Farmhouses have seen a major surge in popularity. These highly functional homes are most commonly seen in rural areas, but they’re beginning to make their way into more populated areas as well. And whether you’re building a modern farmhouse or want to capture a more traditional look, it’s important to utilize some of the features that make the style so instantly recognizable.
Farmhouse Features
The following 7 features are found on nearly all farmhouses and can be used to complete your own farmhouse look.
1. Wide Front Porch
The front porch is a farmhouse staple. Front porches served multiple purposes for the working farm, many of which are still valid today. Wide front porches give you the opportunity to relax and unwind outside. It’s common for farmhouse porches to include seating, porch swings, and other amenities for recreation.
A porch was also used as a place to transition from the outdoors to the indoors and back again. It’s where you’ll leave your boots and other muddy outdoor items, ready to be put back on when you return outside.
2. Carriage Style Garage Doors
If your farmhouse has a garage, pay attention to the style of the doors. While the first farmhouses didn’t have garages, they did have barns that were used to store their transportation. So, today’s garage needs to have some of the look of the barn style to really drive the design home.
Aim for carriage style doors as well as details for the doors, such as iron hardware and strapping, and authentic lighting fixtures to match. The garage may not be a true barn, but these details will keep the look alive.
3. Double Hung Windows
Most frequently, farmhouses include a very specific style of window over the entire property. The windows may be single or grouped, but they’re always double hung, as well as being taller than they are wide.
The lower pane on the window is always clear glass, without trim or additional details or casements. The upper section of the window, however,has 4 panes of glass,separated with wood trim. This style of window is almost universal among farmhouses, so be sure to add it to your design for an authentic look.
4. Finished Soffits and Ceilings
Farmhouses were exposed to all kinds of weather, and they needed to be protected throughout the exterior. That’s why you’ll see them with a specific style of covered soffits and porch ceilings. The look is reminiscent of beadboard paneling, and the same style of material is used on both the underside of the porch ceiling and the underside of the soffits.
Theboards of the soffits are positioned to make the most of the pattern, and any soffit vents you want to include in the design can face the same direction for a really seamless style and cohesive appearance.
5. Carriage Lights
Anywhere you need to add outdoor lighting, such as the porch, entrances, or garage, make sure to include some carriage lantern-style lights. These metal sconces and lights can provide some much appreciated illumination where you need it most. They’ll also match a lot of the other small details in the design that can really promote it and help it come together in a concise appearance. Choosing models that feature many small panes of glass can also align with the detail on the windows, tying those two areas together as well.
6. Prominent Gables
Farmhouses are well known for having a gabled roof, with many also having cross-gabled roofs. These many gables are usually found with windows just below them, as it was common to put nearly every inch of the interior space to use; you’ll typically find a bedroom beneath each one of the many gables.
While some housing styles will emphasize the gable with a different siding style or color, most farmhouses simply let the gables stand for themselves, without any extra detail or design in the area.
7. Board and Batten Siding
When sawmills first came into use in the more rural parts of the country, farmhouses were some of the first to use their services. Most sawmills at the time produced long, wide boards, homeowners would use them to cover the exterior of their homes vertically, then fasten smaller strips of wood called battens over the seams. The result was a home that was much more airtight than the log cabins that were also in common use at the time.
Today, board and batten siding can be found in numerous materials, including steel siding. This is beneficial for all farmhouses, as these newer materials, like steel, don’t require as much upkeep as wood, so the appearance of the farmhouse can be maintained without frequent painting or repair.
Complete the Look of Your Farmhouse
If you’re remodeling or building a farmhouse or just want to capture some of the style, be sure not to overlook any of these important features. By combining them, you can bring the authentic farmhouse look to any home.
For a durable, low maintenance farmhouse look, contact Trulog today.
