If you have a desire to add farmhouse style to your home – this is the post for you!
I know not everyone has a true farmhouse to work with their decor into, but I truly believe that any style of home can incorporate farmhouse elements if that’s the look you love!
Think of farmhouse design as being on a spectrum.
On one end you have victorian houses, which may take in more of the feminine and formal aspects of a farmhouse style; while on the other end, you have craftsman homes that may take on more of the rustic elements!
In between there somewhere lies modern or suburban homes that can use elements of both ends of the spectrum to create homey and old fashioned looks, even without the “old bones” of a true farmhouse.
Here are my 8 tips to add farmhouse style to any home! These can of course, be mixed and matched, or varied to suit your individual desires for your home.
*This post contains affiliate links to products I know &/or love.
Number One | Paint Your Walls a Light Color
Now, I know not everyone can paint, and not everyone loves the look of all white walls – but if you’re looking for something to change up the backdrop of your rooms into a farmhouse style, this is it!
Anything in the white, grey, creamy color scheme can work!
My favorite white paint is Silos White from Joanna Gaines and the Magnolia line.
Number Two | Add texture to your Walls.
The next tip for working with your walls is to add texture! Two of my favorite wall textures in the farmhouse style are:
- Beadboard
- Shiplap
Beadboard can be done in professional/permanent ways, but a less expensive and quicker way is to use beadboard wallpaper!
We actually used the beadboard wall paper in our upstairs bathroom, and it’s held up really well, even in an environment with moisture in the air!
It can also be painted over, but I’ve found that it’s pretty soft to the touch and susceptible to dings and scrapes. For that reason I wouldn’t recommend using it anywhere it was likely to get banged up or require heavy cleaning (like as a kitchen sink backsplash).
Shiplap on the other hand is quite easy to install, even using actual wooden pieces. We’ve used it twice in our home and have been really happy with the results both times.
The first was when we did our closet makeover for our our walk-in closet/pantry space off our living room.
The second was when we renovated one of the 3 closets in our master bedroom into my office – you can see that here in my closet office reveal post.
Number Three | Add Raw Wood Accents
There are so many fun ways to add wood accents to your home. Ranging from small items like cutting boards, to large ones like butcher block counter tops or raw wood furniture pieces.
In our home we have marble counter tops that I selected years ago, and while I would love to have full butcher block counters now, I can’t justify taking out something that is still well within it’s useful life.
So we compromised by adding a wooden butcher block counter piece at the end of the marble counter! We got the butcher block from IKEA and cut it down to size and routed the edge for an extra element of style and to match the existing marble edge.
Then we used a piece from that same butcher block to create a simple bar desk for my teenage son’s room refresh that we did last year.
We left the edges straight on this one for a more masculine and industrial feel.
Number Four | Use White Dishes
Now, if you already have a set of dishes, don’t feel like you need to toss them out with the dish-water! You can usually find nice white pieces at thrift stores and garage sales for less than $1/each if you want to slowly build a new set.
The fun thing about an all-white dish set is that you can easily mix, match and layer different pieces!
Some other things I love thrifting for and keeping my eye out for at garage sales in the dish family are all-white serving dishes! Big platters, plates, bowls, soup tureens, anything that can be used to serve and display food items is a win in my book!
I’ve also definitely been known to use an odd white plate or group of plates to put underneath centerpieces or hang on a wall – so snatch them up when you find them! The possibilities within decor are endless!
Number Five | Add a Fireplace
With electric fireplaces now being a “thing” – any house that has space can add a fireplace (and the warmth and ambiance that comes along with it) to their home!
We recently finished a long-awaited project and added an electric fireplace to our master bedroom and couldn’t be happier!
And once the fireplace was finally in the craigslist mantle and we’d lived with it in our room for a while, I decided to give it another quick makeover to add some detail on the front of what ended up being a bit too simple of a mantle for the look I wanted.
Number Six | Utilize Open Shelving
If you happen to have the space and resources to create beautiful the-stuff-dreams-are-made of kind of open shelves like these from Rachel Halverson’s Monteagle Cottage, by all means, DO IT!
But if not, have no fear, there are workarounds!
I know of some people who have simply removed the doors of their regular cabinetry and use those as open shelving, and others who, like me simply get the look of open shelving by using other shelf units to display decor.
This shelf at the end of our kitchen bar, for example!
In our bathrooms we’ve also hung similar open shelves with cute, vintage and farmhouse items stored inside.
Number Seven | Work Farmhouse Fabrics into your decor
My all-time favorite, multi use farmhouse inspired fabric is linen! White, creamy off-white, oh the possibilities are endless!
So far I’ve used it for the following purposes here at our farmhouse:
- Drapes
- Bedding
- Slipcovers
- Cushions
- Chairs
- Blankets
And I don’t yet foresee an end in sight!
Another favorite textile of mine for our farmhouse is ticking!
Ticking is the striped material often used in bedding and upholstery. It was actually made specifically with a tight weave to keep feathers from escaping pillows and mattresses!
In modern times, though, it can be turned into just about anything! Like this porch chair cushion.
And this up-cycled apron from an old button up shirt of my husband’s.
These subtle stripes may be tiny, but they’re mighty!
The last textile I recommend for your farmhouse decor is any piece you can find while thrifting or at garage sales with a crocheted edge!
There are so many cute ways to upcycle that crocheted detail into farmhouse projects and designs. I just love the touch of femininity it adds!
Number Eight |Add Farmhouse Styled Containers
Organizing and storing your items into different containers is not only practically helpful (like when you’re cleaning and decluttering), but it also adds so much farmhouse flair!
Some of my favorite containter materials to use are:
- Glass jars
- Tins
- Baskets (Metal or wicker)
- Crates (like these $3 DIY paint stirrer crates!)
I hope this list gives you some fun ideas and inspiration of ways to add farmhouse style to your home!
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If you would like some more Farmhouse decor ideas, check out my Farmhouse Source Guide:
Until next time,
