Farmhouse Living

9 ways to bring comforting farmhouse style into your space

Even without a claw-foot tub, farmhouse style can be achieved in the bathroom with the right accessories.

Photo courtesy of Bosworth Hoedemaker, Houzz

Farmhouse interiors are all about the simple details. This decidedly American style is experiencing a major resurgence, appealing to those who prefer the classic, comforting style of a simpler time. It's a blend of architectural details, most easily recognized by covered porches, inherited pieces, light colors, and rough-hewn finishes.

This easy-breezy, sentimental look can be achieved by anyone, anywhere. Here are nine ways to bring farmhouse details into your space.

1. The wraparound porch. An outdoor living space, the porch was traditionally used as a mudroom or a place for getting respite from the heat when it was too hot inside during the summer. It eventually became a place for enjoying shared moments with family and friends, rocking away the time while taking in the evening air.

Get this look: Don't have a wraparound porch? A porch, patio, balcony, or stoop of any size can still help you get the farmhouse look. Rockers and country flowers are classic, but if you're short on space, a rustic planter filled with wildflowers will set the tone.

2. Classic lantern lighting. A beacon of colonial American lighting, the classic lantern has embedded itself into farmhouse decor and refuses to budge. The clean and simple fixture is perfect for a farmhouse exterior or interior.

Get this look: Consider replacing a piece of focal lighting in your home with a classic lantern. Smaller sconces suit front entries well, and larger pendants work beautifully above a dining room table. If installing a new fixture isn't in the cards right now, pick up a few budget-friendly tabletop pendants.

Browse Thousands of Light Fixtures on Houzz

3. The warmth of wood. Wood was often used in farmhouses because of its abundance and accessibility to landowners. The scuffs and scrapes that come with longtime use convey a farmhouse's history. Don't be afraid to embrace wood — the more rustic the finish, the more nostalgic it will feel.

Get this look: If you can't afford to put in hardwood floors throughout your house, try putting them in a part of your home that's seen the most — like the family room. Wood furniture, wall paneling, and accessories can also help you create that farmhouse warmth without renovating your entire home.

15 Key Pieces for Modern Farmhouse Style

4. Light and bright. For some early farmhouse owners, the walls were kept light because of limited access to more expensive colored finishes. Families with a little more money sometimes used wallpaper in important spaces, such as entryways, to showcase their style or affluence. But simple, light walls have become an identifiably classic characteristic of farmhouse interiors, providing rich contrast against darker treasured design elements.

Get this look: Paint your walls, trim, doors, and baseboards in a light color for an affordable and easy way to honor farmhouse style. Woodwork isn't always painted in farmhouses, but if your home has limited light, you may consider painting any dark wood to brighten your space. Just be careful — once you paint wood, there's no going back.

5. Relaxed fabrics. Farmhouses aren't fussy. Textiles and upholstery were often handmade or passed down, well loved by the generations who inherited them. As a result of this heirloom style of decor, fabrics were generally mixed and matched for a comfortable, eclectic, and lived-in feel.

Get this look: In early rural America, cotton was king, so take that as your cue when thinking of a comfortable base fabric to work with. If kid chaos is a concern, use a poly blend for wear and tear, but keep the styling simple.

6. Heart of the home. Kitchens are the heart of a farmhouse. Since this is a heavily trafficked area, finishes are meant to be tried and tested. Apron-front sinks, sturdy wood countertops, and solid cabinetry may look great, but they were originally designed take a beating and cater to a house full of guests.

Get this look: Farmhouse-style apron-front sinks can work in any kitchen. But if your budget is limited, add ceramic accessories, like utensil holders or dishware. A few well-placed, chunky cutting boards can substitute for farmhouse-style butcher block counter.

Find the Perfect Faucet for Your Kitchen

7. Dining staple. One word can sum up the centerpiece of any farmhouse dining room: sturdy. As the main event in this space, the classic farmhouse dining table was generally handmade and lovingly passed on to family members.

Get this look: If you don't have a family heirloom (or the funds for a wooden table), a large wooden cutting board can make a great foundation for any rustic centerpiece. Take farmhouse design's mix-and-match motto to heart with a collection of eclectic chairs too.

8. Mix and match in the bedroom. The classic farmhouse bedroom would have been adorned with weathered, mixed and matched heirloom pieces inherited from friends and family. Light and airy linens and whitewashed walls complete the look.

Get this look: Look for new or used pieces that have a 19th- or early-20th-century look to them. Don't worry about finding matching sets either. The more collected your bedroom looks, the better.

9. The luxury of a claw-foot tub. Although claw-foot tubs weren't readily available in America until the late 19th century, they have become a staple of farmhouse design. Originally made of cast iron and lined with porcelain, these hefty pieces generally hold more water than modern tubs. The sloped end allows users to recline, unlike the European counterparts.

Get this look: Fiberglass replicas of this original beauty can be purchased from just under $1,000 up to several thousand dollars. Not ready for the added expense? Try giving your bathroom a dose of farmhouse style with accessories. Hang hooks on walls to hold towels. Include a wooden chair for dressing or to use as a side table. Throw down a woven rug instead of a standard bath mat.

Finishes in the farmhouse kitchen are sturdy — and charming.

