Did you know that more than 1.6 million new homes were built in 2021 alone? Whether you’re building or buying a new house, it is important to decide on the design style you would like your home to follow – this pertains to both the interior and exterior of your house. There are many popular design styles, but two of the most prominent are the modern farmhouse style and the contemporary style.
While these styles are similar, they do have some important differences, and they can make the inside of your home look completely different. But what style should you choose and which might be right for your home and your personal preferences? Keep reading and learn more about the difference between modern farmhouse home designs and contemporary style home design.
What You Need To Know About Modern Farmhouse Home Design
Many people already know about modern home design, but what about modern farmhouse home design? This is a unique design style that many people are starting to incorporate into their homes. Many people even prefer this style to the ordinary modern home style.
But what is modern farmhouse design, and what makes it so special? The first thing you need to know is that, as the name suggests, this style uses characteristics that are common in true farmhouse design. This gives the entire design a somewhat rustic and comforting look.
However, instead of being completely true to the farmhouse style, this new style puts a twist on it to make it a bit more modern. That way, the resulting style is not too rustic and not too modern but instead the perfect balance in between. Borrowing from some of the characteristics of the original farmhouse design, you will notice that this style has a particular focus on intricate details and textures.
While it does not utilize the same rustic appeal as traditional farmhouse design, it does reuse many of the same characteristics, such as wide porches and open floorplans. At the same time, it blends those characteristics with more modern designs. This makes the overall result more timeless.
Most modern farmhouse designs use neutral color schemes. This is also true with traditional farmhouse designs. The neutral color scheme is beneficial for many reasons, listed below.
The Details
First of all, the neutral color scheme is very calming. It consists of beige, white, gray, and other unintrusive shades. These shades ensure that no one color stands out or draws too much attention.
Instead, your attention is drawn throughout the room rather than to one place. Another benefit of neutral colors is that they make a room appear more spacious. This is because the neutral colors used for modern farmhouse designs are usually light.
In general, light colors make spaces look bigger, especially if you pair the color with furniture that is also light in color. For a more colorful approach that still embodies the modern farmhouse design, you can also experiment with light blues, greens, yellows, and so on. The point is that the colors should not be too bright or overwhelming.
Modern farmhouse design also uses certain color contrasts to give the complete look a more rustic feel. For example, you will often see iron or brass accents in a home of this style, especially on tables, sinks, and so on. This little bit of contrast gives a home a completely new look.
To drive in the more rustic elements of this style, you will often find marble or quartz countertops, or even butcher-block style counters. Wood accents throughout the modern farmhouse design brings the light color palette to life, making it feel inviting and setting it apart from the contemporary home.
Countertops of this type do well to give the overall design a much warmer and natural appearance. Without a splash of this warmth, the design would verge too far on the modern and may feel a bit cold. Other materials you may see may include cotton & linens, brick, wood, and silk.
When blended in the right way, these materials will embody the heart of modern farmhouse home design.
What You Need To Know About Contemporary Home Design
If the rustic nature of the modern farmhouse design doesn’t appeal to you, you can always opt for the sleek and simple alternative: contemporary style home design. What is the difference between modern farmhouse vs contemporary home design, you might ask? Several factors distinguish these two home styles, whether you’re dealing with a home’s exterior or interior.
The first thing you should know is that they both share a neutral color palate. The neutral color scheme is the star of most modern home design styles. However, the contemporary style tends to be especially neutral and often does not include the lighter pastel shades that modern farmhouse design may include.
Instead, the contemporary style sticks with cooler shades such as tan, white, and light gray with the occasional contrast of black or dark brown. Most contemporary homes utilize white most of all. This is because white makes rooms look brighter and more spacious.
White also offers the perfect blank slate to decorate a room in many different ways. Of course, too much white can make a house seem cold and sterile. This is why most contemporary homes enjoy using some organic substances to contrast against the style’s neutral foundation.
For example, putting a green plant in the middle of the room will offset the coldness caused by a mostly white color scheme. You can put plants wherever you want in your home, whether they hang from the ceiling, the wall, or sit on the coffee table. Whatever the case, a simple, colorful plant will immediately bring some life and contrast to a contemporary home.
The Differences
Another similarity between the modern farmhouse style and the contemporary style is the use of wood. However, the contemporary style uses wood in a much more minimalistic way compared to the modern farmhouse style. The contemporary style tends to limit the use of wood for the floors and certain pieces of furniture.
This use of wood is not usually not stylized. Instead, it is very streamlined and geometrical. This is in contrast to the modern farmhouse style’s use of wood which tends to have some level of craftsmanship and artistry to it.
Whatever the case, the use of wood can add a bit of warmth to your home, but it doesn’t have to be rustic if you don’t want it to be. For example, dark wood flooring against white walls gives a very sleek and modern look rather than a rustic look. You may also notice that the contemporary style experiments with different textures.
While the modern farmhouse style deals with more organic textures like those of linen or cotton, the contemporary style often uses firmer and less organic textures. Again, this adds to the overall sleek and modern nature of the style.
Which Style Should You Use for Your Home?
Now that you know all about the differences between the modern farmhouse style and the contemporary style, you might be wondering which style will best represent your home. There is not one answer to this question since many factors affect the answer. For one, you may have a personal preference for one over the other.
If so, there is no use in opting for the one that you don’t care for. While a certain home style might be popular, you still shouldn’t choose it if you don’t like it. Otherwise, you’ll regret your choice every time you walk around your house and behold the style you chose.
A few other things you may need to consider are the setting of your home and any rules or regulations that you may need to follow. Is your contemporary work of art going to feel out of place next to your neighbor’s barn? Does your HOA have specific guidelines for approved styles? MJS Designers Group has experience working with challenging aspects like these and we can give great insight on how to best accommodate your style and all the external factors that come into play when designing a house.
Modern Farmhouse vs Contemporary Style
Both the modern farmhouse style and the contemporary style are attractive choices for home design. While the two are similar, they also have some important differences. The modern farmhouse style is sleek, but it retains the rustic nature of traditional farmhouse design.
The contemporary style, on the other hand, is far from rustic and much more streamlined. While both styles are attractive, it will be up to you to decide which is right for your home. To learn more, contact us here.