Foreword: You will walk away from this blog post understanding the primary characteristics of Farmhouse Modern Design and how to implement them into your home. Let's get started!
White « Black « Wood Oh my!
When we look at exterior or interior design of the Modern Farmhouse movement, you don't have to look very far to notice the favored color palette is mostly white with some black trim and wood elements. Most of the exterior siding, fascia, and trim will all be white. Then, your intermediate trims or accents are light gray or black for a stark contrast. This includes doors, windows, knobs, light fixtures, gutters and downspouts—basically anything that is a smaller accent.
Finally there's the wood element, which I believe to be the most important piece to balance out the style. Whether it's the porch posts and rail, beadboard soffits, wood decking, wood shutters, wood front door, it is the warmth of the wood element that acts as the glue holding the farmhouse modern style together.
Windows / Lots of Black, Muntined Windows
The farmhouse style likes its windows! And we're not talking just any ordinary window... BLACK WINDOWS! It truly is a thing to behold how quickly black windows have flooded the marketplace. And there's no style more important for the black framed window than Farmhouse Modern. Someone please send me a photo of a Farmhouse Modern home with white windows... because I don't believe it exists!
Black isn't the only distinctive feature on Farmhouse Modern windows either! Muntins are also popular to the style because they hint towards the past and do so in a very modern way. If you don't know what a muntin is, it's the piece of material that divides the smaller panes of glass forming an overall larger window (also referred to as grilles which is less fun to say).
There are many ways to implement the muntin. You can do double hung windows with muntins on both panes or the upper pane only. You can have casements with muntins dividing out the lite into 4, 6, or even 8 smaller panes. Whichever way you prefer your muntins, they are critical to the Farmhouse Modern style.
If you're looking for a quality black window for your farmhouse modern home, Pella has an excellent line of aluminum clad windows with all the great muntin (they call them grilles) patterns familiar to the farmhouse modern style. You can see those here. If you're looking for that ultra modern-large expansive window type without the traditional muntin, check out Pella's architectural line which has a slim frame and for a more sleek look.
Porches for outdoor living
Just like life on the farm was lived mostly outdoors, the Farmhouse Modern style echoes that not-so-distant past. One of the primary characteristics of the Modern Farmhouse is found in the celebration of outdoor living by way of patios and gardens, but most of all, porches! These deep porches often times have bistro tables, benches, porch swings, or other seating elements to accommodate comfortable outdoor living.
Gable(s)
What's a Farmhouse Modern home without Gables? Not Farmhouse Modern! Gables are so essential to the Modern Farmhouse it feels even silly to mention it! What I will mention however, is how many gables a Modern Farmhouse should have. Now this isn't an exact science and each house is unique, but you'll notice that there is such a thing as over-gabling a Farmhouse Modern home. The more successful designs have one, two or maybe 3 gables per elevation... MAX. Any more than that and it begins to look less and less like a Modern Farmhouse and more like an early 2000's mcmansion. So do gables, just not too many gables and you'll achieve that classy Farmhouse Modern look.
Linear Vertical Lines
Horizontal is out and vertical is in with the modern Farmhouse. I am sure you've noticed how vertical these Farmhouse Modern homes are. Everything from the board and batten wood siding, the standing seam metal roofs and even the gabled rooflines speak this vertical language.
If you're trying to go for the modern farmhouse style there are many ways to achieve that clean look but nothing is more popular to the style than board and batten siding. Board and batten achieves its distinctive look from the alternating wide and narrow vertical boards. The narrower boards are used to cover the gaps between the wider boards creating a water-tight seal.
Farmhouse Decor
I really don't want to dig too deep into this because each
• Gooseneck Wall Sconces - Black/OiledBronze/Galvanized
• Modern House Numbers - Also Black/OiledBronze/Galvanized
• Carriage Style Garage Doors - Black/Wood (Clopay makes a great carriage door)
• Pergola Accent - Wood
• Ledger Stone Wainscot Bases, Full Gables, or Landscaping Walls.
Conclusion
I hope after reading this you are walking away from this blog fully equipped with an understanding of the primary characteristics of Farmhouse Modern Design and how to implement them into your project. Also, share your Modern Farmhouse project with us in the comments below! We can't wait to see what you are working on!
If you're looking for additional direction to help you achieve the perfect Modern Farmhouse style, our experts can help you get there! Visioneering Homes is an innovative and brand new online exterior design service that helps people just like you visualize your home's exterior design! We help you make design decisions on everything from color to landscaping to give you a roadmap for achieving the design of your dreams. And the best part of all, is you get to see what your home will look like before you lift a paintbrush!
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About the Author:
Brad is the CEO & Founder of Visioneering Homes. He is passionate about all things architecture, residential design, and providing easy access for homeowners to professional design services. Him and his wife have 3 kids and enjoy an adventurous life in the mountains of the American west. When he is not helping you make design decisions for your home, he's camping, hiking, playing basketball, visiting museums, national parks, and doing house projects with his family.