9 Modern Farmhouse Living Rooms That Aren’t Just for Homes on the Prairie

You could decorate an entire modern farmhouse living room just by shopping the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia aisle at your local Target. The only issue with that is, you’d end up with a space that looks like everyone else’s: a jute area rug here, a galvanized wall clock there. Instead, the best place to start when devising a modern farmhouse living room is to ask yourself: What does cozy look like for me? That simple question might spark more creativity than you’d think—at least it did for the nine designers and homeowners featured below. You’ll find stacks of firewood and shiplap walls, but you’ll also see a Samsung Frame TV, a red marble coffee table, and a French-inspired chandelier. 

The Modern Farmhouse Living Room With a Pink (!) Sofa

Nick Blaine, cofounder of Hawkins New York, and his partner, Paul Denoly, tested at least six different shades of pink paint before landing on this soft shade that is so pale it almost looks white, depending on the light. They kept the theme going in their upstate farmhouse with a blush sofa and tinted concrete tile from Mexico that their friends helped them lay out in a random pattern. 

The Beam-Filled Modern Farmhouse Living Room

While this Weston, Connecticut, home was built in the 1790s, the only inkling of its history in the living room was how low the ceiling was. Designer Jennifer Bunsa’s plan initially was to raise it, but when she realized they couldn’t structurally achieve that, the barn beams came into play. She sourced all of the accent planks from an old barn that was being taken apart. 

The Jewel-Tone Modern Farmhouse Living Room 

When Montreal-based interior designer Luke Havekes set his heart on building a weekend home in the country town of Knowlton, in Canada’s Eastern Townships, he wanted it to feel almost cocoonlike. To start, he bought a purple-hued Persian rug and topped it with ultramarine chairs and a speckled violet ottoman. 

The Layered Modern Farmhouse Living Room

Part of creating an inviting living room is making sure everyone has a place to sit down—and a sectional isn’t the only answer. In her Elk Rapids, Michigan, vacation rental, designer Kelsey Duda accrued a collection of wood stools and chairs that can easily be placed around the coffee table or pushed up against the wall when not in use. 

The Moody Modern Farmhouse Living Room

Fashion designer Susan Woo’s screened-in porch is privy to the best sunset views in the house, and its black walls (which match the exterior siding color) only maximize the shades of pink and orange that grace the sky beyond. 

The Modern Farmhouse Living Room on the River

This northeastern Georgia getaway, designed by Hayes Little Studio, is so big that it didn’t need a ton of lighting, so instead the designers went with warm fixtures on a larger scale. Cue the 45-inch round Noguchi paper lantern. The shade adds some much-needed softness to the original cedar walls and stone fireplace. 

The Australian Modern Farmhouse Living Room

Don’t just leave your shiplap walls plain—saturate them in color. Dominique Brammah and Shannon Shlom opted for a deep teal in their 1860s dairy farm. Shades of red-brown and ochre are the perfect complement to the blue hue. (Psst: The sofa upholstery is actually a slipcover.)

The Modern Farmhouse Living Room With a Hint of Glam

After wrapping the kitchen vent hood in brass in this Lake Tahoe home, designers Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia brought the metal onto the nearby fireplace, only keeping the wood mantel and concrete hearth intact in the process. 

The New-Build Modern Farmhouse Living Room

This Kalamazoo, Michigan, home was constructed from the ground up, but it’s not very obvious. The owners wanted to introduce some quirk to the typical modern farmhouse, so instead of salvaged wood beams, they opted for white oak floors finished in a clear coat to bring out the yellow-warm undertones and a Petite Friture chandelier—a staple in Paris apartments.