How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

It’s been around for a while, and a hit GHTV show made it even more popular. But it doesn’t seem like it will go away anytime soon, and we couldn’t be happier! We’ve got all the stuff you need if you’re planning a remodel! Let’s get started with our inexpensive interior design tips, then read on for our farmhouse interior design tips with a modern twist!

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Every farmhouse-style home has a different vibe, but one thing they all have in common is their authentic modern rustic yet comfy touch. When you walk into a farmhouse, you just want to cuddle up on the sofa or a rocking chair. Relaxed doesn’t mean random, though. As opposed to that, farmhouse interior designs have their own unique features, which on the one hand create a relaxed vibe, on the other hand, create a cohesive and curated look.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Ideally, the perfect modern farmhouse style should be both practical and elegant. So it shouldn’t look too delicate, but it should still have a certain sophistication to it. The key is to choose hardwearing materials and pair them with cozy accessories for a welcoming, stylish, but also incredibly practical home. Another cool thing about modern farmhouse interior design is that it’s so eclectic. You won’t find a bedroom set in a farmhouse, and chairs that match are rare. You don’t do matchy-matchy in a farmhouse!

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Finally, you must decide whether you prefer a traditional farmhouse (more similar to a country-style house) or a modern farmhouse, that mixes country and modern elements to create a more modern look.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Whether you want a traditional farmhouse style or a modern farmhouse style, rustic finishes will always be your friends. Distressed finishes add personality to any surface, from weathered wood to exposed brick. They create an effortless vibe that’s typical of a well-designed farmhouse interior with their somehow rough texture. You can add instant charm to any room with exposed rustic wood beams, another modern farmhouse favorite.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

We don’t mean only floors, walls, and ceilings when we talk rustic finishes. So, if you live in an older home in the city, don’t worry! You can use rustic accents throughout your house. You can create a farmhouse vibe with these even if you start with a modern white canvas (like the majority of rental condos). A thick butcher block in the kitchen is the perfect distressed wood element, which is durable but also adds charm to space. You will be amazed at the impact rustic wood shelves and cabinets will make on your plain white walls.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

In a farmhouse style, metals are another key element, and the vibe should be relaxed even when talking metals. It’s okay to mix and match, just like gold, black, and silver may all work together in the same space! The most suitable finishes for this style are brushed because they blend better with the other distressed surfaces. Any farmhouse interior design should incorporate gunmetal grey metals. Their rustic feel is great, but it’s not the only reason. Dark colors also add some elegance and create visual structure in the space, so they’re perfect for modern farmhouse interiors. Whatever style you’re going for, sprinkle some galvanized steel here and there for a rustic touch.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

A black & white color palette is a hallmark of modern farmhouse interior design. By sprucing it up with different shades of brown or grey accents you can create a color scheme that matches your personality. Keeping the black and white color scheme is not only ideal for the modern farmhouse design but is also a great way to create a design you won’t get tired of in the long run. Consider this: a white background allows you to add colorful accents to make it vibrant. By changing the accent color you will be able to completely overhaul the look of your space in a matter of minutes! A farmhouse style offers a wide variety of accent colors, from blue to yellow to red. The best way, however, to achieve a modern farmhouse look is to stick to rather natural accents over a black and white overall palette.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Here is the big secret from an interior designer with a Masters’s Degree in experiential design: don’t ever try to paint your walls or trims in trendy shades of white or black that a big box store is trying to sell you on! Go with pure white and 100% black – that’s a professional design decision that will save you thousands in the long run. What the big box stores do (together with the chemical industry and home decor magazine sponsored by them), is come up with “designer recommended trends” (in reality those “interior designers” are stay-at-home moms with a high school diploma who just like decorating) by adding a hint of blue, or beige or green to the paint every season so that you can buy it again and again and shell out your hard-earned money while repainting your home basically in the same colors. It’s one big scam and byproduct of the consumer economy that just wants us to buy more and more stuff and has nothing to do with Design or cultural trends because when a professional designer wants to change the hues of colors in the space they use appropriate lighting frequencies to make it either warmer or cooler, depending on the use of the particular space.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

