15 Farmhouse Living Room Ideas for Cozy, Laid-Back Hangouts
Whether or not you actually live in the countryside, you can still design the farmhouse living room of your dreams by taking a cue from spaces that have fully mastered the look. Below, we’re sharing 15 inspiring farmhouse living room decor ideas from top interior designers across the nation. These spaces prove that you can easily embrace the farmhouse aesthetic with thoughtful furniture selections, a timeless neutral color palette, and intentional decor. We’re also answering all of your questions about farmhouse living rooms, including how to design one, so you can get ready for the compliments to roll in.
What is a farmhouse living room?
Farmhouse living rooms are typically the gathering spaces you’d find in a farmhouse style home. They’re conducive to large hangouts, contain plenty of seating for guests, and are often polished but unstuffy. Architectural features commonly present in farmhouse style living rooms include working fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, shiplap walls, built-ins, and exposed beams.
How can I design a farmhouse living room?
There are many ways to design a farmhouse living room. First, consider your desired outcome, whether you wish to embrace a modern farmhouse look, incorporate a coastal farmhouse aesthetic, or include French country influences. When implementing the style, designers usually include some sort of chandelier—oftentimes one that is a wagon wheel shape—a wooden coffee table, brass light fixtures, and textiles featuring a striped or windowpane design. Furniture is generally a neutral color.
Still wondering how to nail the look? Consider these 15 farmhouse living room ideas.
Photo: Joshua McHugh1/15Incorporate a working fireplace
A working fireplace is a common characteristic of many farmhouse living rooms. A stone fireplace adds a warm, cozy feel to this spacious room designed by Bruce Fox, the founder of Bruce Fox Design in Chicago. The gathering space also features other classic farmhouse elements, including wide plank wood floors, plaid and striped textiles, and exposed wooden beams.
Photo: Angela Newton Roy2/15Use neutral furniture
If you love farmhouse style but are drawn to neutral furniture pieces, you can incorporate those into your living room design too, as exemplified by this space designed by Kristin Harrison of Bungalow 10 Interiors in Northern Virginia. Harrison opted for a symmetrical setup in the space, bringing the farmhouse aesthetic to life by installing two wagon-wheel-style chandeliers with exposed bulbs, opting for a shiplap ceiling, and filling the open shelves with ceramics full of rustic charm.
Photo: Emily J. Followill3/15Incorporate a dramatic chandelier
Featuring a vaulted ceiling and a dramatic chandelier, this farmhouse living room draws the eye upward. Jeffrey Dungan, the founder of Jeffrey Dungan Architects in Mountain Brook, Alabama, paired warm wood with classic stone in the space, keeping textiles simple in design to allow these natural elements to take center stage.
Photo: Rachel Robshaw4/15Dress up your coffee table
Adorn your coffee table with dried florals in rich hues to add instant life to any farmhouse living room, as exemplified by this space from Kathryn Hunt, the founder of Kathryn Hunt Studio in Mattituck, New York. If you’re drawn to modern farmhouse style in particular, integrate contemporary touches into your space, perhaps by hanging a Serge Mouille–style chandelier or displaying small framed abstract works on the wall.
Photo: Paul Dyer5/15Include a chesterfield sofa
Chesterfield sofas shine in a wide range of spaces, including farmhouse style living rooms, like this one by Kendall Wilkinson, the founder of Kendall Wilkinson Design in San Francisco. Farmhouse decor is heavy on brass accents, so don’t be shy about including them in your living room, whether in the form of sconces, floor lamps, trinkets on built-in shelving, and more.
Photo: Richard Powers6/15Let reclaimed wood shine
Furniture made from reclaimed wood will instantly bring about rustic farmhouse vibes in your living room. Draw inspiration from these low-to-the-ground coffee tables that Kligerman Architecture & Design in New York styled in this living room. Due to the expansive size of the sectional, it makes sense to opt for two tables to ensure that all guests have space to set down plates and glasses during gatherings.
Photo: Victoria Pearson7/15Pick a focal point
Lonni Paul, the founder of Lonni Paul Design in Los Angeles, opted for a blue, white, and gray color palette in this farmhouse living room, styling plush armchairs alongside a simple sofa. An ornate chandelier adds a dose of glamour to the space and serves as the focal point of the room.
Photo: Stephen Karlisch8/15Add a table behind the sofa
For extra storage—and style—in your farmhouse living room, consider placing a wooden table behind the sofa, where it can house a mixture of functional and decorative pieces. This style of console complements the farmhouse aesthetic perfectly and plays to the other wood tones in the room, which was designed by Sarah Eilers, cofounder of Lucas/Eilers Design Associates in Houston.
Photo: Pär Bengtsson9/15Infuse colorful accents
Gone are the days of overly stuffy living rooms—today’s spaces, such as this room by Meg Lonergan, the founder of Meg Lonergan Interiors in Houston, are places in which family and friends can gather and relax. Celebrate farmhouse design while also making your living room nice and cozy by incorporating plenty of striped throw pillows, laying down a soft rug (or layering two, as seen here), and introducing shiplap walls. When it comes to selecting artwork, don’t be afraid to mix design styles and hang an abstract work in your modern farmhouse living room. The green hues in this painting complement the farmhouse look present and break up the otherwise neutral color scheme.
Photo: Shade Degges10/15Make sure to include texture
Textural accents are a key component of any farmhouse living room, as illustrated by this space designed by Denise Morrison, founder of Morrison Interiors in Costa Mesa, California. Start by laying down a classic jute rug on top of your wood floors—this material is known to be resilient and is seen as a classic. When it comes to farmhouse decor items, style some candlesticks on the mantel or coffee table and set out a terra-cotta vase filled with branches (greenery is a must in a farmhouse style space).
Photo: Michael J Lee11/15Add a barn door
This living room’s white walls got a major upgrade in the form of a barn door, which adds visual interest to the space when not in use. Designed by Robin Gannon, the founder of Robin Gannon Interiors in Lexington, Massachusetts, this living space is also home to the ever-popular wagon-wheel-style chandelier, jute rug, and wooden coffee table, but it also contains something unexpected: a velvet sofa, which adds a touch of glam.
Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg12/15Keep it cozy
Designed by Ballard+Mensua Architecture in Washington, DC, this living room features bold blue walls paired with a mostly neutral palette. The room is extra cozy with not one but two stone fireplaces present. The leather sofa will stand the test of time and grow more rustic in appearance with additional use.
Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg13/15Find ways to make it airy
Take a cue from Winn Design + Build in McLean, Virginia, and make over a dated sofa using a slipcover, which reflects the farmhouse aesthetic and is easy to pop into the wash as needed, for a laid-back, welcoming look. Incorporate side tables throughout the living room so that friends and family have room to set down a glass or a book while they relax in the space. Though this room does not feature an overhead light fixture, expansive windows, along with a duo of table lamps placed behind the sofa, ensure that the space remains airy.
Photo: Julie Soefer14/15Throw in a few modern pieces
Kara Childress, the founder of Kara Childress Interiors in Houston, introduced a modern acrylic coffee table alongside more obviously farmhouse style pieces, including the wagon wheel chandelier and wooden cabinetry, in this living room. Here, she proves that it’s always possible to artfully fuse together multiple aesthetics.
Photo: Julie Soefer15/15Mix current and traditional fabrics
Here, Ryan Street, the founder of Ryan Street Architects in Austin, also mixed contemporary and classic farmhouse while adhering to a neutral color scheme. The bouclé on the midcentury armchair is an example of a more current fabric, while the striped chair closer to the fireplace leans traditional.
