Beg to differ, Kirsten.

I"m not really talking about trying to sell an existing house and therefore showing it off to it's best advantage. I'm talking about the rise of "modern farmhouse" as an element of what you have to have to embrace the new "authenticity."

First, you make my own point with your remark about wanting "simplicity." And of course, that isn't REALLY the issue, but that's the buzzword for it.

However, nothing about this is "simplicity":

Nor is this:

It IS also a lifestyle. There are blogs, facebook groups, communities and even magazine devoted to it as a Lifestyle:

I really begin to suspect that this is what came rushing in to fill the vacuum left when Martha Stewart was... dethroned, as it were?

I'm not saying it's not pretty sometimes, and do it if you want to. But the buzzwords are, of course, "simple," "timeless," "classic"... and it's really none of those things.

When it comes to farmhouse living this is the fantasy:

This is reality:

This is just silly:

And it will be stylish for about the same period of time that this was:

So my real gripe with it is the number of people who have been sold on the idea that building the house:

And think it's going to get them days and weeks of nothing but this:

Only to find that that isn't how it works. And 10 years down the road have a house possessed of many a dated feature that is difficult to change and that they no longer "love" as much as they did when Instagram was a flood of these images.

Sorry, Virgil; it’s here to stay (at least according to Houzz predictions!)

lol Houzz sent me an email meant for Pros. And their MO is whatever makes them money and they can sell, so of course they're keen to push the latest trend while it's hot.

They, like HGTV, will be on to the next thing as soon as the it captures the Pinterest public's fancy. I'm assuming "modern farmhouse" will have the same longevity as avocado and harvest gold appliances, but considerably less than that of the ranch-style house.

Marketing is never irrelevant. Marketing helps to make our current world go round (and it's why we're all here with Houzz instead of GardenWeb). Marketing, to quote Terry O'Reilly, is not about selling stuff but about differentiating a company's business from the competition, and understanding consumer psychology and behavior are key. "Modern farmhouse" will be on its way when the next style sensation finds a way to differentiate him/herself from the shiplapped crowd to appeal to the buying public.

Joanna Gaines isn't selling shiplap and large unnecessary clocks. She's selling a lifestyle and hope. Through her website, her new book, her TV show, her restaurant, her market/bakery, her cookbook, her magazine, her rental properties you can stay at while you come to shop at the market and worship at the Magnolia altar. And with her website biography,

She appreciates the old ways of living, simple and hard-working with home at the center. Joanna was born in Kansas and raised in the Lone Star State. She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Communications and was inspired to join the world of design while interning in New York. Off-the-beaten-path boutiques felt like home in the midst of the big city. These shops were the influence for what came next. ... In between filming for Fixer Upper, their many renovation projects, and running Magnolia, Joanna enjoys life on the farm and spending time cooking family recipes in her kitchen. Gardening soothes her soul and being with her five kids dominates all other favorites.

The message here is that you can have it all, especially if you have a Magnolia modern farmhouse style house to come home to and around which to center your life. Five kids not included; batteries, $58 "Ain't Nobody Like a Home Body" sweatshirt, and $28 Marigold (apparently the new harvest gold) Authenticity Journal sold separately.

Not for nothing do the Gaineses have degrees in communication (her) and marketing (him).

^^^That.

There are well known and accepted architectural styles. They have common meaning and understanding. It's the use of accepted vocabulary for successful communications. The designation of architectural styles is long standing, and the subject of constant scholarly research and publications. When someone says Colonial Revival, everyone (with any architectural knowledge) understands what is meant.

"Modern farmhouse" has no such known and accepted architectural definition or meaning. It's means everything to everyone and nothing to anyone. "Modern farmhouse" is simply current marketing terminology used in the decoration industry, TV show publications and realtor sales jargon in an attempt to conjure up a romantic feeling and appeal for sales purposes.

"Modern farmhouse" is just about the most vague and meaningless term for architectural style; it has no aesthetic usefulness, because it has no definition.

This is a "modern farmhouse" in Texas in 1865:

See, Virgil - my space age polymer thatch thing might be the next million-dollar idea! Wanna collaborate?

For anyone interested in marketing and branding, the Magnolia Home Brand Guidelines for Retailers is a fascinating read.

