As you would expect, the farmhouse style contains many nods towards the farmhouse of old. The milk churns, the wire baskets, the summery yellow and the hint of floral charm on soft furnishings and window dressings.
Farmhouse or Classic Farmhouse – Is There a Difference?
There is detail, but there is also a more than a hint of the practical, simply because it needs to be. After a hard day tilling the land and tending flocks, no farmer nor their family wants to return to a home that is devoid of function or warmth.
But if the quaintness of the style doesn’t quite sit easy, there is an alternative. It retains much of the farmhouse charm but there is a refined elegance in the classic style within the confines of the farmhouse style. Slightly sleeker but nowhere near minimalist, there is a welcome dose of the modern, hence it is the ideal choice for many a home.
The Heart of the Home
The kitchen in any home is the heart of the home but in the farmhouse, it was the ‘main’ living area, probably because it was the warmest. But this doesn’t mean the modern farmhouse table has to be huge and overbearing.
Choose a modern dining table that pays homage to the farmhouse style – the painted white legs, the wood top – and you won’t be disappointed. The Hoxton oak dining table is ideal or for a little more detail and panache, why not opt for the ample proportions of the rustic trestle table?
The farmhouse kitchen of old was the place family and friends gathered, and was the venue for many a social event and get together. Your kitchen is likely to be the same, with friends and family welcome at any time. This can mean that even the biggest of farmhouse table is under pressure in terms of space for diners. Thus, the extendable farmhouse table is the solution.
Of course, seating is important too and again, there is a practical element to the farmhouse style. For example, dining benches are often used, doubling up as storage space too in many a busy kitchen.
Then there is the iconic farmhouse style chair, with wooden spindle backs. But this doesn’t mean you cannot add a hint of texture with upholstered dining chairs. To give fabric dining chairs the best chance of effortlessly taking their place at the table, keep colours neutral and the fabrics natural. The off-white linen effect of these delicately detailed upholstered dining chairs is perfect with the class style farmhouse table. Or, if you want to bring the look right up to date with colour, then you can’t go wrong with grey dining chairs.
Complete the Look
The display cabinet – as a classic piece of farmhouse furniture – is as synonymous with the farmhouse kitchen as the large dining table is. The white display cabinet still has its place and its uses, bringing both grandeur and practicality to any busy kitchen. Opt for the statuesque, single white display cabinet or, if space allows, the double display cabinet, with glass doors and pristine white exterior won’t go amiss. Or, if space is pressing, the white painted sideboard is the ideal addition that doesn’t consume space.
The farmhouse style is a charming style. Robust yet heart-warmingly charming, it will work in any home, including yours.