Farmhouse living room ideas don’t need you to feel like a real farm house. This is a state of mind, not a demand to move to a rural area. Appreciation for the current trend in farmhouse interiors doesn’t seem to be waning any time soon, and we can see why. Relaxed, hassle-free and welcoming, this contemporary take on the country style will work well in almost any home – from new construction and architect-designed homes to historic properties and modernist homes.
Neither overly decorative nor starkly minimalist, this fresh farmhouse style update combines rustic accents with an understated aesthetic. These living room ideas eschew ornate details in favor of more practical nods to rural interior architecture. The look leans heavily on laid-back California style, so mid-century furnishings feel right at home in a modern farmhouse living room, as do striking stone fireplaces, vintage textiles, and Shaker-inspired designs.
Commune Design’s Santa Anita project, shown below, successfully distills the essence of the modern farmhouse trend in a small woods home outside of LA. “We wanted to combine a variety of inspirations and references such as historic American cabins, traditional chalets, Shaker and Japanese design, all through the framework of utility and function,” the designers explain.
To give you a better overview of the trend, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite farmhouse living room ideas that are guaranteed to inspire, plus a few insider tips and tricks from designers, architects and industry experts.
Farmhouse living room ideas
1. Balance old with new
(Image credit: De Rosee Sa)
When London-based architects De Rosee Sa renovated this Edwardian house, the brief was to design a large rear extension that complimented the house’s original period details and character.
Inspired by current living room trends for both Scandinavian and Californian interiors, the architects created a simple yet inviting open plan kitchen and living space. A generous window seat overlooks the garden, while the wood-burning stove, ceiling beams and mid-century furnishings give the room a cabin-like quality.
“Using a warm color palette and textured aesthetic, the final design beautifully balances the old and the new,” say the architects.
2. Show collected treasures
(Image credit: Laura Fenton / Living Small)
We fell in love with interior designer Glenn Ban’s cozy East Hamptons cottage after seeing it in Laura Fenton’s book Living small. It is an artfully layered farmhouse style living space, a great example of modern farmhouse wall decoration. With a nod to the beige living room trend, the taupe sofa keeps the white walls from feeling modern or stark.
‘Always the collector, my house is full of treasures I’ve amassed over the years,” says Glenn. “The chair and antique box I use as a side table are antiques and the coffee table is a mid-century design by Adrian Pearsall. I anchored the room with a linen sofa and striped rug, and hung a collection of vintage photography and paintings on the walls.
3. Embrace wood siding
(Image credit: Bed Wires)
“This is not our permanent home, although sometimes I wish it was,” designer Simone Haag says of her weekend home on Phillip Island.
The Anglers Shack, as it is known, originally belonged to her in-laws and was given a sympathetic refurbishment at the hands of the acclaimed Australian interior designer.
“The spaces have remained virtually unchanged,” says Simone, who wanted a “not so beachy” look for the renovated 1970s home, mixing color and texture and channeling California cool for this cozy living room. Key to the cabin’s modern-rustic appeal are the pine siding boards added to the walls, and in the case of the living room, stained black for extra depth and drama.
4. Upscale the fireplace
(Image credit: Adrian Gaut)
INNESS is a beautifully designed country retreat surrounded by rolling fields in Upstate New York.
Designed by Post Company and Taavo Somer, the hotel features 28 cabins and a 12-room central farmhouse that overlooks the mountains and surrounding organic farm.
Pictured here is the lounge area in the hotel’s cozy restaurant, where a striking modern farmhouse hearth extends up to the wood-clad gable roof.
“Design elements such as vintage rugs, exposed beams and a roaring fireplace add a sense of familiarity to this welcoming space,” say the designers, who wanted to create a space that resembled staying at a friend’s house.
5. Experiment with color
(Image credit: Turner Pocock)
“We strive to create spaces that are cheerful and comfortable,” says Emma Pocock of design studio Turner Pocock. “While more muted tones are definitely in order, especially when working with natural materials, we tend to stick to our TP aesthetic,” adds Emma, referring to the colorful cozyness in this French mountain home.
