30 Farmhouse Dining Rooms We Love for a Cozy and Relaxed Space

Farmer or not, it's easy to find an appreciation for farmhouse style. It's homey, down-to-earth, and the epitome of functional and humble design.

While you may have nailed paying homage to the look in other rooms of your home, the following farmhouse dining room ideas will help you capture the mood this style evokes. Whether you live in the suburbs, a city, or on actual farmland, there are a few signature materials, shapes, and motifs that appear time and time again that distinguish this look from others.

Even Joanna Gaines—the queen of farmhouse herself—will envy just how perfectly the following 30 dining rooms capture the style.

Mix Wooden Tones

First and foremost, wood should be a defining feature of any farmhouse dining room or area. Cabinets, paneling, dining sets, and more can all be crafted from it and will translate into the exact look you're after.

Mixing different wooden tones on their own or pairing them with metallic finishes will help you sidestep any dingy feelings associated with the monotony of a single color of wood.

Add Wall Paneling

What would a farmhouse dining room be without wall paneling? Beadboard, shiplap, and wainscoting are all fair game.

Keeping the panels their natural color will result in a more traditional farmhouse look. If it's modern farmhouse that's caught your eye, paint the walls (or just the portion with panelling) in a neutral hue.

Build Up Collections

Farmhouses often use collectibles and antique pieces as decor. Whether they're matchy-matchy or a more eclectic mix of items, collections always fit well in these spaces.

You can seek out particularly rustic objects in estate sales, antique stores, and even from family members who may have items they can pass down. The more unique the item, the better.

Mix Modern and Rustic

Modern farmhouse dining rooms (and modern farmhouse as a whole) have skyrocketed in popularity. It's a subtler way of incorporating elements of a homestead without losing sight of modernity.

If you like this look, it's perfectly fine to lean more toward the first word when decorating. Only a few touches are necessary to bring out the farmhouse appeal, which could be something as simple as a linen tablecloth or wooden plank flooring.

Embrace Rustic Minimalism

Trying to balance farmhouse aspects in a dining room without making it look cheesy or forced can be overwhelming and lead to a pile-up of unnecessary furniture and decor.

Go back to the roots of farmhouse and pare things back for a fresh take that feels both vintage and updated. This can be done with clean lines, natural textiles like curtains, and woven chairs.

Lean on an Antique Piece

Being gifted a special item or having a family heirloom handed down is always exciting, especially when it fits under the farmhouse category.

An object or furniture item such as this can serve as a foundation or focal point. Base your design decisions on what matches and works well with this one-of-a-kind item that other homeowners and renters can't just order online.

Contrast Farmhouse with a Touch of Luxe

Glam and farmhouse are practically antonyms. Yet that's what makes it so fun to blend these styles together.

Bringing these contrasting looks into one room can take on a variety of formats. You could add a sparkly, bejeweled chandelier over top of a wooden table, choose acrylic chairs over wooden ones, or brighten up the area with an ornate mirror.

Opt for Intricate Detailing

Craftsmanship and detailing are always evident in a farmhouse, so it's worth keeping this in mind for a dining room.

Chairs, dining hutches or cabinets, and tables are all pieces in which ornate flair and details will shine. This isn't minimalism, so don't be afraid to select items that highlight intricacy.

Embrace Symmetry

The word "farmhouse" might conjure a picture of a dilapidated space with crooked panels or misaligned floorboards, but symmetry is an important aspect in many ways.

The occasional imperfection is more than welcome, but symmetry is essential for making a rustic room look balanced (just look at the exteriors of old farmhouses). Reflect the same shapes, numbers, and colors around a space.

Choose Intentionally Worn Accents

Before you break out that can of paint, take a pause. Distressed, worn, and well-loved furniture and decor actually adds to the farmhouse look.

In a dining room, scuffed edges, chipped paint, and faded surfaces can be the difference between a modernized space or traditional eating room and a room that feels innately farmhouse.

Add an Earthy Element

Beyond wood and metal, farmhouse dining rooms and spaces should prioritize plants and living creatures—it is inspired by life on a farm after all.

The easiest way to do this is through a potted plant or two. It can be placed in the center of a table, on top of a buffet, or set in a corner.

Tip

To really stay in lane with this look, choose pots and holders that are earthier, like picks made of terracotta or ceramic.

Hang Up Vintage-Inspired Wallpaper

Sometimes, the decor and furniture options out there can come across as a little too modern. This isn't ideal when you're aiming for an older, antique-style aesthetic.

One surefire way to center this notion of historical design is through vintage-inspired wallpaper. A floral print or similar can have an incredible effect on a room that feels overly current.

Select Only a Few Farmhouse Touches

Your dining room doesn't need to feel like a barn extension when it comes to getting a farmhouse aesthetic. Even just a few well-thought-out touches can make a difference.

This could be a wooden plant stand, a rustic light fixture, or a stunning statement table—a raw edge wood one, of course.

Emphasize Wood Textures and Pieces

You'll likely notice a running theme amongst most farmhouse dining rooms and that's wood everything.

If you're trying to transition a dining room from a different design style, use this as your foundation. Any wooden textures, panels, or pieces that look plucked from a real farmhouse will be quick catalysts for achieving your vision.

Play Around with Chair Style

Vintage-inspired floral wallpaper, wooden furniture, and metal-based fixtures are the perfect formula for creating a farmhouse dining room. If you'd like it to look less like a museum display of a farmhouse and a little more, think about the shape of your chairs.

