5 Ways to Say You Have Authentic Farmhouse Style Without Saying a Word
When it comes to those old farmhouses we know and love, one thing is a constant, there is nothing about them that feels cookie cutter. Each has a personal, soulful look that appears seasoned over time and is filled with character-rich pieces that collectively tell a story.
Here’s the good news: Even if your house is newly built and in the middle of the city, you can still give it that warm and inviting farmhouse style by taking a slow decorating approach. Think: Mix, don’t match; layer; collect. But, while this is a look that favors maximalism over minimalism, there is a difference between farmhouse style and a messier, anything goes boho look. In other words, you do need to be intentional with all that stuff.
Here are a few things we see time and time again that give a home (yes, any home!) a one-of-a-kind, truly timeless farmhouse-style look:
Acquired-Over-Time Collections
When it comes to decorating our homes, there’s a real desire to be “finished”—to tie up the loose ends and be done with it. But if our spaces are truly a reflection of ourselves, they should, like us, evolve over time, with additions that reflect new interests and pieces that come with new stories. (“Well, this one time in Round Top...”) In grammatical terms, home is an ellipsis, not a period. Perhaps no one understands that dot-dot-dot approach to decorating like a collector, who trades box- store convenience for curation over time. While psychological research says that people gain more happiness from experiences than possessions, when possessions are tied to experiences, it’s the best of both worlds.
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Brown Wood Furniture
In an age where fast fashion has given way to fast furniture, a welcome shift is underfoot. Interior designers and discerning homeowners are shirking mass-produced items in favor of well-made antiques with classic silhouettes and a singular hue: brown. Once the scourge of the design world with resounding cries of “too dark” or “too dated,” pre-1940s stained and unpainted wood furniture is having an honest-to-woodness renaissance. Think of it this way: In a room full of exclamation points (think bold color or whimsical pattern), sometimes it’s good to swap in a period—something more understated to help balance the energy. “Brown furniture is the anchor of a space—every room needs it for contrast, clarity, and sturdiness,” says designer Ariel Okin. (Note: For a more humble, farmhouse-y feel, scrubbed pine is a good alternative to more stately mahogany.)
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Hodgepodge Hutches
It used to be that heirloom-worthy tableware was only to be admired from afar, tucked away neatly in a hutch. The hutch, by association, took on a tone of do-not-touchness—accessed only on special occasions. Fortunately, the dictums around dishware have lately loosened—the notion of “using the good china” has become synonymous with seizing the day, after all—but the hutch and its close cousin, the china cabinet, have for the most part maintained an air of aloofness. Until now.
With newfound interest around eclectic interiors, homeowners are taking their cues from the curiosity cabinets of yore (all the way back to the Italian Renaissance), with a case-goods-as-conversation-pieces mindset. By peppering in acquired items alongside (or in lieu of) fine china—think quirky trinkets and sentimental mementos that reflect personal passions and antiquing obsessions—homeowners have helped the hutch shake off its dust. What used to be a fusty piece of furniture has become a celebration of shelf-expression. And that’s far more precious than porcelain.
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Teetering Book Piles
The unofficial anthem of book lovers all over might as well be just one more—as in, just one more page, just one more chapter, just one more book, just one more precariously built bundle on the nightstand reflecting the best of your reading intentions. As Henry Ward Beecher said: “Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.” And why limit such beauty to the confines of shelves? There’s no warmer welcome than well-worn hardcovers occupying every surface.
Walking into a home with books that spill into every nook and out of every cranny evokes an eclectic charm and a limitless curiosity, providing a friendly, get-to-know-ya glimpse at whatever makes the home- owner’s spirit sing, be it historical fiction, offbeat British humor, or the earliest works of Joan Didion. It’s a deliberately unfussy way to tuck a conversation piece into any corner, setting a convivial tone that beautifully translates to an atmosphere of hospitality— almost as if each book knowingly nudges you to sit and stay awhile, whispering, “In this house, there’s always room for just one more.
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A Welcoming Front Door
As much as love a stately black door (psst: Sherwin-Williams’ Tricorn Black is a designer favorite), a colorful front door (a Dutch door, preferably) is like a neighborly wave hello. And out here in the country, the further you are from the road, the brighter you can dare to go. Pink pairs well with a pretty Victorian, like the Texas farmhouse above owned by Bailey McCarthy, but when in doubt remember that the color red has age-old country cred. In Colonial times, a red front door indicated weary travelers were welcome to spend the night. (Try Positive Red by Sherwin-Williams to set your own inclusive tone.)
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