inspiration to decorating your home

Interior design embraces many styles of décor. For example, many cozy styles are inspired by farmhouses and are used in family-oriented rooms such as the kitchen and living room. Within this décor style, interior designers often lean toward a secondary style, such as country or cottage. Find out the basics you should master for using farmhouse décor here.

1. Use Shiplap as a Foundation

Even though you have different secondary styles from which to choose, shiplap is an ideal foundation material for farmhouse décor. You use the plain planks for walls. The contractors can install the shiplap planks from floor to ceiling or as accent siding only partway up the wall. You can even use the accent siding for a single wall, say the one behind your bathroom vanity.

2. Buy Wooden Furniture

In the tradition of the farmhouse, homesteaders would have built their own furniture out of the available material, wood. While different materials can still feature a farmhouse appeal, wood should be the foundation. For instance, you could choose a cozy wooden coffee table and mismatched side tables for your living room.

That latter is a boon — farmhouse furniture doesn't have to match.

3. Keep Materials Rustic

In that vein, much of the foundation of the farmhouse style is the idea that pieces were handed down through the generations. So, not only would they not match, but they'd be far from new looking. You want furnishings and even building materials that feature a well-worn façade. For example, you could use reclaimed bricks for a fireplace or reclaimed wood for your flooring.

4. Use Targeted Textiles

When family members handed down furniture, they usually handed down textiles, too. You might not have an ancestor who was good at quilting, but you could find textiles to pretend you did. What's more, a targeted approach to textiles can promote your secondary style within the farmhouse umbrella.

For another example, cottage textiles are often light-colored and delicate. So, if you want some cottage appeal, you could choose delicate, white curtains.

5. Add Unique Farmhouse Details

Once you've built the foundation of your farmhouse décor, you can start adding personal touches. These personal touches are what distinguish your home from others in the same style. For instance, Home and Garden TV recommends using a wooden travel trunk as your coffee table. Ideally, you'd find a trunk and upcycle it. However, you can also buy one for that purpose.

Design your interior with farmhouse basics, and add your own unique touches.