Home styles
Learn how to pick out windows for a modern farmhouse
What is modern farmhouse style?
Today’s modern farmhouse designs showcase an urban edge while retaining a warm, approachable feel. The style is simple and clean, featuring practical materials and a high-contrast color palette. The flexibility of the modern farmhouse style appeals to many homeowners, as it offers the versatility to customize according to personal preferences. Hallmark features include clean lines, a high-contrast exterior, large-scale windows with black trim, and a spacious porch or entryway.
What is the difference between modern farmhouse and traditional farmhouse style?
Traditional farmhouse style, also known more formally as American Farmhouse, emerged in the Midwest in the mid-1800s. It’s typically one-and-a-half to two stories and features an asymmetrical structure with a gable at the front, a central chimney, and a wraparound porch. Traditional farmhouse exteriors feature a broad color palette of earthen hues, including white, cream, blue, brick-red, and gray. Single window units are common.
Modern farmhouse style takes inspiration from the traditional farmhouse style, but incorporates Scandinavian minimalist characteristics with cleaner lines, large doors and window combinations, and an emphasis on natural light and indoor-outdoor living spaces. The signature exterior color palette is white with black accents, but tone-on-tone black has also emerged.
Explore our take on five farmhouse styles, ranging from traditional to contemporary.
What type of windows do modern farmhouses have?
Depending on the desired look, single- or double-hung windows with a 2-over-2 pattern and casement windows without grilles are recommended for a modern farmhouse. Windows typically feature matte black trim, offering a sharp contrast to a typically white exterior. Windows are grouped in large combinations, creating striking facades, often with expansive walls of glass that create dramatic sightlines and infuse natural light throughout the home. Gliding windows, or sliding windows, are also an option in areas requiring horizontal window placement, such as in a kitchen.
