5 Ways to Achieve a Farmhouse Living Room

Time Several Hours

Budget $ $$$

Skill Level

WORDS BY Gillian Grefe

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Published on January 13, 2020

Farmhouse style done right is comfortable, cozy, and timeless, while still being on-trend and fresh. However, one too many rustic touches and rooster adornments, and your living room starts looking more like a barnyard than a farmhouse. 

Revamp your living room to farmhouse fresh with a few simple design touches.

You’ll have to be careful when bringing a color scheme into your farmhouse living room. Some decorators take it too far, pulling from the plaids of a horse blanket and the bold red of a barn to create a space that says more farm than a farmhouse.

Avoid this pitfall and opt for a monochromatic palette. The living room above uses the cool neutrals and whites that are trendy today, bringing a current twist to the farmhouse design.

Historically, shiplap was commonly used in the exterior siding when building barns. Now, thanks to the keen eye of Joanna Gaines, this building material has become a staple, even the hallmark of modern farmhouse design. In homage to the origin of farmhouse style, shiplap’s been brought inside homes to evoke that farmhouse aesthetic. 

You don’t have to re-panel your living room to get the shiplap look. Instead, bring in touches of shiplap from a decorative mirror to a wall clock.

Farmhouse style is welcoming, but still sophisticated, meaning the furniture in your living room should feel lived-in, but not worn in. The cozy couch below welcomes visitors to take a seat and stay awhile—it’s fresh and unfussy. Look for sofas and couches with deep seats or a tufted accent chair.

Barns and farm homes were built to last, and accessories in your farmhouse living room can honor that. Look for reclaimed woods, antique furniture, or faux-aged wood accessories.

Pull in cozy throw and cable-knit pillows to balance out the tough wood textures in the living room. Pillows should pull from the neutral used to decorate the rest of the room. Instead of using a plaid, go for a chic French farmhouse sack cloth-inspired pillow.  

A farmhouse’s timeless and rustic influences can help create a welcoming living room space in your home. When it comes to this style, less barn is more. Integrate touches of farmhouse style, elevating each choice with an on-trend twist.

Ready to get started on your next project? Take our fun style quiz to discover your style!

Words by Emma Diehl