Modern Farmhouse Decor, Is It Really Me?
Modern farmhouse decor is a style that I admire. I had planned to use it in our updated beach house, but I’m not sure it’s really me.
When we first began the beach house remodel project, I created a mood board and am sharing photos from that with you today. As we get closer to the end of the remodeling project and I begin to source items for the house, I’m struggling to understand if this style is really me? Let me explain my dilemma.
The photos I am sharing today are what I have found as my inspiration photos and I love the look. The kitchen photo above includes the actual appliances I chose for the beach house. I kind of like this kitchen and was thinking of using this similar style for our beach house.
I think.
Yikes, I need help.
Modern Farmhouse vs Traditional Farmhouse
The photo above is one that I love. Now, this isn’t my usual farmhouse-style and I just want to be sure this is what I want.
But now that the beach house remodel is becoming real, I want to make sure that the beach house I am going to decorate feels like our house, and not someone else’s.
If you have ever tackled a big project like this one, this is something everyone goes through. The decisions are big ones, am I making the right choices?
I love everything about our home in Pasadena, a traditional farmhouse built in 1915. That might sound a little bit crazy, a 100+ year old farmhouse in the Los Angeles area, but yes, it is exactly that! The house was originally built in 1915, when Los Angeles was not the sprawling metropolis that it is today. It was built as a wedding gift to a beloved daughter. The daughter was gifted the home and surrounding land, as a nest egg, for her future family.
The home has only been owned by two families over the years. Luckily that means that the gorgeous structural bones of the house have been respected and the architectural features are original or created based on the original.
What Does Modern Farmhouse Decor Mean To Me?
When we embarked on the remodeling of our beach house, there was not any architectural integrity to respect (it was built in 1976), so I am in the process of tying to create it. Thus, a modern farmhouse/beach house design idea was born.
Because our beach house remodel is almost a complete overhaul of the house, I used mood boards to help keep me on track so that every room was cohesive. I loved the concept of modern farmhouse style which combines the sleek clean lines of contemporary design, which is perfect for the beach, with the warm and cozy farmhouse aesthetic.
The Staircase
Photo from Style Me Pretty
There are so many decisions to be made about this house. My current project is to decide on the style of the staircase. We have two staircases to redo and I am considering using the style of the Modern Farmhouse Stairway pictured here.
What do you think?
Liveable Modern Farmhouse Decor
One of my favorite things about our beach house, pre-remodeling, was that the house was so livable. No one freaked out when the damp and sandy dogs got on the couches. The house was small and cozy and each room was decorated in beach colors … turquoise, aqua, and sand. It really was the perfect beach house. Cozy. Easy. Comfortable.
Our family has grown, quite literally. Our boys are now all adults, out on their own and we have been so lucky to now also include my daughter-in-law, who I adore. So, this beach house remodel is about having a grown-up, more adult beach house.
I think the house needs a little more sophistication, but still, one where everyone is comfortable curling up on the couch with a little sand lingering on their feet. A home that will accommodate the continued growth of our family with grandchildren someday!
New is always uncomfortable. Until it is no longer new. So I am sinking into this new world of modern farmhouse decor knowing that while it will be more modern, the cozy and warm elements of traditional farmhouse style will be there too. Those traditional touches are what will make it feel like our home. No longer new, but comfortable, and very much us.
As I check, recheck and check again the photos from my mood boards to confirm my decisions and navigate through choosing surfaces, flooring, and lighting, I am a little out of my comfort zone. The modern farmhouse decor elements are a little sleeker, the lines a little smoother and there is lots of black in the mood board photos. Eeeeek! Ok, I’ll calm down about black, I promise.
To be honest, I would love your thoughts in the comments below. Please!
I am starting to fall in love with the lighter woods and gray-toned woods that will mix beautifully with the sage green and tan color palette I have chosen. I have vowed that there will be no chippy white furniture at the beach house!
Well, maybe a little bit.
On this blog, I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means a small commission is earned if you make a purchase via the link. The price you pay will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.
My Comfort Zone is Quite Literally Comfort
As I write this post, I am beginning to lean into how to combine these two aesthetics of modern and traditional.
It’s all about using them to create comfort. I will choose lighting that is thoughtfully placed in just the right spot so that I can curl up on the more modernly shaped couch with one of my favorite beach reads. I can adopt sleek and uncluttered as a precursor to having a grandbaby safe house.
As planned, I will hang the antique chandelier, that I found at the flea market in France and carried home in my suitcase, in a place where the crystals will reflect the sunshine and create little rainbows on lighter-colored wood.
Sleek and comfortable, yes, sleek and comfortable.
If you are enjoying my blog, you can sign up to receive my blog updates here. .
