8 Farmhouse Style Decor Rules to Nail the Look in 2025

Blame it on Joanna Gaines for bringing farmhouse style back into our lives—or thank her if you’re someone who dreams of shiplap walls and cozy textures. It’s not going full-on granny like the one we saw in Red Riding Hood—it’s the kind of beautiful style that people still love to infuse into their homes. The charm? It's unbeatable—sorry, what do the Gen Zers say? Yes, the farmhouse style has really got the rizz.

You know how they say everything begins at home? People stopped saying “I love you” and started saying “you’re my home.” They stopped saying “let’s start a life together” and started saying “let’s design our home together.” That feeling of having a beautiful home—it’s something we want everyone to experience.

Today, we’re putting the spotlight on the timeless, charming farmhouse style—and how to nail the look in 2025!

Farmhouse decor is warm, cozy, relaxing, and full of character. It highlights a simpler time. That said, there are some decor rules to make it happen. To keep your farmhouse living room from looking too old-school, you need to become a master of balancing the old and new. 

So, What Is Farmhouse Style in 2025?

Its coziness and warmth define farmhouse style. Like other decor styles, farmhouse design can be country, modern, coastal, eclectic, and much more. The essence of farmhouse style is about creating a warm, relaxing, and cozy space full of character. 

At its core, farmhouse design is warm, welcoming, and wonderfully nostalgic. It celebrates simplicity—but not in a bare-bones way. Instead, it’s full of textures, natural materials, and character.

Modern farmhouse homes mix country roots with a variety of styles—coastal, eclectic, even industrial. It's all about creating a relaxed, lived-in vibe... without looking like you live at an actual farm.

We asked our designers for the five rules of designing a farmhouse-style living room, and they delivered the best ideas to help you get started. 

1. Nature Always Rules

Farmhouse design has always taken cues from nature. In 2025, we’re seeing less of the tropical fiddle-leaf fig and more of the classics: eucalyptus, olive trees, and dried florals in muted tones.

Designer Tip: Our designer Sarah Nelson suggests styling a tall olive tree in a white or clay planter for an earthy, elegant focal point. We love the Olive Tree + Fluted Planter Bundle from West Elm—it’s clean, timeless, and so on theme.

2. What's Old Becomes New

You don’t need a barn full of antiques to pull off vintage charm. Repurposed or vintage-inspired pieces are your best friends. Look for wood with a story—distressed finish!

3. It's All About Being Open and Inviting

The heart of any farmhouse decor beats in the kitchens and dining rooms. When designing a farmhouse kitchen, area function rises above all else. Think deep kitchen sinks, large block islands, and bar top seating for making the kitchen the center of entertainment. Our designer, Laura Wright, also recommends using subway tile backsplashes to line the walls and open shelving or glass-front cabinets to showcase accents and antique dishware. 

You can still bring some farmhouse-style elements with a kitchen bar cart for those with small gathering areas. 

4. Paint More than Your Walls

A blend of neutrals is what amplifies light and makes a room look bigger for farmhouse-style homes. But beyond your walls, farmhouse decor also highlights painted furniture. It's not strange to spot a cornflower blue cabinet, a distressed white coffee table, and even a lavender armoire that showcases the family heirlooms. 

5. Details That Make a Farmhouse Feel Like Home

Lighting can make or break the cozy vibe you're going for—and the Whimsical Farmhouse Lamp from Spacejoy hits all the right notes. With its vintage-inspired silhouette, turned wood base, and soft, neutral lampshade, this lamp feels like it was plucked straight out of a charming countryside cottage

The art of craftsmanship expands all over the house and unifies each space creating a seamless transition from room to room. 

6. Keep Neutral Colors on the Walls

The one thing that will help you achieve a classic farmhouse style of decor is to use neutral paint colors. Avoid any dark or bright colors on the way. Another tip is to make sure the entire house is painted in similar colors. This will give the sense of more space. It doesn't have to be white – soft beiges, creams, and even gray tones work too. A light color on the wall really sets the tone for a farmhouse look.  

7. Add Dimension to Your Walls

If you want to channel farmhouse decor to the core of it, then you need to add beadboard, shiplap, or wainscoting into your home decor. Walls have a lot of dimension and texture. Many even showcase real, rustic shiplap. If you're not sure, try small and choose an area of your home that incorporates shiplap. 

The best spots to start are your living room, bathroom, or kitchen. Other areas that can work are the entryway and dining room area. Plus, shiplap is amazing at helping you hang decor more easily, so it's a win-win design element. 

8. Add Distressed Furniture

One of the most classic elements of farmhouse style is distressed furniture. You'll often see old doors and windows being displayed as decorative elements. Sometimes, you'll see freshly painted furniture pieces be purposely distressed to achieve this look. Don't be afraid to bring home vintage pieces that don't look their best. They'll work here. 

Farmhouse Decorating Ideas

Here are some farmhouse decorating ideas to help you achieve a marvelous farmhouse style decor in your home:

• Barn boards, you can use thrift barn boards to add country character to your home. Use it for floors, walls, shelving, or doors. 

• Exposed wood beans add an element of nature to the home, as well as an architectural detail. If your home has them, make sure to highlight them. If you don’t, consider installing some in the living room. 

• Butcher block counters can be perfect in a farmhouse-style kitchen to keep the space looking comfy and cozy. They add a bit of rustic decor to space and can withstand heavy use.

• Vintage furniture can help you add some history to your home. Remember to mix and match modern furniture with vintage finds for a unique look to avoid the house looking outdated. 

• Slipcovers are the easiest way to channel the farmhouse aesthetic without doing too much. They add a relaxed and soft feeling to a room, plus they’re easy to take off, wash, and change with the seasons to keep your home updated. 

• Wicker and rattan are by far the go-to materials for decorating with farmhouse style in mind. Use these materials in chairs or baskets to connect the outdoors to the indoor and adding that country look and feel you’re striving for. 

FAQs

While farmhouse style has been around for decades, it just started to become trendy again. This leaves many of you with questions about how to master the art of farmhouse design perfectly, so here are the most frequently asked questions about this style:

What defines farmhouse style?

Farmhouse design is defined by its warmth and simplicity, using natural textures and materials like wood or steel. It’s defined by using well-used, vintage, or antique items blended with modern accessories. 

What are the best farmhouse colors?

When choosing paint colors for your farmhouse-style home, neutral and earth tones will be the most popular options. These colors make the room appear larger and more inviting. Other farmhouse-style paint colors include beige, brown, tan, white, light blues, yellows, and greens if you want to add a vibrant color. 

How to decorate your home farmhouse style?

To decorate your home farmhouse-style, you have to consider that the characteristics of this aesthetic are warm, relaxing, and cozy. But, practicality and organization are the most important aspects of this interior decor style, so think about furniture pieces with hidden storage, weaved baskets, and other organizing items to decorate the house. 

What’s the difference between rustic and farmhouse decor?

Farmhouse style goes for a more traditional and fresher look than rustic design. While there’s still an emphasis on using natural elements, these are often painted or colored in farmhouse style. In contrast, rustic decor leaves the wood and other materials in their natural state. 

Start You Design Journey Today 

Designing a home that feels warm, welcoming, and effortlessly farmhouse? It can feel a little overwhelming—but you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Whether you’re starting fresh or just looking to sprinkle in some cozy, lived-in charm, our Spacejoy designers are here to make it easy (and fun). From picking the perfect neutral palette to finding that one vintage-inspired piece that ties the whole room together—we’ve got you. So let’s bring your farmhouse dream home to life, one beautifully curated corner at a time.