Interior and Exterior Tips to Design a Black Farmhouse

If you’re into the modern farmhouse trend, you’ve no doubt seen your share of white farmhouses. But why not turn this concept on its head? If you want to build a barn-style home that walks the line between modern and traditional, say hello to the black farmhouse. Here’s what you should know about this trending house style.

What Exactly Is a Farmhouse?

In the last couple of years, homeowners have been fleeing their matchbox-size city homes and investing in rural weekend getaways or shifting base to the great outdoors, either in farmhouse-style homes or tiny homes and cabins. Being stuck indoors can do that to you.

People are building homes nestled in greenery, making sure their abodes have home offices so they never have to leave the peace and quiet.

In the past, rustic farmhouses evolved out of a basic need — for those who worked on farms to have shelter — but today, they’re basically defined as residential spaces on agricultural land. 

According to The Spruce, farmhouse architecture has its roots in rural houses built by American pioneers throughout the 1700s and 1800s. It’s thought that owners built these single-floor, rectangular constructions themselves because they couldn’t afford labor.

Farmhouse-style homes can reflect many different design styles:

• Scandinavian: Modern and minimalist, with the focus on sleek lines and airy spaces. Companies like DEN Outdoors specialize in these kinds of modern farmhouses and cabins, which even amateur builders or homeowners with no experience can construct — with the help of DEN’s plans and resources.
• Colonial: With their grid windows, neutral tones, and profusion of brick and wood, they’re the old-school charmers.
• French country: A style that brings together features of chic French villas and rustic tones of American barn-style farmhouses.
• Rustic: Undone, raw, unfinished, with an element of wabi-sabi, this style is all about distressed wood, rough edges, and the like.
• Modern: In this article we’re going to focus on the modern farmhouse, because black farmhouse design falls into that category. The Spruce describes modern farmhouse design as “traditional without being fussy, classic without being like a museum, and comfortable in a way that makes you want to put your feet up and stay a while.” Again, companies like DEN have designs that qualify as modern.

7 Elements of Modern Farmhouses

Today, classic interior and exterior elements of traditional white farmhouses continue to inspire modern farmhouse design. From carrying forward the conventional open-plan first-floor layout, to large skylights and windows, here are the features you’ll often find with modern farmhouses:

1. An open-plan layout where the lower floor usually has a great room or an open-plan living/dining room with a kitchen island. The upper floor is usually reserved for bedrooms. Even in homes less than 400 sq. ft., people tend to prefer two-story designs so there can be privacy for sleeping quarters. You can see a great example of this in DEN’s 600-square-foot farmhouse, the  Modern Cottage, which features an additional loft space that you can hide away in!
   
   
2. Usage of lots of reclaimed wood, like a shiplap dining table or a batten board backdrop in a farmhouse kitchen.
   
   
3. Inclusion of big, comfy furniture (think wicker dining chairs), mud rooms at the entryway, and sleek kitchen islands.
   
   
4. Vaulted, beamed, and high ceilings.
   
   
5. Vintage and DIY accessories.
   
   
6. Continued focus on organic, natural materials like wood, wicker, cane, and rattan.
   
   
7. Large windows, skylights, and wraparound porches.

While design elements may be similar to traditional farmhouses, with modern versions there’s been a big change in color schemes. Popular choices include classic white and neutral interiors and exteriors, kitschy multi-colored interiors, black and white interiors, or entirely black exteriors.

Why Are Black Farmhouses Trending?

The black modern farmhouse has overtaken the classic white farmhouse exterior — people are now either adding a completely black exterior with black finish paint and dark-toned shingles and siding, or just a black metal roof.

So why should you cross over to the dark side?

A black exterior looks sleek, modern, and minimalist, and giving your home a dark makeover is an easy way to increase the value. You’re changing up the entire look without spending too much.

It’s also more energy-efficient; black absorbs light, so this will keep your house warmer during winter. Read on to find out who can help you design your black farmhouse, and what farmhouse exterior and interior elements to keep in mind.