Inspired by an Apartment in France
The gorgeous apartment that we stayed in while we visited Provence serves as a lovely inspiration for the marriage of traditional meets modern. While the building itself was built in the 18th century, our apartment was modernly appointed with features like concrete countertops and a Joybird couch. They lived together in beautiful harmony.
If I stay focused on the feeling that I want to create in the beach house, I am confident that I can blend modern farmhouse decor and traditional farmhouse decor and maybe create a whole new style!
When it’s all done, we’ll have to figure out what this new style should be called!
Watch My Amazon Live
Click here to watch any of my Amazon Live shows. All shows are recorded.
Prime Day is coming soon and here are some Amazing Pre-Prime Day deals!
Pin the image below to your boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!
For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome
Hello. I love reading your blog. My thought is; if you are uncomfortable now and are unsure you will be uncomfortable when it is finished. I personally like color and you could include some really pale colors to make it look a little more beachy. I think some of the wires and what not are not farmhouse. Not even modern farmhouse. I grew up going to a lot of farm houses my friends have them. No wires anywhere. To me the photos that you have on your design board are not your aesthetic.
I know you were trying to make it a bit different, but if you’re uncomfortable it’s too different.
I so agree with your statement, “new is uncomfortable.” A beach home means comfort. I love your comfortable style and your home and the Waco home. Hugs to you, my friend.
I like reading a blog by Maria Killam. She recently shared her expertise on using black in one’s decor. It might be helpful to read. I love your farmhouse. I particularly love how you decorate farmhouse, but there is no overkill. Just comfortable! I also can see your vision for the beach house being more streamline. With more adults and possibly children to come, I think your family would be very comfortable. Go for it and don’t look back!
Your board looks like every other house.
It’s beautiful but no too cozy.
I hear you loving the French feel. How about look into South of France design as it will include sea side ambiance.
Have FUN with it.
You don’t usually do cookie cutter sleek.
No Leslie! Don’t give in! I love your chippy furniture and your whites. I feel they are perfect for a family friendly beach house. But that’s just my opinion. 😎
I like your primary home but don’t care for anything on the mood boards🤷♀️I think modern farmhouse screams Chip and Joanna and everyone will know this house was updated in the 2020 something. I am seeing it everywhere in my part of Texas. Having said that, if you truly love it, go for it!
I am confident that no matter what you decide upon, it is going to be beautiful, functional and a place you will want to go for respite. Do you follow Sandra @oldsilvershed? Her beautiful Cape Cod home has a pleasing mixture of modern features and old world charm. I agree with some of the other commentors: go with your gut and what YOU like, don’t succumb to trends (gray wood is already on its way out), let your artistic eye prevail. Can’t wait to see how the beach house will evolve!
Act it ally I like the pictures you selected. The coziness will come with the things you bring in.
I agree with you that the sleekness of your modern lines (steel framed stairs, steel framed doors) make the home appear cooler.
It does look very nice and I think it is beautiful beach home you are remodeling.
But you have to ask yourself what you and your family feel more comfortable in.
Sleek, cool or soft, warm. Sleek steel lines or Thick wood beams.
I think which ever way you go you can add your warmth.
Hi! I love the style that you call modern farmhouse for your updated & remodeled beach house! However, I would refer to it as “coastal farmhouse!” The mix of lighter woods, white, & black iron detailing on the stairs is GORGEOUS & perfect for your beach house with your adult children now. I think mixing your more traditional farmhouse decor with the more coastal/modern style will suit your family so well in this new season of your life! I’m living vicariously through you in this journey & think the variation from the traditional farmhouse in your permanent home to a little bit different aesthetic in your beach house is the way to go! Don’t question yourself – embrace it!!!! 🙂
I so wish I could show you our remodel/addition to an almost-100-year-old cabin. We were going for a french/country/farmhouse/cozy vibe, which I’m pretty sure we accomplished. I was insistent on distressed bronze, no black, and I think that reduced any modern feel. Would love to send you pictures of our stairwell and railings.
The toughest challenge was picking out stain colors because different woods stain differently. Kinda bugs my husband, but I think it’s just fine!
There’s no doubt your beach house will come together and be you and be gorgeous.
I have not been following you as long as some here. However, everything I’ve seen in the past of your current home and your Waco home, this beach home style has no similarities. I’m wondering if you would be comfortable with it? It looks sterile and not so homey. It doesn’t even have a farmhouse look to me. It is more modern. Maybe a touch of industrial. But, you may be looking for a change. If so, it is not a bad change it’s just very unexpected from what I’ve seen seen of you in the past. Best of luck.
