32 Modern Farmhouse Dining Room Ideas That Are Rustic and Warm

A modern farmhouse dining room is warm and inviting, with nostalgic and rustic touches that give it a timeless feel.

Depending on your taste, a modern farmhouse style dining room can lean more traditional or contemporary. But it will almost always include signature elements like warm wood finishes and furniture, industrial lighting fixtures, a long wood farmhouse-style table for gathering family and friends, and a neutral palette that may include white walls or shiplap paneling.

Whether you live in a renovated farmhouse or an urban townhouse, check out these modern farmhouse dining room ideas to make your home feel a little cozier. 

Mix Wood Tones

Use a variety of wood tones to create variation in a modern farmhouse dining room. Marie Flanigan Interiors let the dramatic exposed wood slat ceilings, dark stained beams, and modern vertical shiplap fireplace wall do the talking in this light and airy dining room living room combination.

A modern wood farmhouse table is surrounded by a mix of seating and a modern pendant light adds a sculptural element.

Include Midcentury Pieces

When renovating a historic property, be sure to mix in some modern elements to bring the space into the present.

AHG Interiors created a balance of old and new in this renovated 1880s farmhouse in the Catskills of New York by furnishing the dining room with a modern table and midcentury modern Wishbone chairs that marry seamlessly with white shiplap walls and dark wood exposed ceilings and beams.

Choose Rustic Wall Decor

Hang farmhouse wall decor to create a warm and rustic feel. In this Pittsburgh cottage dining room, Leanne Ford Interiors hung a rustic vintage metal bucket on the textured white wall and filled it with leafy green garden cuttings.

Focus on the Modern

While modern farmhouse style tends to prioritize wood finishes, feel free to mix in other materials such as iron, metal, brick, and stone for a slightly less rustic feel.

Marie Flanigan Interiors created an upscale twist on modern farmhouse style in this dining room open to the kitchen that combines a stone table, tile floors, gilded metal finishes, and modern wood chairs with slipcovers to add softness to the more contemporary style of the space.

Paint It All White

Paint the floors, walls, ceilings, and trim in the same fresh shade of all-white to modernize a farmhouse dining room.

In a long and narrow farmhouse space like this library turned dining room room from Liz Marie Blog, a round table with a rustic wood finish is easy to navigate around to preserve flow and break up the straight lines of the space. Slipcovered chairs with lumbar pillows ensure that everyone will be more than comfortable as the night rolls on.

Hang a Beaded Chandelier

Hang a beaded chandelier over a farmhouse table with curvy legs for a romantic take on modern farmhouse style. Kate Marker Interiors chose a farmhouse table with a weathered painted white base and added slipcovered seat cushions to the cane-back chairs for added comfort.

Classic white painted wainscoting and printed wallpaper on the wall above adds traditional elegance to the space.

Cover the Walls in Shiplap

White shiplap walls are a natural fit in a modern farmhouse dining room. Becca Interiors chose white vertical beaded shiplap for this light and airy dining room that is decorated with a mix of light and medium-toned wood and woven accents for a neutral and natural feel.

A large striped rug anchors the space while adding a lightly coastal farmhouse look to the space.

Swap the Island for a Table

A farmhouse dining table is generally a long rectangular wooden table that seats a crowd. It may be rustic or more modern, with clean lines or curvy legs, in natural, painted, or stained wood. Create a homey eat-in kitchen by swapping a central island for a long vintage wood dining table instead to mimic the eat-in farmhouse kitchens of eras past.

Leanne Ford Interiors chose a long farm table with a dark wood stain and added classic bentwood chairs to complement the darker tone on the floors and add contrast with the off-white walls and cream cabinetry in this inviting space.

Use Mismatched Seating

Use mismatched seating to create a casual feel in a modern farmhouse dining room. My 100 Year Old Home chose mismatched wood chairs painted white with a well worn patina to create a sense of cohesion without being identical. Vintage touches like a crystal chandelier and wall sconces add a romantic feel.

Add Shiplap Wainscoting

Install shiplap wainscoting to complement a modern farmhouse dining room. This light and airy dining room from Michelle Berwick Design pairs warm wood floors and ceiling beams with white walls and painted taupe vertical shiplap wainscoting.

A natural wood farmhouse table with clean lines, black wood spindle chairs, and a pair of oversized pendant lights anchor the space.

Hang Vintage Signs

Vintage or reproduction signs with a food-related theme add a graphic decor element to this maximalist modern farmhouse dining room from Liz Marie Blog.

A rustic wood farm table is mixed with weathered French-style industrial metal chairs while a trio of crystal and black metal chandeliers hung from an old ladder anchor the dining area.

Hang a Decorative Clock

Vintage and antique wall clocks are a hallmark of farmhouse style decor. In this light and bright modern farmhouse-style dining room from Michelle Berwick Design, a modern interpretation of a vintage-style farmhouse wall clock made from wood and metal adds a nod to nostalgia in the black-and-white space.

A pale wood oval table modernizes the farmhouse look.

Paint the Walls Taupe

While many modern farmhouse dining rooms have white walls, feel free to warm things up by adding color.

Marie Flanigan Interiors kept things neutral with taupe paint that makes white trim and wainscoting pop. A vintage floor mirror and a large hutch with a worn patina adds a sense of history to the space.

Style the Off-Duty Table

Style an off-duty modern farmhouse dining table with natural elements like potted plants, bowls of fruit, and neutral vases filled with branches. Jessica Nelson Design added vintage brass candlesticks and old books to fill out the vignette.