Photo courtesy of Group 3, Houzz

Finishes in the farmhouse kitchen are sturdy — and charming.

inspiration

they're durable, too

3D-printed Houston housing project cements a more affordable future

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.

Houston is putting itself front-and-center to help make sustainable, affordable housing a reality for 80 lucky homeowners in a scalable housing community that will hopefully catch on nationwide. Recently, developer Cole Klein Builders partnered with HiveASMBLD to pioneer what’s touted as the world’s first large-scale, one-of-a-kind, affordable housing development using 3-D printing technology, merging robotics, design, and sustainability.

Located across from Sterling Aviation High School, near Hobby Airport, Zuri Gardens will offer 80 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes of approximately 1,360 square feet situated in a park-like setting, including walking trails and a community green space.

Homes in Zuri Gardens will hit the market in early summer of 2026. Final pricing has yet to be determined, but Cole Klein Builders expects it to be in the mid-to-high 200s.

Interestingly, none of the homes will offer garages or driveways, which the developer tells CultureMap will provide a savings of roughly $25,000 - $40,000 per home.

Instead of parking for individual units, 140 parking spaces will be provided. Ideally, this small-town-inspired design will provide opportunities for neighbors to meet, connect, and build community.

Each two-story home is comprised of a ground floor printed by HiveASMBLD, using a proprietary low-carbon cement alternative by Eco Material Technologies that promises to enhance strength and reduce CO2 emissions. The hybrid homes will have a second floor built using engineered wood building products by LP Building Solutions. Overall, the homes are designed to be flood, fire, and possibly even tornado-proof.

The Zuri in Zuri Gardens is the Swahili word for “beautiful,” a choice that is fitting considering that the parks department will be introducing a five acre park to the project — with 3-D printed pavilions and benches — plus, a three acre farm is located right across the street. The Garver Heights area, where Zuri Gardens is located, is in what’s classified as a food desert, which means that access to fresh food is limited. Residents will have access to the farm’s fresh produce, plus opportunities to participate in gardening and nutrition workshops—that’s a win for everyone.

With the novelty of Zuri Gardens, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood already has an 800 person waitlist, but with stringent buyer requirements, it’s unclear how many of those 800 will qualify. Developer Cole Klein Builders created Zuri Gardens in partnership with the Houston Housing Community Development Department, who provided infrastructure reimbursements for the roads, sewer lines, and water lines. In return, CKB agreed to push the purchase prices for the homes as low as possible.

Zuri Gardens also received $1.8 million dollars from the Uptown Tourism Bond, 34 percent of which must be used with minority owned small businesses. Qualified buyers must fit a certain area of median income according to HUD guidelines, and must be owner occupied at all times — so no property investors or short term vacation rentals will be allowed.

“They’re trying to bridge that gap to make sure there is a community for the homebuyers who need it — educators, law enforcement, civil workers, etc.,” Cole Klein Builders’ co-principal Vanessa Cole tells CultureMap. “You have to go through a certification process with the housing department to make sure that your income is in alignment for this community. It has been great, and everyone has been really receptive.”

Cole has also brought insurance underwriters to visit the site and to help drive premiums below regular rates for Houston homeowners since homes in Zuri Gardens are not built to traditional standards — claim risks for one of the 3-D homes are extremely low. Tim Lankau, principal at HiveASMBLD, notes that the 3-D hybrid design allows for a more traditional appearance, while having the benefits of a concrete structure: “That’s where the floodwaters would go, that’s where you can hide when there’s a tornado, and that’s where termites would eat. So you get the advantages of it while having a traditionally-framed second floor.”

It’s important to note that Zuri Gardens is not located in a flood prone area, nor did it flood during Hurricane Harvey — being flood proof is merely a perk of a cement house. The concrete that Eco Material Technologies developed is impervious. The walls are printed into hollow forms, which house rebar, plumbing, and accessible conduits for things like electrical lines and smart house features. Those walls are then filled with a foamcrete product that expands to form a “monolithic concrete wall.”

David McNitt, of Eco Material Technologies, explains that his proprietary concrete is made of PCV, and contains zero Portland cement. Instead, McNitt’s cement is made from coal ash and is 99 percent green (there are a few chemicals added to the ash). Regardless, it’s made from 100 percent waste products.

“This is a product that has really been landfilled before,” says McNitt. “It’s coal ash, and it’ll set within 8-10 minutes. It’s all monolithic, and one continuous pour — it’s literally all one piece.”

Eco Material Technologies’ concrete product is impressively durable. A traditional cinderblock wall will crush at around 800 psi, while this material crushes at about 8,000 psi.

“It’s ten times stronger than a cinderblock wall that can withstand hurricanes,” claims McNitt. “I don’t think you’d even notice a hurricane. It’ll be really quiet inside, too — so you won’t get interrupted during your hurricane party. It’s way over-engineered, it really is.”

The second story is built using weatherproof and eco-friendly products by LP Building Solutions. Their treated, engineered wood products come with a 50 year warranty, and their radiant barrier roof decking product blocks 97% of UV rays, and keeps attic temperatures 30° cooler than traditional building materials. These materials, combined with the concrete first floor, will keep heating and cooling costs low — something the folks at HiveASMBLD refer to as “thermal mass performance.”

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.