Design trends for rural homes
April 2025
An exterior featuring natural wood double front doors, an expansive front porch with ceiling fans, and painted wood columns and shutters. (courtesy Hibbs Luxury Homes)
by Jim Winnerman, Contributing Writer
You might be familiar with interior decorating styles known as mid-century modern, contemporary or, simply, modern. Less familiar to you may be a design approach known as modern farmhouse. It’s a style of home decor that evokes a feeling of warmth and comfort.
The origin of the farmhouse can be traced to Germany and Scandinavia when they were built to house farm workers. Then it was not a style, but a necessary shelter for a way of life. Farmhouse architecture arrived in the U.S. in the 1700s. Since then, farmhouses have undergone various iterations, from being purely functional as they were in Europe to slowly morphing into a variety of styles of interior and exterior design adopted by everyday families.
Today’s modern farmhouse version became largely popularized by the show “Fixer Upper,” hosted by Chip and Joanna Gaines. The show aired for five seasons on HGTV, a network focusing on reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. The Gaineses did not start out to popularize a style of decor. They were just following their instincts. Chip was a contractor who was renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and Joanna was a self-taught designer who decorated the homes and authored a blog about what they were doing.
Eventually Joanna’s blog caught the eye of an HGTV executive, and in 2014, their show premiered with each episode featuring a home they were renovating. As their show aired, featuring one home after another, their personal appeal and approach to interior design gained popularity.
Prominent features included were architectural elements, like the use of natural materials such as wood and stone, and an open and airy floor plan conducive to a comfortable lifestyle. The decor was an eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories. Color choices were warm and neutral hues that did not overwhelm a room. There are no set guidelines, just a homeowner’s interpretation of what feels right for them. Modern farmhouse design can incorporate a traditional wooden kitchen table set in a large kitchen with vaulted ceilings and wooden accent beams, while the overall design is sleek, functional and bright.
The practical part of modern farmhouse design is frequently expressed through open shelves in living spaces. In family rooms, shelves contain family heirlooms and collectibles. In the kitchen, clear glass cabinet doors display everyday functional utensils, like dishes, textiles and other practical objects meant to be used, as well as rustic cooking decor.
Early farmhouses did not have walls made from drywall like those found in most new and existing homes. Walls were shiplap, beadboard or tongue-and-groove boards, and the use of the same material today is an important part of modern farmhouse decor. Painted in shades of white and installed vertically or horizontally, either approach delivers the coziness found in the rustic charm of historic farms.
This kitchen features natural elements including a distressed wood plank floor, and natural stone surrounding the alcove with the cooktop stove. (courtesy Jim Winnerman)
KITCHEN CREATIVITY
Although stainless-steel kitchen appliances would not seem to fit the modern farmhouse approach to decor, they are easily incorporated into a kitchen that features the clean straight lines of Shaker cabinets, shiplap walls and other natural elements like soapstone sinks.
Similarly, while modern farmhouse design does not usually incorporate busy, repetitive patterns on furniture, walls or draperies, kitchens can again be an exception. It is not unusual for a subtly patterned tile backsplash to be used above the oven where a geometric design works well and does not compete with white subway tile installed nearby.
Wallpaper designs include vines, flowers and leaf botanicals while stripes and diamond patterns work as a valance over a kitchen sink window.
Variations in surfaces can also work, using natural accents like a hammered copper vent or a farmhouse apron sink in a contrasting color, even if they are more intense and absent elsewhere in the home. The colors in the pattern shouldn’t be overwhelming and should conform with the modern farmhouse color palette.
A kitchen island styled as a table with rustic turned legs beneath its countertop, copper drawer knobs and pulls, and a butcher block surface all work anywhere in a modern farmhouse kitchen.
When looking for basic design materials, look for historical pieces or items that could be found in nature. Examples include wood, slate, marble, soapstone, brick, aged brass, cast iron and tin. Most importantly, both comfort and function are goals in modern farmhouse decor, versus aesthetics, trends or a consistent sense of design.
A great room features a fireplace of recycled brick, hardwood flooring and a windmill ceiling fan. (courtesy Norma O’Bryan, Discount Draperies)
MODERN EXTERIOR
While interior decor for a modern farmhouse design is popular when existing homes are remodeled, builders, architects and contractors of new homes have been quick to add a modern farmhouse exterior aesthetic to their portfolios.
Kim Hibbs, president of Hibbs Luxury Homes in St. Louis, Mo., and Park City, Utah, has been designing and building modern farmhouse homes since they started becoming popular. “We find that the style appeals to people because it combines the cozy feel and charm of a traditional farmhouse inside and out, while allowing homeowners to surround themselves with interior decor that makes them feel good,” he says. “True to the use of the word ‘modern,’ it incorporates contemporary design, furnishings and color schemes with natural elements of stone and wood reflective of the times.”
Considerations for an exterior design include the siding and color, roof, lighting, and the all-important entrance that invites guests from the curb to the front door.
As for color, the same approach applies outside as it does inside. Neutral hues, such as whites, creams and beiges, are commonly used for a clean and fresh exterior. That palette provides a background which easily incorporates elements such as natural stone on a portion of the facade, wooden shutters, and wooden porch railings and posts that evoke a rustic, familiar feel.
A combination of vertical or horizontal siding is often blended with cedar shingles under the roof peaks to add interest and texture, while vintage barn-style lantern light fixtures or industrial lighting are popular near the front door.
Nothing exudes a modern country exterior like a welcoming, comfortable front porch as part of the entrance architecture. Embellished with a porch swing, a wooden bench or vintage rocking chairs, a porch can create a sitting area that invites visitors to sit down and relax before entering the house.
Popular modern farmhouse porch decor includes colorful pillows on the furniture, a “Welcome” porch sign, and accent side tables painted to match the color of the front door.
A front door can be contrary to an overall paint scheme. Pale colors work, but almost any color can add texture and interest to the entrance. In fact, it is more welcoming to have a door in a pleasant shade of red, yellow or blue that conveys a happy vibe to arriving guests.
An exterior featuring natural wood double front doors, an expansive front porch with ceiling fans, and painted wood columns and shutters. (courtesy Hibbs Luxury Homes)
Jim Winnerman is a freelance writer with published articles in several National Electric Cooperatives Statewide Editors Association publications.