5 Modern Farmhouse Living Room Must Haves
I’m so glad you found me today here at Postbox Designs. If you are new here, then welcome! I’m Kristin-an interior designer and Mama to 3. I hate wearing shorts, I love eating Rice Krispie treats while watching Law and Order Marathons, and I would rather play with me kids then clean up after them!
And ever since I became a Mom over 11 years ago, I decided to focus on Real Design for Real Life.
What does that mean? I absolutely want you to have a gorgeous, Pinterest worthy room (I’m an interior designer after all!) , but how does it STAY Pinterest worthy? By using durable and cleanable items that will actually hold up to real life, so your family doesn’t destroy your room in a matter of months. And Real Life means I want you to actually use your room! So comfortable and usable is a must have too. And today I want to share a recent Living Room Makeover that shows you really can have it all.
Plus if you love this neutral Modern Farmhouse look, I’m sharing 5 Must Have Pieces you need to incorporate into your own Living Room for a similar look!
Farmhouse Living Room Design Version #1
My client came to me because they were in the middle of a new Living Room addition, and she needed help to finish off her room. They were investing in their beautiful home and she wanted the Living Room furnishings to reflect this gorgeous space. So we worked together to come up with her design before the Living Room addition was even finished. So she could simply use her “Master Plan” we created and buy everything she needed to move right in.
Want to see her “Master Plan”? Here it is:
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Must Have #1: A Neutral, Comfy Sofa in a Performance Fabric
Where do you spend the majority of your time in your Living Room? If you are anything like my family, our tushies are planted on our sectional sofa 95% of the time. And because I live in the Real World, I drink coffee on my sofa, we have popcorn movie nights there, and Legos get lost among the cushions. So I always, always recommend to spend the majority of your budget on a good quality, neutral colored sofa that will last for years. This isn’t the place to cheap out. My favorite sofas are a mix of tradition-meets-modern with a slightly tailored look but still really comfortable and cushy. I nearly always recommend a neutral color because you want this to be a piece that stands the test of time: grays, tans, beiges, or even navy all do the trick.
And finally, I never want you to cry when someone spills on your sofa. I want this to be a place where you can RELAX and not be on edge with keeping your sofa in pristine condition. So if you have kids are pets, I always recommend going in one of two directions for your Living Room sofa:
Option #1: Use a slipcover. ALL of my sofas at my home are slipcovered. (Did I mention I have 3 kids and a beast of a Labradoodle?!). You can simply take it off and wash it when it gets dirty. Or if a spill happens, just wash that cushion. It has given me SO much peace of mind over the years.
Option #2: Use a Performance Fabric. If you like a more tailored, sleek look, you will want to go with an upholstered sofa, like in this Living Room Makeover. And again, this is always a place I would suggest upgrading to a “Performance” fabric. These fabrics are stain and soil resistant and are more durable. Some fabrics like Sunbrella fabrics are even stain resistant and can be cleaned with bleach. Wow! Maybe the only sofa that could stand up to a household case of the flu!
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Must Have #2: Use THESE fabrics
One of the very best ways to add some pop of color or pattern to your Living Room Design is with the beloved throw pillow. P.S. Accent chairs are another great way to do this! I love using pillow COVERS-they are removable so you can take them off to wash, or swap out in the future. And if you like this Modern Farmhouse look, there is a couple of patterns/materials that always look gorgeous with this style. When you are mixing pillows I like to use this combo:
Farmhouse Throw Pillow Cheat Sheet
2 Solid Pillows + 2 Large Scale Pattern Pillows + 2 Small Scale Pattern Pillows + Optional Lumbar Pillow
You can see that pattern with the throw pillows I selected for this Living Room Makeover. But if you need a place to start these patterns are a such thing:
Wide Stripes (see Item #15)
Pinstripes (see Item #14)
Buffalo Plaid
Plaid Check
Solid Colored Linen (See Item #13)
Subtle Pattern, such as herringbone (see Item #8)
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Design #2
After I designed her Farmhouse Living Room, I sent the entire Design Package to my client to get her feedback and thoughts. Then I took all of that feedback and did a round of revisions to further zero onto her perfect Living Room design. So here is the new and improved Version #2:
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Must Have #3: Rustic Distressed Coffee Table
Again, I have got to put my “Mom Hat” back on here! I think of how my family uses our coffee table-feet go on it. Drinks get put on it. Craft projects and puzzles get completed on it. Let’s just say we aren’t very gentle with it, and I bet your coffee table is the same way. It is a major workhorse in your Living Room. So I want you to have a durable piece that will stand the test of time. So when you are looking for a coffee table for your Farmhouse Living Room space, keep this short checklist in mind:
Distressed Finish (see Item #2)-When you have a rustic, distressed finish, it will hide scratches and dents of real life
Mid Tone Finish-Medium tone finishes hide the most sins. Very light and very dark woods tend to show more
Bottom shelf on your coffee table: This isn’t a must-have, but it is really nice to have an extra storage place. In this Living Room makeover, we used lidded storage baskets (see Item #4) for extra storage)
Go bigger versus smaller: While you want a coffee table that is in scale with your sofa, a lot of people go too small for their coffee table
Choose the right shape: Square or round coffee tables usually go very well with a sectional sofa. Rectangle coffee tables work well with a standard sofa or love seat.
