparents or great-grandparents that lived on a farm? That was farmhouse design, such that it was. Do you have friends that live in a farmhouse? That is likely modern farmhouse design - and it is hot! Modern farmhouse design also easily incorporates industrial decor, which is also super hot! The two weren't only made for each other: They were made from each other.
The modern farmhouse is typically not on a farm. However, it suggests liberally of things rustic while firmly stating it's modernity. The lines are crisp. The primary colors are neutral. The accent colors are often browns and grays that suggest something with an aged backstory.
Contrasting with typically modern upholstered pieces with generous use of throws and accent pillows are wood items with rich patinas and industrial pieces that are often either farm inspired - or pieces incorporating actual farm hardware. It makes for a warm, comfortable and mildly nostalgic feel. If you sometimes yearn for what you perceive to have been simpler times, you will find this treatment quite compelling.
An open floor plan is also a hallmark of modern farmhouse design. If you are redoing your existing home, be ready to lose a wall or two. The living areas need to flow. Notice this industrial rolling counter as the suggested - and quite useful - demarcation between living room and kitchen/dining space.
In this kitchen, neutral walls and cabinets set the tone. The salvage light fixtures, the vintage ladder and the pewter ware on the mantle provide color contrast and the requisite rustic feel. The modern bar stools cement the look as modern farmhouse design.
With all of the plumbing involved, bathrooms really lend themselves to the industrial treatment. This one might be a little over the top, but you've got to love the galvanized tub. A more country treatment, like the one shown below, is fine, but a little less true-to form without the more modern design elements.
I guess we could say, "We're not in Kansas anymore," when your farmhouse is a modern farmhouse. It's a terrific look. Modern farmhouse design anchors us in the present while comforting us with a past that may only exist for us in cellular memory. We may not have lived it, but we can still relive it.
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