How To Design: Farmhouse Modern

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Foreword: You will walk away from this blog post understanding the primary characteristics of Farmhouse Modern Design and how to implement them into your home. Let's get started!

White « Black « Wood Oh my!

When we look at exterior or interior design of the Modern Farmhouse movement, you don't have to look very far to notice the favored color palette is mostly white with some black trim and wood elements. Most of the exterior siding, fascia, and trim will all be white. Then, your intermediate trims or accents are light gray or black for a stark contrast. This includes doors, windows, knobs, light fixtures, gutters and downspouts—basically anything that is a smaller accent.

Finally there's the wood element, which I believe to be the most important piece to balance out the style. Whether it's the porch posts and rail, beadboard soffits, wood decking, wood shutters, wood front door, it is the warmth of the wood element that acts as the glue holding the farmhouse modern style together.

Windows / Lots of Black, Muntined Windows

The farmhouse style likes its windows! And we're not talking just any ordinary window... BLACK WINDOWS! It truly is a thing to behold how quickly black windows have flooded the marketplace. And there's no style more important for the black framed window than Farmhouse Modern. Someone please send me a photo of a Farmhouse Modern home with white windows... because I don't believe it exists!

Black isn't the only distinctive feature on Farmhouse Modern windows either! Muntins are also popular to the style because they hint towards the past and do so in a very modern way. If you don't know what a muntin is, it's the piece of material that divides the smaller panes of glass forming an overall larger window (also referred to as grilles which is less fun to say).

There are many ways to implement the muntin. You can do double hung windows with muntins on both panes or the upper pane only. You can have casements with muntins dividing out the lite into 4, 6, or even 8 smaller panes. Whichever way you prefer your muntins, they are critical to the Farmhouse Modern style.

If you're looking for a quality black window for your farmhouse modern home, Pella has an excellent line of aluminum clad windows with all the great muntin (they call them grilles) patterns familiar to the farmhouse modern style. You can see those here. If you're looking for that ultra modern-large expansive window type without the traditional muntin, check out Pella's architectural line which has a slim frame and for a more sleek look.

Porches for outdoor living

Just like life on the farm was lived mostly outdoors, the Farmhouse Modern style echoes that not-so-distant past. One of the primary characteristics of the Modern Farmhouse is found in the celebration of outdoor living by way of patios and gardens, but most of all, porches! These deep porches often times have bistro tables, benches, porch swings, or other seating elements to accommodate comfortable outdoor living.

Gable(s)

What's a Farmhouse Modern home without Gables? Not Farmhouse Modern! Gables are so essential to the Modern Farmhouse it feels even silly to mention it! What I will mention however, is how many gables a Modern Farmhouse should have. Now this isn't an exact science and each house is unique, but you'll notice that there is such a thing as over-gabling a Farmhouse Modern home. The more successful designs have one, two or maybe 3 gables per elevation... MAX. Any more than that and it begins to look less and less like a Modern Farmhouse and more like an early 2000's mcmansion. So do gables, just not too many gables and you'll achieve that classy Farmhouse Modern look.

Linear Vertical Lines

Horizontal is out and vertical is in with the modern Farmhouse. I am sure you've noticed how vertical these Farmhouse Modern homes are. Everything from the board and batten wood siding, the standing seam metal roofs and even the gabled rooflines speak this vertical language.

If you're trying to go for the modern farmhouse style there are many ways to achieve that clean look but nothing is more popular to the style than board and batten siding. Board and batten achieves its distinctive look from the alternating wide and narrow vertical boards. The narrower boards are used to cover the gaps between the wider boards creating a water-tight seal.

Farmhouse Decor

I really don't want to dig too deep into this because each

• Gooseneck Wall Sconces - Black/OiledBronze/Galvanized

• Modern House Numbers - Also Black/OiledBronze/Galvanized

• Carriage Style Garage Doors - Black/Wood (Clopay makes a great carriage door)

• Pergola Accent - Wood

• Ledger Stone Wainscot Bases, Full Gables, or Landscaping Walls.