Who Can Help You Design Your Black Farmhouse?

Does the idea of living in a contemporary black farmhouse with high ceilings, natural light, and sleek black and white interiors intrigue you? DEN can help you do all the work from scratch — we join you at the research stage, guide you through the building process, and offer budget-friendly packages that won’t dent your savings too much. Whether you’re looking for land or have managed to acquire it, you can connect with DEN to get started.

Complete packages come with architectural blueprints, detailed structural plans, a project brief, a buying guide for materials and fixtures, and even an essential cost breakdown spreadsheet for those who need help with budgeting (don’t we all?). If you’re still on the fence, opt for a Starter package. 

Once you’re ready to start laying the foundation, literally, you can apply the amount spent on a Starter package toward a Complete package.

Interior and Exterior Design Elements to Include in a Black Farmhouse

So what should your black farmhouse look like? Let’s discuss some ways to color coordinate your design both inside and out.

Black Home Exterior Elements

If you’re looking to change up your home’s exterior, an easy way to do so is by giving it a black look:

• You can give your home exterior an entirely black makeover with coats of black paint.
• If you’d rather opt for siding, install new black siding onto your existing home exterior. If you’re constrained by a tight budget, you can even paint over your current siding in parts, like just the roof, to see whether black suits your home. You can opt for matte black or an antique black finish.
• Another non-conventional way to use black is if your home exterior is brick-lined, just paint over the red bricks with black paint. It’s easier than it sounds, and you’ll thank us when you see a home that looks brand new!

Black Farmhouse Interior Elements

Apart from drenching your house exterior in a coat of black paint, the trend has even moved on to decorating your farmhouse interiors in black and white. We’re not talking Kim Kardashian-style austere white or Cruella de Vil black and white, but a more balanced use of black and white.

• If your basic walls and ceiling are classic white, you can add black front doors, door frames and window frames, drawers, and cabinets for an element of contrast.
• In your living room or great room, (a feature of farmhouses where family room, living room, and study come together to form one large space), if the walls and big pieces of furniture like the sofa are white, a nice way to create the b&w look is by adding black chandeliers, accent tables, and even checkered soft furnishings.
  In your dining room, add a white marble-topped table, with black feet and antique black-polished wooden chairs.
• If you’re investing in flush or semi-flush mount lights, wall sconces, or pendant lighting, then the light fittings can be polished or painted black — which looks great against stark white walls and ceilings.

Black Farmhouse-Style Homes Across Sizes to Inspire You

If you aren’t quite sure the black farmhouse trend is for you, here’s visual inspiration that will have you looking for land and lining up a contractor before you know it. 

Black is back.

Barnhouse Plus

A full two-bed, two-bathroom modern farmhouse, the entirely black exterior of DEN’s 1,152-square-foot Barnhouse Plus makes it look modern and chic. The home sleeps up to six people and is a great getaway for those who want to live in luxury.

Modern Alpine Cabin

Sitting sleek in perfectly green surroundings, DEN’s 448-square-foot Modern Alpine Cabin is the perfect modern farmhouse-esque escape. This tiny house, with black exterior siding, cool wooden interiors, a lofted bedroom, full bathroom, and kitchen is the perfect starter farmhouse for young homeowners.

Barnhouse Family

The 1,568-square-foot Barnhouse Family with an all-black exterior is the perfect example of a fully loaded farmhouse. It’s equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows so you feel like you’re one with the land, a covered porch that runs the entire length of the building, kitchen, one primary bedroom and two guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a handy home office.

Getting Started on Your Black Farmhouse

Now that you know what a modern black farmhouse can look like both inside and out, you’re no longer in the dark (get it?) when it comes to this style.

Whether you want a fully black exterior or to bring the black-and-white trend indoors, you can use this information and inspiration to create a home that you’ll love.

Are you ready to go from dreaming about your sleek black farmhouse to building it? DEN's design packages contain everything you need to get started on your farmhouse journey.