What to do when you are ready to change your farmhouse interiors!

In the last few years, the prominent design shows and magazines have been flooded with farmhouse style in everything from the shiplap walls to white painted furniture and primitive signs galore.  It is a more simplistic and beautiful design, and today’s busy lifestyle makes it very attractive to all generations.  But what if you are tired of your farmhouse style with its white walls and rustic vibes, but can’t afford to change your entire home decor, or even know where to start?  How do you make some changes that still feel like the farmhouse style you love but just give your interiors a freshening up?

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This has been on my mind for some time, especially since the popular show Fixer + Upper has stopped filming and new designers are showcasing updated styles and concepts. I am not bashing Chip and Joanna because I admire their style and work ethic so much. But interior styles evolve and change over time and then always come back with a new twist.

Of course, my favorite is mid-century modern, which reemerges in new ways every decade or so. But that is not the subject of this post. Go to any magazine stand, and you will find at least five or six special publications about the new emerging style: Modern Farmhouse.

The new modern farmhouse style takes the comfort and coziness of the classic farmhouse style that we have all gotten accustomed to and adds a twist or two.  The kitchens are sleeker and modern, which better serve the busy lives of families these days.  Modern farmhouse style adds more industrial touches in light fixtures and architectural details.  However, the modern farmhouse style has also brought back to the classic farmhouse style: vibrant color, which has become a primarily neutral palette over the years.

The new modern farmhouse style combines the comfort and coziness of the classic farmhouse style that we have all become accustomed to with a twist or two.

In this post, I would love to share five of my styling tips for updating your farmhouse interiors when you are ready to embrace some small changes. Even if you don’t live in a farmhouse or converted your interiors to a farmhouse look years ago, you can use these same tips to give your home a new vibe for a new season.

First of all, bring some color back to your home.

The popularity of the farmhouse style has transformed interiors over the last five years or so by bringing them to a foundation of neutrals. White walls, white cabinets, and white everything became the base for the style. Grey colors and wood tones completed the look. It is friendly, comfortable, welcoming, and hugely popular. But as with most styles, it has to transform, and I believe people started craving more color.

So, how do you add color back in without overwhelming a space? The easy answer is to use dark tones, not pastels. Pastels will get lost in the sea of white and grey. You need to add bold colors like navy or hunter green to a cabinet, island, or dining chairs. Also consider bright blues and yellows, which will create a focal point in the room.

Start by changing out the art and using the colors in it for pillows and accessories. The secret is to add just a few touches of color that will liven up the space.

Second, bring in a modern piece of furniture.

I firmly believe every interior style can embrace at least one piece of modern furniture. And I certainly don’t mean a piece that doesn’t even resemble a chair or anything else you would consider furniture.  Those I consider art pieces for effect, and they are not comfortable.

What I am suggesting are classics like the Tulip Chair by Saarinan or the Wassily Chair by Breur. A mid-century modern credenza with its beautiful wood tones and sleek legs can add charm and character to a classic space.

Just add one piece of classic modern furniture, and it will add an unexpected vibe to a room.

Why not consider wallpaper?

Yes, I just made that suggestion. For someone who has spent more time than I care to relive removing dated wallpaper from interiors and cringes at the concept, the truth is that the options in wallpaper treatments that are easy to install and remove are worth considering today.

Next year, I am considering adding a fun pattern to my laundry room walls. The idea is to start small and use it only as an accent wall in a powder room or playroom.

Your eyes need a break from shiplap on every wall, so shiplap is now becoming more of an accent wall instead of a whole house feature.   We installed a wide board, modern version of shiplap this year, but it is only an accent wall in our family room.  I love the look and the texture it adds to the space, but it wouldn’t look right on every room wall.  Wallpaper can do the same thing for a space and add a more interesting wall.

A great way to update a Farmhouse interior is to change out the light fixtures.

Many of the light fixtures used in the classic farmhouse style are black iron, milk glass, and Edison bulbs.  They are still pretty, functional, and minimalist.  But if you go back to that rack of modern farmhouse magazines, you will see that the new style for farmhouse style in light fixtures is more contemporary, fun, and quirky.  Modern farmhouse style embraces a more vintage and modern style in light fixtures.  They are bigger, bolder, and more playful in character.

Of course, the obvious update is to change your accessories to ones that are more colorful and playful.

I think the days of grain sack pillows are now replaced with quirky, colorful pillows with cows smiling at you—still a farmhouse feel but with more color and life.  Colored vases are returning to the shelves and gold accents.  Changing out your accessories is a simple way to update a neutral interior.

These are just a few simple changes to bring your rustic farmhouse style interiors to a more modern farmhouse style.  I still believe that farmhouse style is beautiful and that shiplap walls are classics that can be used in any interior style.  So if you have put those up and now worry that you must tear them out, don’t reach for the sledgehammer just yet.  Buy a couple of the magazines I showcased above and see how the now-popular and emerging modern farmhouse style works with the shiplap walls and rustic furnishings to create a unique new style.

Embrace change,

Isaiah 43:18 “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.”

More posts to read and enjoy:

Upcycled DIY Farmhouse Jar Vases

7 Practical Guidelines to choose the style of your home

Don’t forget to visit this post as well:

10 Basic Tools You Have To Have Before Starting Any Renovation