Modern Farmhouses Are Everywhere; Why Are They So Popular?
Likely having spotted a modern farmhouse build in your area, this home design style is growing in popularity. The builds are often seen as a demolition turned new-home, or are planned in a community. Design features for exterior attributes include white board-and-batten siding, black window frames, gabled metal roofs, big front porches and wood and stone touches. Inside the home, open floorplans, farmhouse sinks, sliding barn doors, stained wood beams and shiplap are often found.
According to Washingtonian, call it the trickle-down effect of home-decor personality Joanna Gaines’s farmhouse-chic aesthetic—these homes seem to be everywhere. Earlier this year, the wallpaper group Hovia analyzed Google data to declare modern farmhouse the country’s most popular design trend. Searches for “modern farmhouse” have almost doubled since the beginning of 2018, according to Google Trends.
Why is it so prevalent? In areas such as Washington, where Colonial and other traditional architecture have long been the norm, modern farmhouses provide a contemporary update without deviating far from the tried-and-true, says Ken Wormald, a managing partner at the homebuilding group Wormald Homes: “It’s allowing people to scratch that itch while still being in a warm, comfortable environment.” He estimates that 80 percent of Wormald’s single-family-home business consists of this style.