10 Tips For Recreating Farmhouse Character In Your Home

At Pat Noble Lumber, we believe that when it comes to home décor, we never seem to tire of farmhouse country. A country-style meets farmhouse décor that offers a little bit of modern with a little bit of rustic creates a match made in decorating heaven!

Despite the warm, inviting look of farmhouse décor, many homeowners aren’t quite sure how to create that warm, inviting style in their homes. The great news is that achieving the farmhouse look doesn’t require you to live on an actual farm. Instead, all you need to do is commit to decorating your home using simple, practical concepts that are, not surprisingly, adopted from the pragmatic way of farm living. What does this mean? Instead of bright and flashy décor, you’ll opt for neutral, earthy tones as well as natural fibres.

To help, here are 10 tips to help you create that rustic design, regardless of where you live.

Tip #1: Neutral palette

With farmhouse-style, you want to avoid dark or flashy colours. Instead, opt for bright, neutral colours such as white, cream, soft beige or light grey.

Keep all the walls in the same colour scheme — featured paint walls are not a big component of farmhouse chic. The idea is to tie everything together in a calm, soothing way.

Tip #2: It’s got to be wood

Wood floors are an integral part of farmhouse décor. If your wood floors are in good shape, or can be refinished, consider spending some time caring and bringing back their beauty. If they are in rough shape or too dark for your taste, consider painting your floors. Either way, a wood floor is an important element of farmhouse chic.

Tip #3: Add a bit more (beadboard) wood

Then add more wood! As stated, wood plays a large role in farmhouse décor, and a great way to add rustic charm to any home is to add beadboard, which is wood panelling for your walls.

These days you have different options when it comes to beadboard. You could go for the reclaimed wood look, which works when creating a featured wall in the dining room or kitchen, or you could opt to add shiplap panelling to a front entrance or bathroom to create a cozy, earthy feel in these high-use areas.

Tip #4: Open shelving

Busy farm families didn’t have time for custom cabinetry and fine china, which is why open shelving was used in the kitchen. It helps keep all the necessary, daily used items close at hand and, at the same time, offers room-appropriate decoration.

In other rooms, open shelving is a cheap and cheerful way to display treasured items. What’s great is that open shelving allows you to decorate with items you already use.

Open shelves can be attached to the wall, or free-standing such as a hutch on a buffet or a bookshelf. Popular items to display are crockery, mason glass jars, stoneware and other ‘bring out the fine china’ items.

Tip #5: Combine old and new

What makes modern farmhouse décor so uniquely personal is the combination of mixing old, vintage items with new, modern pieces.

For instance, rather than rely on the fine crystal vases that were once so popular for displaying your flower bouquets, the farmhouse décor-inspired home can use a vintage flour sifter, a metal watering can or just a simple mason jar.

It doesn’t matter what room or function, incorporating the old and using it in a practical but stylish sense is a big part of farmhouse style.

Top #6: Wire baskets and wooden boxes

Need a way to contain clutter and showcase your treasures? To stick with farmhouse style, reach for wire baskets and wooden boxes.

Wire baskets can be mounted to the wall or kept on tables or near doors to keep clutter, like mitts and hats, under control. Wooden boxes are great to add depth to a room — you can stack to create visually unique displays that can also house paper clutter that can tend to pile up.

Top #7: Natural fabrics

Farm families rarely had bright colours and synthetic material, so in keeping with this style, choose natural fabrics with muted, neutral colours. Examples are linen, jute, burlap and wool, as well as cotton. For splashes of whimsy, use animal hide and leather — particularly for upholstery projects, rugs or wall coverings.

Top #8: Wooden beams

If you are fortunate enough to have a gabled roof, then your home already has wood beams and rafters. To reclaim these architectural elements, and create that cozy farmhouse look, consider sanding and staining these wooden rafters so the natural beauty shines through.

If you have flat ceilings, consider ways you can add wood beams — such as creating false joists or archways.

Top #9: Lantern lighting

Shaped like an old gas or candle lantern, these more-modern versions can come in a variety of finishes and materials, including copper, wrought iron or galvanized steel. You can hang lantern lights like pendants, above focal points — such as kitchen islands or dining tables — or you can add these lights as wall sconces in hallways and entryways. 

Top #10: Sliding barn doors

This popular design trend adds a touch of farmhouse-class, while saving space. Install these sliding wooden doors in any room where privacy is required some of the time, but you don’t want the formality of a standard door — or to take up space on a door that has to swing in and out. 

While barn doors, and the hardware that holds them, were once a specialty item, these days almost any local home hardware store will carry the necessary items for installation.

If you have any questions or need more information, visit Pat Noble Lumber. Our team is always available to help in any way we can.