Conclusion

I hope after reading this you are walking away from this blog fully equipped with an understanding of the primary characteristics of Farmhouse Modern Design and how to implement them into your project. Also, share your Modern Farmhouse project with us in the comments below! We can't wait to see what you are working on!

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If you're looking for additional direction to help you achieve the perfect Modern Farmhouse style, our experts can help you get there! Visioneering Homes is an innovative and brand new online exterior design service that helps people just like you visualize your home's exterior design! We help you make design decisions on everything from color to landscaping to give you a roadmap for achieving the design of your dreams. And the best part of all, is you get to see what your home will look like before you lift a paintbrush!

Be sure to visit our website and join our mailing list to receive helpful design tips that aim to help you make informed design decisions that are right for your home! As always, we love hearing about your projects and helping you make those design decisions! We're available on instagram, facebook, and by email!

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About the Author:

Brad is the CEO & Founder of Visioneering Homes. He is passionate about all things architecture, residential design, and providing easy access for homeowners to professional design services. Him and his wife have 3 kids and enjoy an adventurous life in the mountains of the American west. When he is not helping you make design decisions for your home, he's camping, hiking, playing basketball, visiting museums, national parks, and doing house projects with his family.

6 Strategies for Conquering Overthinking Your Project

image courtesy of freddy alequin.

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This post will illustrate six key strategies to help you conquer overthinking your project and guide you to finding the right solutions to keep you on track!

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If you are reading this, chances are you are struggling with making a design decision for your home. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by the number of paint choices, or not sure if a type of flooring will work in your place. We’ve all been there...Rest assured you’re not alone, we have all felt stuck and overwhelmed by choices and our projects have paused because of debilitating deliberating (yeah... I really just wanted to say that), and “unstucking yourself is not easily done”, as the great Dr. Seuss once said.

Now, I realize how this looks... SIX DIFFERENT STRATEGIES?! How ever will I decide on which strategy to take to help get unstuck!? The irony of this post is that the faint of heart might just get stuck trying to decide which of the six strategies they should pursue to get unstuck...

Listen, making decisions begins with commitment. These strategies are here to help you find a starting point, a launching point by which to get your project on track. Don't get hung up on which strategy is best... there's a lot of diversity in life so we can't expect a one-size-fits-all solution. So find the one that you think will work best for you and start there. Let’s look at six different strategies we can use to help solve our project analysis paralysis and get ourselves unstuck!

Choose a Style

If you're in the very beginning phases of your project, the best place to start is to choose a style you love. Mix and match can work sometimes, but generally, a focused direction will give your project a cohesive look and a refined appeal. Are you drawn to a rustic style? Industrial? Bohemian? Start gathering those inspiration photos! We are drawn to Mid Century Modern style design, so we decided to choose only furniture with the iconic tapered legs, real wood, and walnut or natural finish. This way, even though we found most of our furniture second hand (and got some amazing deals!), it all coordinates and looks like the pieces belong together. Now, when searching for decor, we peruse Mid Mod Pinterest boards and have found a more focused selection of everything from planters to lamps, all of which will compliment our furniture selections for a unified look.

Process of Elimination

Throw out the ideas you are certain you don’t like for your home. If they didn’t excite you from the beginning there’s a very good chance that isn’t going to change. Physically toss them aside (paint swatches, brochures, magazines) and focus on the selections that did bring you joy. Delete Pins and whole boards from your Pinterest account in order to eliminate the amount of options. Getting rid of some of that information can help narrow your focus and bring you to the right choices. And throwing things makes the process much, much, more fun....

Get Curious

Have you discarded an idea or two for one reason or another? Many times they believed the scheme was “too bold”, “too trendy”, or they felt wouldn’t fit into their neighborhood. In this instance they haven’t seen every option they liked for their home. I realize this is the complete opposite of the process of elimination, but in many cases seeing those other options can lead to assurance of your previous designs or become the option you like most.

Take a Break

Step away from this project for a few days/weeks to clear your mind and give it a rest. I find this one the most helpful for myself. After I’ve been staring at a number of designs for long periods of time I tend to drown in the minor details. Taking a break and coming back to it, I’ll usually see one design stand apart from the rest. Like a lightbulb, AHA moment, the decision becomes more intuitive, and less complicated. Commitment needs to happen immediately afterwards however, if you ponder too long again, you can find yourself in a cycle, second guessing your decision once again.