Hang Coastal-Themed Art

Create a coastal farmhouse dining room with a mix of antique furniture and a gallery wall of sea-themed thrift store paintings.

Becca Interiors outfitted this inviting dining nook with a built-in banquette and an antique farmhouse table and chairs. The vintage art is contrasted with a decorative surf board leaning against the beaded shiplap walls.

Hang a Rope Chandelier

Use rustic materials like rattan, jute, and rope to complement a modern farmhouse dining room. Kate Marker Interiors hung a large rope pendant light over the dining table and accented with a jute rug and vintage rattan mirrors.

A barn door on a black wood hinge adds a rustic note while black wainscoting brings a graphic modern element to the mix.

Use Galvanized Accents

Galvanized buckets filled with wildflowers and pie plate-style chargers topped with patterned blue-and-white china lend a modern farmhouse feel to this dining room from My 100 Year Old Home. Old school silver cutlery adds a timeless feel.

Tip

Sourcing a mix of vintage plates, glasses, silverware, and decor items at thrift stores and yard sales is a budget-friendly way to set your modern farmhouse dining table that's also gentler on the planet.

Add a China Cabinet

A china cabinet styled with dishware or decor objects is a natural fit in a modern farmhouse dining room. Ashley Montgomery Design chose a black painted glass-front cabinet styled with neutral objects that adds contrast with light wood and painted finishes.

Tilt Toward Contemporary

For a more contemporary take on modern farmhouse style, Jessica Nelson Design furnished this open plan dining room with a long black dining table and matching chairs that feel cohesive with the pared down style of the space.

Decorative wood beams, vaulted ceilings, and industrial pendant lighting add farmhouse style touches throughout.

Add Bench Seating

Use a simple wooden bench on one side of a farmhouse table for an authentic feel. This eat-in kitchen dining space from Leanne Ford Interiors includes a bench on the side closest to the kitchen prep area that cuts down on visual clutter and is easy to navigate around.

A low-slung woven pendant light anchors the table and creates a cozy feeling once it's time to sit down for a meal.

Coastal Farmhouse Table Setting

Use green glass to decorate a coastal farmhouse dining room table, like this space from My 100 Year Old Home.

Accent With Black

Black accents on seating and lighting will add contrast in a neutral farmhouse dining room.

This space from Jessica Nelson Design has a black metal chandelier that echoes the black gooseneck sconces in the adjoining kitchen. Black chairs around the farmhouse table add definition to the light and airy space.

Dining Room Living Room

Use French-inspired pieces to create an elegant feel in a modern farmhouse dining area. In this modern farmhouse living room dining room combo from Jessica Nelson Design, a round table breaks up the long lines of the open-plan space.

An exposed brick fireplace wall, a gold-framed mirror, and a simple crystal chandelier hanging over the table surrounded by cross-back chairs add simple and timeless elegance to the space.

Hang Decorative Plates

A set of white plates decorates the off-white walls of this renovated farmhouse dining room from interior designer Kara Mann. It's a subtle nod to the past that doesn't feel old-fashioned thanks to the neutral palette.

A navy rug contrasts with white painted floorboards, anchoring a weathered farmhouse dining table surrounded by a mix of seating.

Embrace Imperfections

Give your modern farmhouse dining room a sense of authenticity by embracing weathered finishes and imperfections.

This dining room from Leanne Ford Interiors features a long wooden farm table decorated with an old galvanized watering can filled with wildflowers.

A vintage china cabinet in the corner is backed with wallpaper and filled with black dishes for a mix of old and new. A set of simple wooden folding chairs with a worn patina creates a casual feel.

Slipcover Bench Seating

Add slipcovered seat cushions to make bench seating more comfortable and soften the look of a modern farmhouse dining room.

Becca Interiors covered the double benches on one side of this rich wood farmhouse dining table with neutral linen slipcovers that complement the beige walls and black accents of this soothing space.

Try Board and Batten

Install board and batten wall detailing to add subtle texture to a modern farmhouse dining room. In this space from Leanne Ford Interiors, a knotty wood dining table and an oversized vintage pendant light give the room personality without compromising or cluttering the minimalist design.

Add a Tall Vase of Branches

Add drama to a farmhouse-style dining table in the center of a large kitchen with a simple vase of extra tall bare branches that nearly touch the ceiling, like this sage green space from Light and Dwell.

Set a Cozy Table

Set a welcoming table in a farmhouse dining room that is open to the kitchen with simple glasses, vases full of flowers, wood chargers, and cloth napkins, like this cozy space from My 100 Year Old Home.

Try Vintage Seating

Instead of a built-in banquette, add character to your modern farmhouse-style dining room or breakfast nook with an antique loveseat.

Jessica Nelson Design paired a curvy loveseat with modern chairs and a sculptural round table, with a black iron lantern hanging overhead.

Convert the Sunroom

If your dining room and kitchen are connected by an open space or an open doorway, connect them visually with something as simple as your choice of lighting styles or materials.

Jessica Nelson Design chose black metal and opalized glass hanging pendant lights that echo the lighting in the adjoining kitchen breakfast nook without matching for a cohesive feel.

Take It Outdoors

Bring your modern farmhouse dining room outdoors with a rustic table that can withstand the elements.

Leanne Ford Interiors outfitted this whitewashed covered patio with a chunky wood farmhouse table and white wire chairs for an airy look. A cowhide rug beneath the table adds a rustic note.

Read the original article on The Spruce.