The mix of several different textures is undoubtedly one of the top farmhouse decorating ideas. The rustic finish adds character to space, as we’ve already seen. The same is true for textiles, furniture, and accessories. If you’re buying furniture, look for distressed surfaces, even with scratches or knots. To make it even more interesting, add some textiles! Whether you choose natural fiber rugs, knitted blankets, or faux-fur pillows, a mix of rich textures will give your home depth and help you achieve an effortlessly stylish aesthetic. Adding textures is not always easy, but in a farmhouse style, it is easy. You can tie textiles and accessories together with a neutral color scheme, even if they have different textures if the hues are similar.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Accessorize well or your design might fall flat. There is no exception to this rule when it comes to farmhouse style. As a result, if you’re going for a farmhouse interior design, your décor should also be consistent. For example, signs and graphics are definitely the preferred artworks for a farmhouse modern design. There are plenty of them available at all home decor stores, but you can also make them yourself. By doing them yourself, you’ll be able to pick the quotes you love the most, transforming a simple gallery wall into your own inspirational board! If you live in the city, mix quotes with country-inspired landscapes and botanical prints for an even more visually interesting gallery wall. This will allow you to bring in natural inspiration no matter where you live.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Soft pillows, warm blankets, and vintage mirrors are all essentials in a modern farmhouse interior. But don’t get everything from the same place! Farmhouse interiors look spontaneous and collected over time, so no matchy-matchy pieces. Make sure you don’t overdo it, especially if you’ve chosen a rustic farmhouse style! Farmhouse modern designs have a few well-placed accessories because too many would end up cluttering the room!

There’s nothing more aesthetically pleasing than adding a little greenery to your home; it instantly makes it more curated and brings life into space. Personal preferences play an important role when choosing greenery for your home, and plants work in any room, regardless of their style. A farmhouse style would be complemented well by loose branches if we were forced to choose a single greenery type. You can display branches (best in a vintage jar) to bring in a unique mix of rustic and natural to space. Another farmhouse essential is wreaths and garlands, which can be arranged in the same way. As a décor piece within the home, wreaths, and garlands are excellent for the entrance door as well as the indoors!

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

If you want a rustic atmosphere in your space, why not add vintage pieces? Flea markets and antique stores are the perfect places to find treasures during a farmhouse interior design remodel. In their store, you can find authentically vintage pieces that give your interior a whole new dimension. Unlike new pieces that look distressed, these pieces give a whole new sense of value. You should definitely check out your local flea market! Don’t forget that you can always repurpose second-hand items for different uses as you walk around the stalls. Traditional or modern farmhouse homes can benefit from old window shutters, for example. Hanging or placing them on a fireplace mantel can turn them into a beautiful work of art. These could also serve as cabinet doors or as boards for hanging jewelry! Objects can also be creatively repurposed as lighting.

If you’re going for a farmhouse style, flea markets are a great store, but your imagination will do the rest. You can find lots of awesome money-saving projects on Pinterest if you search for more specific inspiration!

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

Your home’s imperfections will complement both a traditional and a modern farmhouse interior. Farmhouse interiors are known for their rough textures and evidence of use! Be mindful of proportions in design, though! You may not achieve the desired farmhouse design if you have everything around your home overly distressed.

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York

A modern farmhouse style will accept fewer imperfections than a traditional farmhouse. You should also consider your own personal taste as to what is too much. However, as a general rule, you should always create contrast and make a focal point out of your distressed items. Over a white plaster wall, a weathered wood shelf would look great, but it might be too much against a rustic brick wall! You can achieve the perfect modern farmhouse interior design by mixing rustic and modern items and experimenting!

How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York
How to Design a Modern Farmhouse – Interior Design Tips by Designer Maxwell Alexander – Photography and Featured Farmhouse Interior Design Project by Duncan Avenue Studios, New York