These days, Architectural Digest and HGTV depict all manner of interior design aesthetics, from maximalism to beach contemporary to modern organic. However, one style you are not likely to find in abundance is a farmhouse. Despite being the most sought-after aesthetic for the better part of a decade, farmhouse interiors are no longer on trend; in fact, to many taste-makers, the once-popular hallmarks of farmhouse design seem little more than gauche.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
And yet, farmhouse lingers. Homeowners across American continue to gravitate toward the farmhouse aesthetic, investing in home renovations that integrate farmhouse elements into home architecture and buying antiqued furnishings and décor. Why does farmhouse remain a popular choice for American homeowners, and will it ever truly disappear from the interior design scene?
Farmhouse Is Comfortable
The primary reason that farmhouse will always remain a dominant interior aesthetic is that this interior style — unlike so many styles that are currently trending — is comfortable. Comfort is exceedingly important within the home; though an attractive space might bring a homeowner some degree of pride or respect, comfort within the home ensures health and wellbeing by mitigating any stress accrued during the day and allowing the body and mind to relax.
In many ways, a house decorated in the farmhouse style feels more like a home because it is all but guaranteed to offer warmth and welcome to anyone who enters.
Farmhouse Is Functional
The farmhouse aesthetic is derived from the look and function of real, working farmhouses (more on that later) which means that farmhouse-decorated homes can offer the same level of practicality. In addition to offering a greater degree of comfort, the farmhouse style ensures that a home is operational — that the important practical aspects of the home are accessible and workable.
For example, a stylish windmill ceiling fan contributes to the aesthetic, but it also keeps the home cool while maintaining energy efficiency. Farmhouse does not prioritize form over function, which is a reason that so many people with farmhouse-styled homes are loath to alter their aesthetic toward a less practical style.
Farmhouse Is Recognizable
Perhaps because farmhouse design was so popular for so long, or perhaps because the farmhouse aesthetic is so distinctive from other interior styles, most everyone can recognize décor that falls under the broad category of farmhouse.
As a result, farmhouse is an aesthetic that is friendly to interior decorating amateurs, like the average homeowner. It is relatively easy to achieve success decorating in the farmhouse style, which cannot be said for more complex and subtle interior aesthetics like maximalism or Japandi. Therefore, until another interior design becomes more beginner-friendly than farmhouse, farmhouse is likely to remain a popular choice for the average American homeowner.
Farmhouse Is Affordable
As mentioned above, farmhouse décor dominated American interior design for the better part of a decade, which allowed plenty of time for all manner of stores to design, source and offer their own farmhouse décor lines. Today, almost any company associated with interior décor offers some farmhouse products — and because the demand for farmhouse décor is relatively low, prices for these items has fallen.
Because not many Americans have a generous home decorating budget, the affordability of farmhouse décor makes this interior design style one of the only viable options for those interested in maintaining some cohesive aesthetic in their homes.
Farmhouse Is a Way of Life
One final reason that the farmhouse design will persist within American aesthetics is that farmhouse is not merely an aesthetic concern; America is filled with literal farmhouses — houses on farms — and these farmhouses will remain for as long as Americans rely on regional agriculture and perhaps beyond.
It is natural for homeowners to take inspiration from their surrounding environment in the decoration of their homes, so farmhouse décor will almost certainly remain alive in the rural communities where actual farmhouses endure.
Farmhouse design might no longer be the trendiest of interior aesthetics, but it is far from dead and gone. More likely than not, the farmhouse style will make a comeback in a few years, and those who maintained high-quality farmhouse décor in their homes will become the tastemakers for a new iteration of farmhouse chic.