I think having a second home, whether it’s beach, mountain, lake, etc., should still feel like “home”. You love your Pasadena home so I would think venturing too far from that would make you question your decision later. It sounds like you have an opportunity to do something a little different and you want to take advantage of it. But that can be a little scary too. There are major choices to be made (like the staircases) that might not be so easy to change so take your time and put your attention there. I love the modern farmhouse staircase. If you want to try something new, maybe go away from your comfort zone, do it in items and areas that would be easier to change. Some things you just have to live with for a while before deciding if you love it or not. Light fixtures (NOT the amazing French chandelier!), accessories or anything easily painted is where you could experiment a little. I realize you don’t live in the Waco home but you do visit from time to time. You remodeled and decorated it similar to your home (maybe because the name is similar?!). Are you happy with it? Do you feel that “comfort” you’re looking for in the beach house when you visit Waco? I cannot wait to see what you do in Ventura but I know it will be amazing! You just need to decide if this is a “feels like home” place or a “get away from the every day” place. I hope that made sense.
Love your ideas. To me the staircase with the horizontal rope wires is not as much “farmhouse” as it is beach house – reminiscent of a ship. So perhaps it’s a perfect joining of styles… always good to see a personal style. I am now an artist but as a designer for many years ( years ago before these styles came in) I found it more interesting to have my clients’ homes look as tho they were always there, lived in! A collection of things handed down and found.. that’s what makes a house a home.
I think you’ll love mixing traditional and modern together. The modern will bring a breath of freshness but the traditional will help you feel comfortable and cozy. Whatever you do I know I will love it!
I understand your dilemma very well. We have just purchased a very traditional home while my personal style is simple country farmhouse. Is funny, I have been also been looking at pictures similar to the ones you show here. Was thinking of going with kitchen cabinets that are a bit more sleek in blonde wood tones to marry the two styles together… and it is just not working. It is not me. I think I will go with some of the ideas from the modern farmhouse, like the black framed glass (love that) but not sure about anything else any longer. I have no advice except to say that I love what your other readers have suggested. Looking forward to seeing which way you go and what you decide.
My reply is simple,NO!!
I always enjoy your photos, capturing what you are currently surrounding yourself with. I do feel that our “style” or even stage of life evolves or changes, grows with our accumulation of experiences. So maybe this represents a new phase, so varying from what would be typical for you may be something very broadening. I agree about the use of black…always a strong statement, like underlining in a paragraph. So I use it cautiously, or tone it down to a soft charcoal. That makes a difference, although it maintains the drama. Above all, enjoy the process, no stressing, because life’s short and the people inside the house make it feel like home.
Hope this helps: What I’m seeing and feeling from your mood board selections is “Contemporary Coastal Beach House.” If you want a change, of course you have the final say, but I have a credo when it comes to fixed (permanent), big-ticket, elements: “When in doubt, don’t.” Will all these sleek contemporary elements distract you from enjoying casual, fun, sandy and wet beach days? Would one nick or chip in these shiny, pristine surfaces bug you? Only you can answer that one :-)! Don’t stress–all stress is self-induced–take your time, and enjoy!
What thoughtful advice Marie. Thank you! It is all becoming clearer, thanks to all of the wonderful comments. Have a great day!
Hi Leslie….I love your 100 yr old house….very chubby chic but with lovely things making it your own look. I agree with the good advice everyone is expressing….
I have a traditional country main house in WI, a winter retreat lake house in FL and an Ocean House on a bluff in WA. Each house is very different and yet each house seems like home. I have a super casual house in FL and a more upscale modern look in WA. In all 3 homes I focused on things that we like and say “us”. I really wanted my houses to be different and not all the SAME LOOK. I am so happy I did them different and we use them differently….I didn’t want the same “house” in each place. I embraced the decision I made to not go with the same look, but created a new atmosphere in each and yet each house is still “us”.
Thank you so much Christy – what wonderful advice. I love your focus of “us”! Your homes all sound incredible!
Modern Farmhouse is a current trend and when you are all done there will be yet another trend to follow. If you are having reservations about it now, I say follow your instincts and your heart and you will find yourself in a beautiful space that is a reflection of you. You have done a fantastic job of creating “your brand” and it’s part of the creative process to make tweaks and changes along the way (which seems to be something you enjoy doing but your inspo boards are much more of a set it and forget it kind of look). Just think about if some of your favorite brands of items (or bloggers) completely changed their product. Would it still be something you feel drawn to? Just food for thought…
Thank you Kari for reaching out. Writing this post has been very helpful as have all of the comments. I am feeling like I am finding my way on this. I appreciate your advice!
I think what your dilemma is, it’s a departure of the vintage looking farm house.
This new look is classic in my opinion. The only thing making it modern farm house? is the black. It balances. The flooring is beautiful and everything will fall into place once you see it on the floor. The stair railing is the only thing that will be expensive in the future. Back to my opinion point. Change is always hard. I always had dark kitchen cabinets. When I overhauled I went thru the same thing. Change. I chose a soft blue green cabinet base with white uppers.
not wood, not dark.
Change is definitely hard! But also exciting! Thanks for your help