The modern farmhouse living room is a design trend widespread among USA homeowners, recently also gaining popularity across Europe. It blends the rustic warmth of a traditional farmhouse with the streamlined functionality of modern interior styles. If you’re thinking of welcoming such charisma to your home, follow this handy guide. We will take you through designing the perfect modern farmhouse living room, one step at a time.
What Is the Modern Farmhouse Style
The modern farmhouse style is a popular design aesthetic that combines the best of both worlds – the rustic charm of a country farmhouse with the sleek lines and conveniences of a modern home. Its look is typically characterized by clean, simple lines, an open floor plan, and natural materials like wood and stone.
While the modern farmhouse look can vary depending on the specific location and architecture of the home, there are some common features typically found in this type of design.
Windows are often large and plentiful to let in maximum natural light. Meanwhile, exposed beams or trusses add to the overall rustic feel. In terms of furniture and decor, the modern farmhouse style typically incorporates distressed wood pieces, vintage finds, and plain or ticking stripe fabrics. Neutral colors are often used throughout the space to create a calming atmosphere.
Overall, the goal of this design style is to create a warm and inviting space that feels like a home away from home.
How to Set Up a Modern Farmhouse Living Room in 10 Easy Steps
The modern farmhouse living room is a combination of clean lines, natural materials, and a touch of rustic charm. By blending these elements, you can create a slightly nostalgic space that still feels up-to-date, functional, and comfortable. Let’s review the key points to incorporate this trend into your home.
1. Start With a Neutral Color Palette
When it comes to the modern farmhouse living room, a neutral color palette is THE key. Its signature feel is calm and serene, achieved through a fresh, breezy composition. It will help create a calming and relaxing space that you can enjoy for years to come. But even better, it will allow you to update the room atmosphere with a simple decoration switch effortlessly. Modern farmhouse living room scheme thrives on decorative accents and pops of color.
2. Incorporate Natural Materials & Finishes
Another signature aspect of the modern farmhouse living room is the incorporation of natural materials and finishes. This could include reclaimed wood furniture, jute rugs, sisal baskets, and more. Highly textured reclaimed wood sliding barn doors, for instance, make one of the prominent modern farmhouse decor staples. Incorporating these natural elements will help bring the outdoors in and make your living room feel like an extension of your backyard oasis. Moreover, using reclaimed or repurposed decor items promotes sustainability and eco-consciousness.
3. Keep the Walls Fairly Simple
One more essential design tip for achieving the perfect modern farmhouse living room look is keeping the walls fairly simple. Some bricks, stones, or shiplap are fine—especially for accent walls. Micro cement too. Try to avoid overly decorative wallpaper, murals, and anything with much luster. Think minimal, and pick just one or two statement focal points.
4. Prioritize & Create a Cohesive Look
When it comes to furnishing your modern farmhouse living room, you’ll want to stick with pieces characterized by clean lines and simple silhouettes. Think mid-century modern, or some rustic and traditional pieces reimagined with a modern twist. You can also use the rustic industrial style as an inspiration for bookshelves and cabinets. Avoid anything too fussy or ornate – less is definitely more in this case.
5. Layer Lighting to Define the Modern Farmhouse Living Room Atmosphere
When it comes to lighting, the modern farmhouse living room thrives on layering. A combination of different light sources will help create an inviting atmosphere, cozy and practical at the same time. Firstly, no reason to avoid recessed lighting. Next, install a rustic-inspired metal pendant as your statement source of light. Add wall sconces, floor lamps, and table lamps as needed to provide softer, task-specific lighting. Finally, finish things off with some accent lighting—even string lights, if you like them.
6. Choose Comfortable Furniture
The key to any good design is a solid foundation. When it comes to interior design, it’s all about finding the perfect measure between comfort, appeal, and functionality. For your modern farmhouse living room, that means choosing stylish but also cozy seating. Ideally, pick neutral designs made from distressed or reclaimed wood. Go big with metal accents; feel free to pick streamlined, oversized, contemporary sectionals if that’s your jam. But steer clear of anything too fussy or ornate, over-the-top—such pieces will look out of place.
7. Opt For Fresh, Lightweight Fabrics
While we’re still at the furniture—cozy, preferably organic textiles make an important part of modern farmhouse living room design. Linen or cotton are perfect for upholstery. (Of course, with toddlers running around, easy-clean performance fabrics make the ultimate choice.) Give advantage to neutral schemes with a lot of whites, off-whites, creams, and light greys. Alternatively, you can make it more yours with light blue or green.
8. Curate Area Rugs to Ground the Arrangement
When choosing the perfect area rug for your modern farmhouse living room, consider its overall style. Are you going for a more rustic look or a sleek and polished aesthetic? This will help narrow down your choices and ensure that you select a rug that complements the rest of your décor. If you have primarily wood, texture-rich pieces, go for a faded (“washed”) vintage or muted solid-color rug. If most of your furniture is upholstered in solid neutrals, you can play with a bolder graphic design or brighter hue.
9. Add Decorative Touches to Your Modern Farmhouse Living Room
Modern farmhouse wall decor thrives on the word art and framed motivational messages. However, if that’s not your vogue, use sketches, landscape photography, industrial & antique motifs, or abstract 3D art.
Since this style is all about keeping things light and airy, you’ll want to secure plenty of storage for the everyday knick-knacks. Storage ottomans, repurposed old luggage, chests, and woven baskets are ideal options, decorative and practical at the same time.
And don’t forget about the pillows & throws! Consider using plaids, stripes, and similar patterns often associated with country life. You can even play with boho chic details. When used in moderation, they can add a nice touch of whimsy to a modern farmhouse living room
10. Make It Your Own
No matter what style you’re decorating your home in, personal touches are the spice that makes it truly stand out. In the modern farmhouse living room, this could mean adding family photos to your mantel or setting out a basket filled with cozy blankets for snuggling up on cool evenings. Incorporate vintage elements into the space. Thrift finds, family heirlooms and other sentimental items are all perfect choices for a modern farmhouse living room. Antique jugs, mason jars filled with candles, and all kinds of reclaimed wood decor will also feel right at home.
So what are you waiting for? Get started on creating your own modern farmhouse living room today! Just remember to keep it simple and focus on finding the right measure of rustic charm. A few well-chosen pieces will easily transform your space into something exceptional.
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