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Must Have #4: Pops of Black
In the Interior Design world, nothing is TRULY fad-proof as trends come and go. Remember the brass of the 80s that has turned into the matte gold of 2018? But if I had to pick one finish that is about as timeless as you can get, it would be matte black metal. It is a perfect neutral and gives a great pop in a neutral room. The best way to incorporate this metal is in pops throughout your room-furniture legs, accessories, light fixture, or even black wall frames. When these touches are spread throughout your room, it makes your space feel cohesive and pulled together. Here are some ways I used this finish throughout her Living Room Makeover:
Accessories such as a clock (#23) and tray (#35)
Light Fixtures: Table Lamp (#33), Floor Lamp (#12), and ceiling fan (#29)
Curtain Rods (#6)
Cabinet Knobs (#19)
Furniture: Side Tables (#34) and Chair Legs (#11)
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Must Have #5: Use These 5 Farmhouse Accessories
Accessories are what make a room, just like jewelry makes a LBD shine. I always want enough accessories for you to make your room feel finished and complete. But I N-E-V-E-R want you to buy junk just to fill up your room. Choose well placed items you love, but let’s not add dust catchers for no reason. Here is my short list of my 5 Favorite Farmhouse Accessories:
Farmhouse Accessories Cheat Sheet: These are Sure Winners
1. Round Rustic Mirror (#32): This works great over a fireplace mantle or console table
2.Rustic Dough Bowl (#22): This is a great piece for on top of a long table, mantle, top of coffee table, or on top of built-ins. You can get authentic ones from places like Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs, or less expensive knock-offs from Amazon
3.Baskets (#21): We used a round rattan basket on the wall, but you can also use one as a catch-all for a coffee table or storage (see Item #4). Tall woven baskets work great for blanket or toy storage
4.Faux or Real Greenery (#24) : Adding some greenery always adds some cheer to a room. In this Living Room Makeover we used these olive tree topiaries
5. Rustic Vases (#20 and #9). Two great choices are a rustic, distressed vase like this milk jug style vase (#20), and these corrugated zinc vases (#9). I especially love using the latter vases with small children-I DARE them to break these durable metal pieces!
Want to See More Modern Farmhouse Living Room Designs?
If you love this Living Room Makeover, here are some similar Modern Farmhouse Living Room Makeovers you will love, so you can get even more ideas for your own home:
The 5 Secrets to Mixing Modern & Traditional Design
How to Mix Traditional & Modern into Your Living Room
Rustic Farmhouse Living Room: 2 Ways
Get Free Room Designs: Go Inside My Free Resource Library
But my favorite source to share Free Room Designs with you is always my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY! Inside you will find FREE Room Designs in just about every style and for every room of your house. Inside you will also find the Shopping List for each room. When you sign up, you will get an email with the link and password inside so you can access it 24/7:
Have Question About Interior E-Design or Working with Me?
Think about this:
You can order you entire custom designed room in an hour…without ever leaving home.
After we work together, I create an entire “Master Plan” for you, with all of the drawings, shopping lists, step-by-step instructions, and material samples that you will need to pull together your entire room. Then simply click and buy, then pull together your room as your time and budget allows. P.S. If you order everything in your PJs over a glass of wine…even better!
You can see How It Works and check out my Room Packages and Prices right on my website. Still have questions, or want to talk more about your specific project? You can always email me at kristin@postboxdesigns.com and we can chat all about you!
Cheers,
Kristin
Catherine says
Love the living room board version #2
I would especially love to know where I can fine the oversized chair labeled #17
PostboxDesigns says
Catherine, Thank-you so much! And you can find that beautiful chair at Pottery Barn! 🙂
Beverly says
I’m new to your page and wondered is there a way to see where these items came from in the modern farmhouse living room collection board version #1 pg 1 and 2? I would love to incorporate some of these into my home.
PostboxDesigns says
HI Beverly,
Thanks so much for reaching out, I’m glad you found me! I have actually chosen not to link up to specific items since my fabulous clients paid me for their design. But if it helps, I have an entire Free Resource Library where I do put in free designs/shopping lists/etc. And several have this Modern Farmhouse look. You can check it out at https://www.postboxdesigns.com and click on the “Free Designs” tab. All the best, Kristin