How to Add Color to Modern Farmhouse

Updated: Feb 25, 2022

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Modern Farmhouse is such a warm, inviting esthetic bathed in muted colors, layered textures, and beautiful reclaimed wood.

In my blog, What are Design Styles and How to Choose Yours, I outlined the key characteristics of the Modern Farmhouse Design Style as:

Comfortable spaces and furniture
Less rustic than Traditional Farmhouse
Reclaimed wood and materials
Uncluttered
Architecturally salvaged elements
Wide plank floors
Wrought iron touches
Vintage accessories
Neutral base colors layered with natural woods
Variety of textures
Mixed metals

Also, in that blog, you could take my quiz that helps you determine which design style fits you best. If you’ve not done that yet, hop over, take the quiz and come back here to see how to add color to your Modern Farmhouse.

In this blog we will be going over:

What is Modern Farmhouse
What Does Modern Farmhouse Look Like?
Traditional Colors in a Modern Farmhouse
Ways to Introduce Color in Your Modern Farmhouse
Home Decor Ideas to Introduce Color

What is Modern Farmhouse

Living Spaces says that “Modern Farmhouse design takes the comfortable, relaxed farmhouse style and adds modern touches such as smooth lines, glossy accents and neutral color schemes. It’s less rustic, more sophisticated, and uses contemporary design elements like stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and sleek lighting.” I really like this simple explanation. I could go on and on about why this design style is so inviting, but that’s not why I’m here today. If you would like to learn more about the details of the Modern Farmhouse Interior Design Style, be sure to check out these books that I recommend for more information:

What Does Modern Farmhouse Look Like?

I really like Modern Farmhouse. It’s a beautiful, uncluttered design that fits well in many home styles, but you may still be wondering what it actually looks like. Here are a few beautiful examples for you.

Traditional Color in a Modern Farmhouse Home

The Modern Farmhouse is so appealing in its warm, inviting neutral palette used throughout the space, which creates a light, airy home that is elegant yet not stuffy.

White comes in hundreds of shades, from warm to cool. I know that most people think of white when they picture Modern Farmhouse, but it’s not just any white. You want a warm white. My favorite warm whites are Benjamin Moore’s White Dove (left) and Swiss Coffee (right).

Ways to Introduce Color in Your Modern Farmhouse

@ahousewebuilt on Instagram

Yes. Modern Farmhouse is heavy on neutral colors, but you can definitely introduce colors into that palette. Here’s a fireplace idea from A House We Built on Instagram. They do a beautiful job pulling in pops of green into this modern farmhouse fireplace design. Can I just say I loooooove that mantle?

You can introduce color on accent walls as well. Farmhouse Kitchen on Instagram really pulls out the beauty of the natural brick by marrying it with the juxtaposed blue. Using the complementary color makes a unified space while not interrupting the home’s neutral color palette. Another great way is contrasting cabinets, as you see in this their other kitchen design. The green cabinets warm the space and creates a beautiful backdrop for the natural wood island.

You can also take advantage of natural woods to bring warm pops of color into your home. These doors found on Farmhouse Plans on Instagram are absolutely amazing and change the whole character of this Modern Farmhouse home.

@farmhouseplans on Instagram

Home Decor Ideas to Introduce Color

Lastly, a great way to add color is through subtle touches of home decor items.

Furniture

You can add pops of color from furniture, like this couch which we have in our home. I love this couch because it fits so many decor styles with its understated lines and warm cognac leather.

This eight-drawer dresser in a soft blue, makes a great statement piece. Statement pieces can introduce a new color palette to a room. This piece Introduces a muted blue which opens up the ability to sprinkle additional shades and variations of that same color or a contrasting color (like hues of orange) throughout the space.

Floral Arrangements

Flowers are always an easy, affordable way to bring color into a room. See how the orange Orchids add an unexpected pop to this color palette? These flowers are balanced out by a white ceramic vase and the complementary color blue in the accent pieces.

Accent Decor Items

Blue Accent Pillows like the one shown in the design board paired with white pillows, rich blue Blankets, and the blue and cream Persian rug ties all the blues in the room to the eight-drawer dresser.

The vase of orange flowers, orange flower artwork, and copper lighting then pull the warm cognac from the couch and complement the blue pieces in the room.

Recap

We just went through:

Examples of what modern farmhouse looks like
Different ways to introduce color into your modern farmhouse, such as
floral arrangements
furniture
statement pieces
pillows
rugs
throw blankets
lighting
artwork

I also put all the suggested pieces together in one board so you can see what the final piece could look like. Now, it’s time for you to start playing with your room.

Pro Tip: Canva.com* is a great place to place all you pieces on one board. It makes it easy to switch items out until you get the perfect look, which keeps you from buying a piece that doesn’t work with everything else. The paid version even lets you instantly remove backgrounds so you can overlap elements.

I would love to see your board when you get it finished! Send me a copy of it and let’s share it with the world.

*I do not have an affiliation with Canva. I am just sharing a great resource.