How to Achieve the Perfect Farmhouse Bedroom Look
When you think of a farmhouse (we’re not talking about a farm with the big red barn) what often appears in your mind is a home that blends in with the natural surroundings. Neutral and natural colors are evident as the home is made of wood and it is designed to withstand the harshest of winters and the hottest of summers. Of course, modern farmhouses are much different than their predecessors, but there is still a way to preserve and continue this American tradition by adding the right touches. In days gone by, there weren’t a lot of modern conveniences. The bedroom was a place of rest and privacy. To achieve this effect with a dash of tradition, here are some ways to achieve the perfect farmhouse bedroom look.
Color is everything when it comes to visual evidence of that rustic sense, so generally you will want to keep the room colors natural and light. With the farmhouse bedroom the bed will be the focal point of the room, so the sheets and linens chosen for the bed need to have that light color scheme. This color scheme applies to the headboard as well. If you aren’t used to having a headboard or you just take what comes with the bed, you need to be creative and make your own, imbibing it with your own sense of style.
Moving away from the bed, the farmhouse theme needs to include pieces of history, whether they are your own heirlooms passed down from generations or purchased at an antique store. The first goal of including these types of pieces is to make a connection with the past – a key element with the farmhouse design. If you are just starting to look or plan for a new home, you can start the search now and create a special space to store family mementos. That beat up frame with your great-grandmother’s faded black and white picture in it is perfect for the bedroom.
Another dimension to the farmhouse bedroom is an assortment of furniture that draws a coordinated appearance but the furniture does not need to match. Strategically placed wooden end tables and wicker baskets are a great way to achieve the effect. These tend to have that same natural look as the outside of the building, and if you are inclined to add a more modern touch to the look you can include some metallic objects. It may be a challenge achieving the right balance of wood and metal, depending on what is available to you. Also, there may be budgetary considerations and you don’t want the room to look too busy.
Wooden floors are the norm for a farmhouse bedroom, so rather than go the wall-to-wall carpeting route find some rugs that can be placed near and around the bed. Generally, the iconic bear rug is reserved as the centerpiece for the living room or den, so the rugs chosen should not take away from the bed as the focal point of the room. Having some wooden floor showing adds to the warmth of the room’s appearance. Keeping with the natural color palette, it is fine to add some natural greenery to the room. It is recommended that even if the greenery is plastic and comes from a factory, it should occupy a place in the bedroom.
When choosing materials for the bed, the naturalist theme should continue by limiting the fabrics to linens and cottons. The rustic look will soon lose its luster if people realize they are surrounded by polyester and microfiber sheets. Even silk sheets have to be carefully considered because as wonderful as they are, not many traditional farmhouses could even think about affording such a luxury. For lighting the room, you can use incandescent lighting that will preserve the room’s traditional look while accentuating the bright colors used to cover the bed and many pillows. A quaint but easily understood item to include in the bedroom is a lantern. There are a variety of types and styles out there, and if you’re stuck for an idea find a store that sells hurricane lanterns. They are both practical and decorative. Placing a modern metal desk lamp on an end table achieves a nice effect.
Specific items to enhance the basic look may be found around your own home. A storage chest at the foot of the bed can serve multiple purposes; just name sure you fill it up with something! Consider a faux fireplace that will give the impression of a warmth and glow so familiar to people who love a natural ambiance. One very natural yet functional piece of furniture is the (almost) full length floor mirror surrounded by a wooden frame. Some designers suggest a chandelier for adding a certain degree of elegance, but our opinion is it will take away from the natural environment.
There are a number of ideas that can be found on websites such as Pinterest that will give you a sense of where you need to go to complete the farmhouse bedroom look. Because there is both a modern look and a more traditional rustic look, you have the freedom to mix and match while not violating the basic design theme. What some people have said is that the project is actually a lot of fun as you rummage through those boxes of long forgotten mementos stored in the attic, garage, or basement.
You can actually use modern technology to help you create the desired farmhouse bedroom look. For example, go to ancestry.com and start researching your history. Knowing the origins of your family can give you some ideas about making the bedroom space distinctively and uniquely yours. But for the most part you will want to keep it simple since that is one of the overarching themes of the entire farmhouse. Keeping the bedrrom low tech allows you to narrow down the number of decisions you will have to make regarding the revision.
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