Start Someplace Simple

This method is for the brave. Make a simple decision about one of the things you are sure about and commit to it. If you are excited about a flooring decision, sometimes it’s a good idea to commit and start. Like dominos, that will force you to make decisions on other parts of your home.

Phone a Friend

If Regis has stumped you, it’s time to phone a friend. Sometimes when we seek the consult of people we trust, they can help us through that difficult decision. Who knows us and our style better than our friends or family? While we respect their opinions, it’s important however, to not give too much weight to their insight because it’s not them who must live with the decision.

Conclusion

So let's get you unstuck. Have you identified a style you resonate with? Have you eliminated the ideas or features that don’t coordinate with your style? What about peeking at a few bold, possibly trendy options to be sure you are not missing an option? Remember, it‘s helpful to take a break and come back with a fresh look, commit to one simple project to start, and get some perspective from a friend. If you start with even one of these suggestions, you are sure to be moving forward and starting to check off those design goals! Happy designing and let us know if we can assist in your design decisions in any way!

Design Matters | How design can improve your mood!

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This post will take a general look at the ways design impacts behavior and mood and in what ways we can make changes to our environments to better influence positivity in our lives! We will also share examples of the ways which we put these to practice to improve our own lives!

Photos Courtesy of: Jeremy Levine, MidCentArc, Lyconf, cravingsomecreativity, WickerParadise,

+ TheaN.

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It wasn't long ago when design, concerned about our health, was focused mostly on how easily surfaces could be cleaned to prevent the spread of germs. Bacteriology and studies about the transfer of viruses gained traction at the turn of the 20th century and healthcare design quickly followed. Just picture a 1900's hospital with white linoleum floors, glossy white concrete block walls, and those bare metal rail beds. Those hospitals, while highly functional and sterile environments, were devoid of any sort of aesthetic treatment—or at least at that time aesthetics weren't a top priority when it came to creating a healthy environment.

Research of the recent past however, has more deeply evaluated how our health is affected by the environments that we create for ourselves. And we aren't only talking about our physical health either. It is now widely known that our built environments affect our mental wellbeing as well.

So take a moment to consider your surroundings: The size and shape of the room; The height of the ceilings; Any views outside and the amount of natural daylight; Every color and sound; any natural materials or plant life. Believe it or not, all of these characteristics of space and design has an affect on your behavior, your mood, and your wellbeing!

So let's take a deeper look at each of these characteristics and how we can design our homes to be places of comfort, peace, and health for an enriched life!

Color:

My wife has given me the advice that if you’re ever feeling down, take some time to spoil yourself, dress nicely, and wear a bright, happy color. Now, I didn't always heed that advice, but I realized that snippet of advice applies to our homes too! In the same way that wearing a frumpy brown sweatshirt can make you feel frumpy and well... brown, the same could be said of your home! Shabby furniture, overwhelming solid colors, and blank walls can leave you feeling bleh. There's something about beauty and color (or the lack thereof) that has a direct impact on the way that we feel!

Consider lightening up the walls with a bright paint color and adding pops of color with planters, pottery, or an accent chair (or four— I have an obsession with chairs). If changing furniture is out of the budget, pillows, large format artwork, and throw blankets can help bring color and life to your space! Subtle uses of bright and happy colors can turn your space from dreary to cheery and help brighten your mood each day!

What We Did:

When we bought our house we inherited that need-to-sell beige. You know that color that everyone is supposed to like but no one actually does... So we knew the first thing we were going to do was to lighten it all up. We ended up re-painting the entire first floor with Valspar's Honeymilk, which is a warm tinted white! Then we got to hanging our colorful pieces of art (my wife's art is sensational), and let me tell you, the change was tangible. The rooms were brighter, our accent colors more vivid, and our framed photos and artwork seemed to leap from the walls! Our home was much improved from it.