You can retain the materials that visually signal that this space is completely a farmhouse dining room, but a modern silhouette of a chair can bring it up to speed with modern-day.

Mix Traditional and Farmhouse

Traditional and farmhouse styles are a fabulous combination. Both look to historical references and blend well together.

Upholstered chairs and ornate fixtures and furniture items will look elevated next to worn, distressed wood and wrought iron textures. The key is to balance both in equal measure so one doesn't outweigh the other.

Plop Farmhouse Into a Modern Vignette

Suddenly have a hankering for a farmhouse dining room? Design tastes fluctuate over time and even if you're one who typically sways toward modern styles, you can still add a pinch of the farm to your home.

In a modern room or space, the easiest way to get a quick farmhouse infusion is through tables and chairs. Swap out a more angular or modern pick with something rustic and wooden.

Try a Southwestern Twist

When we talk about farmhouses, especially the styles of those around the U.S., we can't forget the ranches and farm homes that exist in the Southwest. These have their own flair and flavor that differs from the Midwest or South.

Each will be unique in their way, but you can expect a little more color and even geometric patterns—great for anyone who finds the usual farmhouse palette a teeny bit bland. A faux cow skull or antlers adds a very real pinch of authenticity in a space like this.

Fold Farmhouse Into an Open Concept Space

Without a formal dining room or walls to close in a space, you'll want to create an effortless flow between your kitchen, dining area, and living room.

This might feel challenging at first since many traditional farmhouses were built with separate rooms. Stick with neutral colors of chairs, couches, and tables and select a glass or iron chandelier to break up space above.

Embrace Coastal Cowgirl

A micro trend that spun off from farmhouse design in recent years is "coastal cowgirl," which essentially blends farm-inspired aesthetics with those found in beach houses.

Although unexpected, it's an ideal trend to follow for anyone who adores both seaside and rural living. What's needed to achieve the look? Wooden furniture, white soft furnishings, candles, and a touch of blue here and there.

Opt for a Minimal Take

Eclectic decor, vintage collections, and worn-down wood can be a touch too cluttered for some folks' liking. That's perfectly fine, the essence of farmhouse can still be distilled in a minimal way.

Rather than going all out with farmhouse everything, settle on a few tiny details that make your dining room—e.g. a smooth wooden table, a little plant or bouquet of faux florals, or one antique can all serve as a symbolic nod to farmhouse.

Simplify and Be Selective

In a small dining room or dining area, you don't have much space to work with. Therefore, you'll only have a few elements to really make an impact.

To display farmhouse flair, choose a light fixture, table, and chairs that each relate to the theme. For example, a well-worn rug with a distressed wood dining set creates a farmhouse feeling no matter how little the square footage.

Take a Scandi Farmhouse Approach

Farmhouses around the world are just as unique as the countries they're found in. While you may have adopted this look through an American lens, you can look to other parts of the globe for ideas.

A Scandinavian-inspired touch is a great way to spin a farmhouse dining room, especially for dwellers who like the clean, minimal appeal of countries like Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Opt for lighter colors, woods, and finishes here.

Add a Splash of Boho Design

You can appreciate farmhouse style without having to copy everything down to the last detail. Most of us have a rich mix of design preferences, therefore there's nothing wrong with meshing styles.

If you like earthier or more natural details or decor that fits under the boho-style design category, these touches fit beautifully with farmhouse and help soften it. In many cases, there is some overlap with wooden and woven pieces.

Pick a Farmhouse Statement Piece

The farmhouse that normally comes to mind is one from earlier eras, like the '20s or '30s. To get a similar look in our modern time, statement pieces that are truly antique or straight from a farmhouse-style home are key components.

This could be an old set of chairs and tables, but you can also get more creative. A farmhouse door, window, or dining hutch from long ago will instantly transform a room.

Stick with Neutral Colors

Colorful touches are more than welcome in your space, but if you're really trying to grasp a farmhouse look, neutrals are the way to go.

Because true homesteads on ranches and farms often used natural materials, the color palette of course reflected those earthier tones like brown, taupe, and beige. Sticking to these subtler shades makes a difference.

Mix Old and New Farmhouse Details

Old farmhouse chairs and vintage wall panels like beadboard can be incorporated into a room without feeling ramshackle.

To make a farmhouse dining room come to life, choose updated colors like sleek black and beige for a room that straddles the line between old and new. Oversized pendant lights and exposed wooden beams support the cause, too.

Take Modern Farmhouse for a Spin

What may look like an extremely modern dining room can nod ever-so-slightly to farm life with hints of natural materials wood and details like taper candles.

Usually modern farmhouse dining rooms lean heavy on the farmhouse aspect, but if your heart is more enamored with the other side of this unique blend, follow that hunch.

Add Small Touches

While larger furniture items and pieces of decor are essential for nailing the farmhouse look, they won't change as frequently as the smaller details.

It's these tinier bits and pieces that can help update a dining room over the months and years. For example, the shades on a chandelier or a bouquet of wildflowers on the table can help emulate the farmhouse aesthetic.

Don't Forget the Outdoor Dining Room

Indoor dining rooms may be top of mind, but what about the eating spaces in your outdoor areas? There are many ways to translate a farmhouse look into an exterior space.

Opt for wooden tables and benches to get the classic finish. A wrought iron chandelier will also boost the ambiance and shed some light.

Read the original article on The Spruce.