Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Design
8 Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas: A step-by-step guide for nailing that modern farmhouse look on your next home renovation or build!
You may love the farmhouse design, but you are also drawn to the more modern, minimalist styles of interior design. The modern farmhouse style might be right for you.
Modern farmhouse interior design is my favourite style because it is a great mix of warm/homely with trendy/modern. This is one of the top interior design trends for 2022. It is particularly popular in America… and increasingly so across Australia.
Modern Farmhouse is a style that incorporates wood and texture, just like the traditional farmhouse, but with softer colour palettes and different textures.
It is my favorite room to design in a home, but it can be expensive. My boyfriend and I upgraded the kitchen more than any other room in our first house. The cost of stone countertops is outrageous, and I also believe that kitchens are the most important rooms in a home. It was the best money spent at the design center along with the other eight essential upgrades.
I believe that the kitchen and bathroom are the best places to invest money. This is why these two rooms should be the focal point of your home. Bedrooms, living rooms, and study areas are usually just empty white boxes. Kitchens are where you can make the biggest statement.
How do you create a modern farmhouse Kitchen? Here are 10 elements that I believe every Modern Farmhouse Kitchen needs!
1. Light/White Countertops
A modern farmhouse kitchen is a great place to start. White/grey counters are the perfect starting point. Even after adding more traditional elements, light-coloured benches can keep your kitchen looking contemporary and fresh for many years. White is always in style: it’s stylish and easy to clean.
I think that you will get more bang for your money by choosing engineered stones such as Caesarstone, smartstone, or Essastone. They look fantastic and are much cheaper than marble or granite. It’s worth considering natural stone for higher-end construction, but engineered stone will be close enough.
Timber benchtops can be a great alternative to stone if you don’t like the look of it. Avoid dark stains and species as they will age your kitchen & give it a more farmhouse-like feel. Our top choices for counter timbers are lighter, more modern species such as Victorian Ash, Messmate, and American White Oak. It’s possible to get the same look with a laminate that is of high quality at a fraction of the price!
2. A Farmhouse Sink
A farmhouse kitchen is not complete without a farm sink.
There are many options available if you want to add a modern touch to the traditional farmhouse sink. Our favourites include the matte black and cement varieties, but you can buy them in all kinds of colours (though whether your builder stocks them is another matter).
It is the most popular choice in our opinion, and it complements every colour scheme. You won’t have to replace it within your lifetime if you maintain your sink properly. These sinks are tried and tested and very popular!
3. Statement Modern/Farmhouse Tapware
Add statement tapware to your kitchen (such as bronze or brushed gold finishes). It will bring life and vibrancy to the space. Include pops of color throughout your kitchen to prevent it feeling clinical or cold. This will really set your new build apart.
It’s easy to switch out a statement faucet or tap if you decide to change your mind. Why not experiment?
It’s important to select a faucet that is both stylish and functional. Consider things like height and the overhang to ensure your faucet sits properly above your sink. Consider whether you want wall-mounted tapware, counter-mounted tapware, or sink-mounted tapware. This will guide your choice.
4. Shaker Style/Traditional cabinetry
It’s not uncommon for square inset/shaker cabinets to be considered an upgrade when building new homes. However, they are a necessity if you want to achieve a farmhouse look. You can have a modern kitchen. Standard flat-panel cabinetry will not match the style of the room and clash with more traditional elements.
This design style is not complete without upgraded cabinetry, so be sure to budget for it. It’s not worth spending money on the rest of your home if you aren’t willing to make this upgrade.
There are many other choices if you don’t like the shaker-style doors. Any style that has a little dimension is better than the flat, modern design.
Here are five of the most common cabinet designs that you will find in modern farmhouses to guide you in making your choice:
5. Pendant Lighting
Pendant lighting is important in all kitchens, but it’s particularly important for farmhouse kitchens. Lighting can be a great way to give a room your personal flair and to let others know what your style is.
In traditional farmhouse kitchens, pendant lighting often includes black or wrought-iron elements. But you have more options in modern farmhouses. You can still use black or iron elements but you can also experiment with other textures like timber, wicker, and concrete.
Beacon is the lighting supplier of choice for most Australian home builders. Even if they do not, you can still use their styles to help guide your own choices!
6. Floorboards
Open-plan living has replaced the tiled floors in kitchens with floorboards. Timber is a major design element in modern farmhouse kitchens.
The majority of flooring can be incorporated into a modern farmhouse color palette. However, it is best to avoid cool-toned woods whenever possible. The warmer the flooring, the more homely and welcoming your kitchen will be. We’re aiming to create a modern farmhouse-style kitchen
Although lighter woods are more modern, it doesn’t really matter if you choose dark or light timbers. Darker timbers feel more traditional. It all comes down to your personal taste and other elements that you may want to incorporate into your home.
7. The Right Backsplash
The best modern farmhouse kitchens, in my opinion, are inspired by the traditional farmhouse style. This can only mean subway tiles when it comes to backsplashes.
Subway tiles have been popular for many years and are unlikely to be out of style anytime soon. It’s too popular. This is a timeless choice that has become synonymous over the years with farmhouse kitchens.
It’s impossible to make a better or safer choice than the standard brick-lay tile. It can feel a bit predictable. Why not go for a herringbone or chevron pattern? You can also use a subway tile that is textured, colored, or of an irregular size to add interest.
8. Natural Light
Windows are crucial if you want to make your kitchen feel spacious, modern, and airy. Artificial light is not as effective as natural light (although it’s still better than nothing). If you can use natural light, your home will appear bigger and brighter.
A skylight above your kitchen counter is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to do this. Unfortunately, this can be a very expensive undertaking. Instead, I suggest placing windows whereveris possible and whereveris feasible. You can use glass instead of tiles for your backsplash, to highlight cabinets or as a door between rooms.
It is best to bring in as much natural light as possible.
9. Mouldings Decorative
The decorative architraves and crown mouldings can add so much character to your new home. It is, in my opinion, the easiest and most affordable way to make new construction houses feel like they have been lived in.
Farmhouse design is about adding personality and life to a house. It’s important that even a new build or extension feels like it has been around the block before. New homes with traditional features are so appealing.
In new construction, crown mouldings and skimboards are often ignored in favor of more flashy upgrades. They’re worth every penny! Look at these two photos and tell me which is the most powerful.
10. Handles
Modern Farmhouse furniture and design are dominated by handles on cabinets. Handles are here to stay, unlike Scandinavian or minimalist kitchens where they are less prevalent.
What kind of handles would you recommend for a farmhouse-style kitchen? We love matte black and satin gold finishes against coloured cabinets, as well as scalloped gold/satin finish on colored cabinetry!
Traditional bar/pulls & cup Pulls are the most popular!