Daylight:

It's often overlooked, but daylight is critical to our health. It gives us vitamins, leads to increased productivity, minimizes seasonal depression, and helps strengthen our sleep. If you have an office with a window you'll know that tracking the sun's course throughout the day helps give you a sense of passing time. This awareness to passing time helps with productivity and helps keep us alert.

Here are some quick tips for increasing daylight levels in your home.

1) Lighten your walls.

2) Avoid dark horizontal surfaces.

3) Replace drapes with sheer fabric.

4) Move furniture back from the windows.

5) Strategically place mirrors to bounce light further into your space.

What We Did

Our mid-century home has some really great eaves. One eave off the side of our entryway and living room continues on to cover the attached carport, a common feature from the style. We decided when the roof was going to be replaced we would create an open-air skylight between our entry and carport to let the light in. Now our living room is 30% brighter, we can track the sun through our living space, and the dancing shadows the daylight creates in our space is unparalleled drama and depth. The decision to open that up is probably the best home-renovation decision we had ever made!

If you haven't seen how midcentury modern architects handled natural light in their masterpieces, check out this post. You will not be disappointed! There's a paragraph about how natural light was so integral to how these designers made their homes feel like there was no barrier between interior and exterior. It is truly incredible!

Organization:

Have you heard the claim that an organized space can bring you joy? Names like Marie Kondo and the Minimalists probably come to mind. And there is truth to their obsessive compulsive organizing. Although my office might tell a different story, I love a clean, organized space. The only thing that I love more than knowing exactly where to find something when I need it, is knowing others can easily find it too. Am I right?!

You probably don't need much convincing to believe that an organized kitchen, garage, office, etc. can increase productivity, decrease stress, and lead to less complicated activity and a more pleasurable life. On the other hand, it's less known how to achieve a more organized space.

How can this be achieved? Simplify. Start small, maybe the utensil drawer could be organized and cleaned today and work your way up. We are designers at Visioneering Homes and not professional organizers. We understand the importance of a tidy space but don't have all the answers or guidance for you to achieve a tidy space. There are plenty of professional organizers on the web who know much better than we, so seek out their specific advice for each of your spaces!

Quality:

Quality is one that I find often overlooked when it comes to how the things around us impacting our mood. The quality of built things really shapes our day-to-day experiences. Think of your devices, public transportation, your office chair, or a textbook. The quality and care that went into the design of those items and how you use them has a tremendous impact on the way that you feel. This too can be said about our homes and the stuff we put inside of it.

Things today aren't made like they used to be. It's true. Most things anyway. But not all furniture is made of particleboard and not every thing is mass produced in Asia. There are plenty of companies out there who make quality furniture meant to enhance your experience and be lasting pieces in your home. I hate to break it to you, you won't find them at Walmart... or Target. And you will pay more for a quality piece of furniture, but is it worth it!

It is a common desire amongst the Danish to fill their homes with well-designed and lasting pieces of furniture. They believe surrounding yourself with beauty and quality can influence your whole day in a positive way, one simple experience at a time. Beyond just the user experience, and this is truly special, is that a quality piece will be passed down from generations, becoming a legacy piece and a way to honor and remember former generations! That is just incredibly fascinating! Picture having a coffee table complete with dings, scratches, and stains that share the memory of your grandfather who fought during a world war. Now that's a cocktail conversation starter!

What We Did

We found quality pieces on the used market for a good deal. Some needed refinishing or minor repairing but we were up for the task. And as solid wood and sturdy pieces, we know they will last for years to come and enhance the overall joy we have in our home. Hopefully one day (a long time from now) our grandkids will want to inherit some of these pieces and they will bring memories of their time spent with us.

Our Home

Conclusion:

Stated simply, the environments we surround ourselves with have an impact on the way that we feel, behave, and our overall wellbeing! By adding color, daylight, organization, and quality pieces into our homes we can help to impact our lives in a positive way.

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About the Author:

Brad is the CEO & Founder of Visioneering Homes. He is passionate about all things architecture, residential design, and providing easy access for homeowners to professional design services. Him and his wife have 3 kids and enjoy an adventurous life in the mountains of the American west. When he is not helping you make design decisions for your home, he's camping, hiking, playing basketball, visiting museums, national parks, and doing house projects with his family.