Farmhouse style is an approach to interior decoration inspired by the practical, unpretentious homes of rural farming families, combining solid country furniture, natural materials and a relaxed, lived-in atmosphere. In Britain it draws on the traditions of English and Welsh farmhouses, with flagstone or quarry-tiled floors, exposed beams, limewashed walls, open fires, range cookers and scrubbed tables.
The style favours furniture made for use rather than display, including oak and pine dressers, settles, refectory and farmhouse tables, Windsor and ladder-back chairs, blanket chests and food cupboards. Original painted surfaces, honest wear and simple construction are particularly valued, as are accessories such as stoneware crocks, copper pans, salt-glazed pottery, treen, enamelled tinware and woven baskets. Textiles tend to be plain or traditional, such as checked linen, quilts, woollen blankets and rag rugs. Farmhouse style has enjoyed periodic revivals, and in recent decades it has become popular internationally in lighter, more modern versions. For collectors and decorators, authentic country antiques give the look a depth and sense of history that new furniture made in a farmhouse manner rarely achieves.
