The Ultimate Homeowners Guide to Farmhouse Style. The classic farmhouse style has experienced a revival lately. Some of the bigger reasons for this renaissance are popular TV shows such as Fixer Upper and Property Brothers on the cable channel HGTV. The channel even features a show called We Bought the Farm.
In this regard, home design and lifestyle website The Spruce recently said, “Shows like HGTV’s Fixer Upper showcase this nurturing style in all its comforting glory … classic farmhouse style is more popular than ever,”
Do you want to give your home exterior a simple look and a down-home charm? Check here the farmhouse style distinctive features.
Farmhouse Features
- Restrained Roofing – When farmers built these practical and functional houses, they did not get advice from an architect. So, these houses – including their roofs – are simple.
Commonly, farmhouses have gable or shed roofs. Gable roofs have two parts of equal size angling from a central ridge. They give these houses their typical triangle face front. On the other hand, shed roofs are flat with slopes steeply in one direction.
A roofing alternative we can find in these houses is the gambrel roof or “barn roof”. It has two different slopes. The upper slope has a shallow angle, and the lower slope is steep.
Regarding the roofing materials, metal roofs are the most durable and practical option for farmhouses. The second alternative is the shaker-style shingle roofs.
- Simple Siding – A typical American farmhouse feature is the white board-and-batten siding. The “battens” are thinner and vertical. Besides, they are placed at equal spaces and cover the board seams. Currently, there is a wide range of board-and-batten siding options, including metal, vinyl, and engineered wood.
Shiplap is another usual farmhouse siding option. It has wide and horizontal wooden planks with a notch cut along each side of the plank.
- Unadorned windows – Over time, farmhouse style changed. It was the result of homeowners moving from the farms to more urbanized areas.
According to Realtor Magazine:
“As industries other than farming developed in the United States, people moved farther from the fields and into larger towns. When they did, they took the architectural characteristics of the farmhouse with them,”
Thus, there is no one classic farmhouse-style window. However, we can find narrow and tall windows on farmhouses that allow natural light to get in. Farmers preferred this window style to keep an eye on their lands. Also, farmhouse windows are double-hung with upper and lower sashes. They have two panes of glass on the top and two on the bottom.
- Rustic Doors – The wide openings of original farmhouses allowed families to move easily among rooms and towards the kitchen. Nowadays, farmhouse lovers prefer these wide openings as well as sliding barn doors. They let homeowners close off rooms.
The design website Houzz writes the following:
“This popular trend shows no sign of slowing down. The X detail on this sliding barn door adds a bonus farmhouse touch,”
Another door style that works well in a farmhouse is the Dutch or stable door. Particularly, it is useful as a front entrance or kitchen door.
- Porch – Large front porches were a usual feature in original farmhouses. Porches were the place where farmers and their families could enjoy a cool breeze on hot days. Also, farmers could leave their muddy work boots in the porches before getting inside the house. Therefore, the porch was an extension of the main living space.
Are You Ready to Jump on the Farmhouse Style Trend?
We will be glad to work with you on your home improvement project.
Contact Mississippi Landsource or our great partner, Doug Rushing Realty for more information. We are happy to help make your fixer-upper the home of your dreams.