7 Easy Ways to Add Farmhouse Chic Style to Your Home

Unless you binge watch HGTV shows frequently, you’ve probably seen the title of this blog post and went, “What the heck is Farmhouse Chic?” I wanted to do up a blog post on the subject really because I was curious myself about it! I have seen HGTV’s Fixer Upper, which is where I’d heard the term, and the blogger in me immediately wanted to learn more. Now and then, I get into a home improvement groove, and I enjoy watching HGTV shows like Fixer Upper (I’m also a Love It Or List It fan).

You’ll sometimes hear Farmhouse Chic referred to as rustic and refined. It’s a lot of blending old with a layer of new, so painting a weathered old barn door a fresh coat of paint would qualify. Adding elements of this design style to your current home isn’t going to be complicated or expensive if you know what you’re looking for and how to refinish old pieces.

Start With Paint

Whether you are remodeling a room or merely trying to add elements of farmhouse chic to your existing decor, you’ll want to keep in mind the paint colors. You’ll want whites, creams, greys, and maybe a splash of pale pink, blue or green. 

I like using light colors on walls and other significant pieces of furniture because these colors can typically transcend decor styles, so when you get sick of Farmhouse chic, they’re easy to adapt to another design without having to paint again!

Mason Jar Knick-Knacks

I wrote last year about some mason jar craft ideas, and you can read that here. With farmhouse decor, you can paint your mason jar with chalk paint and use some fine grain sandpaper to “weather” the color a little. 

Once you have your weathered mason jar, you can choose to use it as a vase for some greenery or flowers. Or you can try this cool wall lantern idea from A Southern Fairytale!

Farmhouse Gallery

You can easily create your rustic gallery by collecting whimsical wooden signs or making your own (see my earlier tutorial here). Once you have enough, hang them in a gallery arrangement in your location of choice!

Barnwood Is Your Friend

Barnwood is a popular wood to use in farmhouse chic. Primarily it is made of wood that used to be doing business as a barn. However, you can absolutely make your Barnwood-style wood if you’re handy (see this tutorial from the Family Handyman) or stain your wood into a “weathered” shade (I like a grey shade or a dark brown).

Think of doing this to a piece of wooden furniture, or if you’re feeling particularly bold, collect enough of these weathered planks to make a feature wall!

Barn Doors Are Cool

If you are a bit handy with tools and want to jazz up your space, I suggest making a barn door! Jenna Sue Design has the full tutorial if you’re interested. I think it is a very unique and stylish way to add a door to an alcove or even replace that tired and dull interior door!

DIY Ladder Shelf

If you have an old wooden ladder that you no longer need, you can upcycle that puppy into a beautiful set of rustic shelves! Mainly you’ll need some Barnwood or distressed wood pieces for the shelves that you’ll secure onto the rungs. You can check out the full tutorial at Beyond the Picket Fence. 

Guide to Rustic Lights

For your lighting, Farmhouse chic is all about primitive designs. Think caged pendants and metal style lighting. You can also look for models that incorporate that lovely distressed wood or resemble mason jars or lanterns.

Places to Find This Stuff

I usually put “where to shop” at the top of the blog post, but this time I wanted it right near the end. However, I wanted to inspire you first and then give you some suggestions on where you might go and find all the things you might need!

Thrift Stores

These places can be gold mines for old items that you can refinish into the look that you want without killing your bank account in the process. Plus, a lot of the money raised in these stores goes to a charity (such as the Salvation Army or perhaps a local charity).

Hardware Stores

Much of your wood projects might require at least a quick visit to your local hardware store, either for wooden planks that you’ll distress later or hanging hardware for many things.

The Dollar Store

I get so much stuff from my local Dollar Store. If your store is stocked well, you can often find the small knick-knacks you need to decorate your room.

Jysk

Jysk (Affiliate Link) is a beautiful place with decently priced items. I particularly like their lighting selection, but you might find wicker pieces that might be the perfect thing for your farmhouse decor. They have furniture too that you might fall in love with, they often bring in new and exciting products for you to check out.

1 Stop Lighting

I could easily spend so much money on 1 Stop Lighting (Affiliate Link), they have a wide selection of, obviously, lighting products. They have quite a range of different styles that you’re sure to love. One thing I adore about them is they have options to narrow your lighting search down by style (and Farmhouse is one of them!). They are a bit more expensive than retailers like Jysk. However, I do think they are a great midrange retailer and a great option if you want something ready to go and have the budget.

Wrapping It Up

I love how neutral farmhouse chic is, and it’s quite versatile. It’s not just about the kitchy little milk jugs or galvanized steel sinks. It really can be as simple as adding some distressed wood to your room or painting the walls in a neutral shade and adding light pastels colors to the palette. 

And let’s face it, I freaking love the idea of a barn door, it’s such a unique style, and I think the door can be painted down the road if you no longer are in love with the distressed wood look.

So there you have it folks, how to easily create a little bit of farmhouse chic in your house today. I hope you enjoyed reading about these inspiring ideas, and I’d love it if you’d share this to social media and pin it to Pinterest!

Also, if you’re suitably inspired to do one of these ideas, grab a free copy of my crafting checklist (it works for home decor projects too). Simply sign up for my newsletter (it’s free), and once you’re all confirmed, as a thank you, you’ll get a free pdf download of the checklist! My mailing list is always spam-free, and you can unsubscribe if it all becomes too much.

Next week, I’m going to run through some cool DIY clothing hacks that you’re just going to love for your closet. If that interests you, be sure to check that out. Until then, stay crafty my friends!!