The Classic Farmstyle Home vs. Modern Farmstyle Elegance: Which is better?

This article discusses the respective styles of what are considered "classic farmhouses" and "modern farmhouses," highlighting the way that they are different and how they are similar.

The farmhouse has been one of the most popular styles for anyone who wants to create a cozy, warm and rustic home. The general idea revolves around openness, natural colors, and textures or unfinished wood to give that home feeling.

Now centuries later the farmhouse style is still very popular among us and this is not only because it's super charming. A modern twist on a farmhouse can be a chic brick cottage styled with expanses of windows, gleaming steel appliances, and sleek polished wood floors all tucked in a modern farmland setting.

Traditional Farmhouse Designs: Key Ways How They're Different from Modern Reproductions

For centuries, farmhomes were home to the working class, as well as rural dwellers whose proximity to livestock and fields best-suited houses like these.

Farmhouses capture a rustic, wholesome mystique that other types of homes can't offer. Farm-style homes are typically made out of stone, and take a fire-resistant form with high ceilings to accommodate hay loft sleeping quarters upstairs in the house. Traditional farmhouse plans will prioritize the needs of their occupants, correlating exquisitely with their region's pre-existing history, and culture. These styles are not confined to rural locations, however, as many urban farmhouses feature warm materials, such as brick and wood siding.

A farmhouse typically has a traditional exterior but is modern. Unlike the first farmhouses and rustic homes, the traditional farmhouse was built to mimic the style of a European country manor and contain deeper windowsills that can be used for herbs rather than ledges. Generally, they have interior spaces designed specifically to promote specific activities like being relaxed in the parlor or keeping children entertained in a smaller room. These spaces, if you will, typically have few windows and often a brick or stone exterior. The exterior of the home is typically unique and not found on many other structures in the area. The farmhouse has a gabled roof with a covered porch, which was functional for storing feed and equipment. A single-story barn would be connected to the house, with a secondary outbuilding used for milking cows. A silo would be built at one end of the barn.

Traditional designs are usually not enclosed as much as their counterparts of our century. In some cases, faux fireplaces can be used as an elegant substitute or alternative depending on preference and style preferences for their contemporary counterparts of buttery yellow walls contrasts with a black hearthstone in many traditional homes. The faux fireplace is a great accent piece for any room of the house or may be installed in an open living space to add character and warmth. Most of the classic rooms in homes now may have this style of fireplace and can be used to add character, warmth, and ambiance to a room without the hassle of maintaining a fire. A valuable way to use the faux fireplace is in a bedroom. The bed typically sits at one end of the room, so there is space for this fire-like accent near the end of it. It adds warmth and ambiance to any room with very little effort!

What are the characteristics of the modern farmhouse style?

The modern farmhouse style flourished in the 1970s and 1980s and helped people toss aside the square, dark, cramped nuclear style or the ranch style from previous decades. It is characterized by an open layout with clean lines and big windows that make the interiors seem lighter and airier. The modern farmhouse style encourages you to bring the outdoors in.

It gives you a beautiful space that is versatile, family-friendly, and uses the best design elements without the typical country style. The most popular design element to achieve this look is the large front porch with a deck and a covered patio. The space also has plenty of windows and other natural light sources, such as skylights, that are incorporated into the interior design to allow for ample light. There is usually a large amount of wood used in this style because of the rustic look and feel. 

The typical layout adhered to in a farmhouse includes an oversized kitchen, high ceilings with exposed beams, and soft textures such as wood flooring or carpeting supported by large sofas arranged around cushy armchairs. An oversized kitchen is a traditional layout for most farmhouses. It includes a large, raised stove with a chimney, and cabinets spanning the length of one wall. Cabinets are painted to complement the wood flooring or carpeting. To create more space in the kitchen, some farms have installed breakfast nooks that open up into a full-sized living room. A large sink is typically found in the center of the kitchen and often includes a built-in cabinet underneath for storing dishes and other cooking utensils. The refrigerator is typically located at one end of the kitchen and often faces one wall with the stove situated to the left. 

The differences primarily lie in the different strategies and features used

Typically, the traditional farmhouses are more heartwarming and charming while modern ones come with environmentally conscious features that allow more light and cleaner air, not to mention their designs look more contemporary.

While traditional farmhouses rely on plopping an old wooden cabin at the end of a country dirt road, the architects behind today's cottage-style homes removed any sense of chaos from the equation by already populating their premises with charming yard trees and flowerbeds. Modern Farmhouses are also more likely to have the larger square footage, offer big open floor plans, more insulation against cold temperatures, and often come with lots of single-use rooms.

The main advantages to getting a modern style home include heightened storage opportunities for large appliances which many people no longer need; large windows that allow for natural daylighting; taller ceilings that just make the place feel bigger; and increased safety features with modern construction. Some disadvantages include higher energy bills due to newer construction materials; limited older style architectural styles which might not suit everyone's needs; fewer choices of homes available; more expensive homes; Fewer properties on the market unlimited number of new houses that can be built; less privacy in some neighborhoods where homes are close together.

So it boils down to what each homeowner's preference is - traditional, cozy, and outdated, or contemporary, vibrant, and on-trend.