Here a bold shade of blue was used on the wall covering. Green and yellow accents reference a mid-century palette, while the white-painted ceiling keeps the room from feeling too boxed in. Bold pattern couch trends can still be used in farmhouse living room ideas — just keep the print to two or three colors at the most. Exposed beams, a sturdy side table, and wood floors help keep the space on the right side of rustic.
6. Draw on tradition
(Image credit: Stephen Kent Johnson)
When reimagining the interior of this California retreat in Angeles National Forest, LA-based Commune Design drew on several references.
“These included historic American cabins, traditional Swedish and French chalets, as well as Shaker and Japanese design,” the studio says. ‘We selected a vintage Borge Mogensen daybed in original fabric and a vintage Bruno Mathsson armchair, plus a Shaker-inspired peg rail to keep everything off the floor. We wanted the interior to be unique and traditional, but not clichéd in any way.’
The result of choosing this simplistic living room furniture is an understated and functional space that lets the cabin’s original features shine.
7. Combine contrasting materials
(Image credit: Lisa Romerein)
San Francisco design firm Jute Home took inspiration from the surrounding wine country for the interior of this new-build farmhouse in Sonoma County. “We tried to add texture and warmth without distracting the eye from the view, which is the real focal point,” says designer Alison Davin, who combined rustic wood antiques with custom metal pieces and durable textiles like woven leather rugs .
‘Here the steel-framed doors added a linear quality, so we designed a custom circular lighting fixture to balance the scheme,’ explains Alison. “The console is an antique workbench that we reused to make the space more accessible.” This neutral living room idea is one that can easily flow through to the rest of the house, making it a very livable scheme.
8. Bring the outdoors in
(Image credit: Sean Airhart)
“We designed retractable wall panels for this home, which protect the windows from harsh winter storms,” says Joe Herrin of Heliotrope Architects, the studio behind this contemporary coastal home, which sits on a windswept shoreline in Washington’s Salish Sea. In this open space, a rustic living room meets a modern farmhouse dining room.
‘Nevertheless, the house opens up completely to the outside when the weather is nice, allowing the owners to fully interact with the landscape and view.’
An excellent example of daylighting, light streams in through the wall of windows, highlighting the detail and wood grain of the interior joinery, all of which is made from local woods such as Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar.
9. Renovate sympathetically
(Image credit: Jonny Valiant)
“Our goal was to create a sense of ease in the building,” says Tina Schnabel, an interior designer with New York studio BarlisWedlick Architects, who designed the interior of this new-build passive house, which sits next to a renovated 19th-century barn in Ancram. , Columbia County.
“Throughout the design process and in the selection of finishes and paint colours, we tried to avoid strong or abrupt contrasts,” she adds. ‘The idea was to create smooth, intentional transitions between the paint finishes, natural wood beams and volumes of millwork, along with the furniture and textile selections for the main open-plan living space. A neutral, textural palette gives the room warmth without harsh contrast.
No window coverings were used in the living room to ensure the room’s connection to nature through the view.
10. Go all over with white
(Image credit: Amy Neunsinger)
When interior designer Leanne Ford overhauled this 1920s LA hunting lodge, she opted to paint nearly every surface white to brighten and unify the space. Floors, walls, ceilings and interior furnishings were given the whitewash treatment, which refreshed the interior of the wooden building and immediately made this white living room more spacious.
“I toyed with the idea of keeping the wood natural, but who was I kidding?” says Leanne. ‘A painter must paint!’ The renovation transformed the living room into a serene and airy space that benefits from the sunlight streaming in through the cabin’s large window.
What makes a farmhouse living room?
A neutral palette and lots of texture is a surefire way to master the modern rustic living room look, so tactile materials that age well — like wood, stone, coir, and leather — are your go-to. That said, don’t be afraid to add some color and pattern if that’s your thing.
The fun of farmhouse style is the breadth and variety, so don’t shy away from making your mark on your space. “Muted tones certainly have their place, especially when working with natural materials, but we tend to stick to our signature aesthetic,” says Emma Pocock of design studio Turner Pocock, who has devised interior schemes for a range of country homes. “Color and pattern help us create spaces that are fun and comfortable,” she affirms.
