Modern Farmhouse House Plan

Farmhouses are larger-style homes, with covered porches, gabled roof lines, and mixed materials, have re-emerged as a popular home style choice. Today, the traditional farmhouse has been updated with modern features being captured in the contemporary farmhouse house plan. Let’s take a look at some of the features commonly associated with the modern farmhouse plan while still offering a decidedly updated feel.

The Exterior of the Modern Farm-Style Home

The exterior of the modern farm-style home often features a covered front porch, board and batten siding or wood siding, a gabled roofline, and a mixture of materials. This featured modern farmhouse mixes the Douglas Fir timbers on the covered porch with a sleek modern feel in the repeated stacked gables of the front. The roofline is also broken with a small shed dormer over the porch. The stacked gables provide the illusion of the home in motion as the sun orbits throughout the day and plays off of the overhangs and gables. The board and batten pattern siding on the second floor also allow the siding materials to cast small vertical shadows creating depth and rhythm to the upper regions of the facade.

White exteriors are often associated with farmhouses and are also closely associated with modern design concepts. Le Corbusier, a leading architect in the mid-1900s, played a pivotal role in bringing clean white minimalistic facades into the world of both residential and commercial architecture. The choice of white for the exterior of a farmhouse shows the union of the traditional style with the desire for a sleek modern look. The siding on this house is cement fiberboard in a board and batten pattern, resulting in a much more durable maintenance-free finish than wood — and without the vulnerability of vinyl siding to hail and storm damage.

Modern Farmhouse Facade Details

This close-up diagram of the front gable dormer shows the variety of materials used to create it. Next, a look at the final roofing choices to join this exterior matrix together.

The three-quarter view of this contemporary farmhouse is taken directly from the construction drawings, thus the presence of a partial door and window schedule to the left of the house rendering. This view reveals that the roof is a dark gray shingle and was chosen to contrast with the white siding. Traditionally, shingles were commonly seen on farmhouses. This look has been updated with the inclusion of architectural shingles. This view also reveals that the roof is a hip roof design instead of a pitched gable. This also adds to the modern feel.

Moving to the rear three-quarter view, the other two sides come into view. It should be noted here that the black window frames contrast with the white siding and complement the dark roof shingles. These windows are a high-efficiency Anderson 400 series metal clad wood window which provides a durable exterior finish combined with a warm wooden interior. The Douglas Fir posts are continued on the rear porch and the side entry. The verticality of the shed dormer on the rear that extends to the ground level is accentuated by the vertical placement of the siding. The horizontal siding is a different pattern, chosen to mimic wood cladding, and is also a cement fiberboard product.

The Interior of the Modern Contemporary Farmhouse Design

Now for the interior design goals of a contemporary farmhouse design. Farmhouses were known for a large entry room that was often referred to as a parlor in rural 1800s America. The kitchen was often located behind the front entry room and included an eat-in kitchen configuration. A separate dining room was also included as a more formal of the public rooms of the house and provided a separation from the kitchen.

Today, modernism has also influenced the floor plan of farmhouses. Instead of areas divided into small spaces, a great room is preferred. This plan has a great room area accessible via the central hallway. The foyer and hallway effectively move the living areas of the house away from the noise of the street. The two-car garage also helps to provide more privacy to this area.

The location of the den along the front of the house was requested by the owners because they had a small business and often had people stopping by the house. This arrangement provided ample light into this space and limited business contacts from access to the living spaces. The placement of this room can also be advantageous for someone who does not want to climb or cannot climb stairs. The bathroom could be arranged as a private bath with a half bath being added in the back hallway or mechanical room areas.

Other Features of the Farmhouse House Plan

The second floor plan offers the master suite, two more bedrooms, plus a spacious bonus room which can also be used as a bedroom. The master bedroom and the bonus room offer cathedral ceilings with the rest of the space accommodating spacious 9-foot ceilings. The first floor also offered lofty 9-foot ceilings. Farmhouses were designed to accommodate large families. Today, this concept has been applied to this farmhouse to allow for separate private quarters for several people. When all of the spaces are counted, this is a 5 bedroom, 3 bath home.

Other Farmhouse Design Amenities

To round out our discussion on the features of the modern farmhouse design a few more things should be mentioned. Farmhouses are well known for built-in shelving. A good location for bookcases, for instance, are on either side of the fireplace in the living room. The irregular shape to many of the spaces is also a perfect place for built-in shelving or display nooks.

Rustic accents are also desirable to introduce an earthy feel into the farmhouse. A wooden fireplace mantle, reclaimed barnwood for flooring, or hickory cabinets all lend to this design motif.

Whatever your final design choices are for the modern farmhouse design plan we are well equipped to take your ideas and transform them into a home that meets your needs and satisfies your dreams. Farmhouses are a choice that nods to traditional rural options while still offering the modern design ideas and feel of today.

Venture Home Design