"...this post depicts dozens of different types of farmhouses, suggesting there isn’t a particular architectural style associated with the term, but rather that it depends on the land, the time, the place, and the materials..."

True, as far as it goes...but you are failing to understand that, despite the regional differences in true farmhouses (which I think many of us agree about and I've illustrated here repeatedly), there are many commonalities which characterize true farmhouses, and give rise to them falling into such accepted architectural categories as "folk architecture" and "vernacular architecture".

These two terms--folk architecture and vernacular architecture--have much more significance and common understanding among those who understand architecture and architectural history than the marketing hype of "modern farmhouse".

If you are an attorney, you should understand the importance of vocabulary and meaning in communications. It's why the legal profession has its own specific terms and definitions which are used to clarify legal intent.

"Modern farmhouse" is simply marketing jargon--it has no commonly accepted definition or meaning in the real world. No two people understand it to mean the same thing.

A Tuscan-style villa won’t transport you to the countryside either, but it’s still a valid aesthetic request.

Interestingly, there are Tuscan-style villas (how valid an aesthetic request they are is, and has been, fodder for other threads lol),

and there Tuscan villas,

There are descriptions/descriptors, and then there are accepted architectural styles.

I don't see anyone here "up in arms" about the subject. I do see a very interesting, wide-ranging discussion that many have been enjoying thanks to Anglo's original post. I have a soft spot for threads like this, because I enjoy the exchange of views and I always learn something, usually about architecture and construction in other geographical regions, or more about a particular project when I start to Google (like the work of Bailey McCarthy's architect and designer on her new house).

I agree, Becky. And sometimes find new resources to hunt down, like Mark's book.

There is a great deal more to architecture and home design than a few line drawings. This thread has actually taken a bit of a deeper dive into some of the psychology for why we want what we want. Although we haven't yet veered off into "everything is a reaction to what came before..."

I suppose part of it, from my perspective, is that I naturally expect someone building a fully custom house to have some basic feel for this phenomenon and some more specific vision for their own home than the latest HGTV series and I'm always surprised by the folks who really don't. They state "we're building our forever house" and then grab for all the latest trends.

I'm an advocate of remembering that whatever you own personal plans may be, that house is going to be a permanent part of the landscape. There are so many rather unfortunate leftovers from the 60's, 70's and 80's around my area that I wince to think what the new crop of Me Too houses is going to look like in 20 years. How many of the "Top 5 exterior Photos" now will later be used as an excellent example of home building from a specific place and time, as Virgil used the photos he shared, when they've been standing 40 years? 80? More?

We seem to be treating our homes as more disposable than we used to, along with anything else. Even some of the folks building on "family land." You'd think that would inspire you to take your time and get it right. Build in stages for the ages - not cut corners to get more square feet.

Well..."..While this thread is interesting, I find it sad that you all feel so comfortable judging others for using a neutral phrase that conveys a commonly understood vision..."

There's nothing to feel sad about in this thread, IMO, because there's no "judging others" going on here. What's being discussing is the subject matter of the postings, and not the individuals who create the postings.

And..."...using a neutral phrase that conveys a commonly understood vision..." is exactly the point of dissention. "Modern farmhouse" does not convey a commonly understood vision, because there is no commonly understood vision of that term. It means everything to everyone who uses it, but no two people who use the phrase have the same "common" understanding of its meaning.

Why don't you try defining the term and let's see if there's a commonly understood and accepted vision or definition?

For example, is this a "modern farmhouse"? If so why?

Is this a modern farmhouse?

The next two houses are considered icons in the Modern Architecture or International School style of architecture, but are they farmhouses?

Are you beginning to see the importance of clarity in architectural vocabulary?

There is a great deal more to architecture and home design than a few line drawings. ... I suppose part of it, from my perspective, is that I naturally expect someone building a fully custom house to have some basic feel for this phenomenon and some more specific vision for their own home than the latest HGTV series and I'm always surprised by the folks who really don't. They state "we're building our forever house" and then grab for all the latest trends.

Holly, I agree. I think some of the problem has come from the online houseplan vendors, who've realized there's good money to be made from the great popularity of the Fixer Upper style and with a few computer clicks changed some of the exterior/interior finishes and fixtures on existing plans.

In fact, there's so much money to be made with this aesthetic that C&J Gaines came up with "Magnolia" for their piece of the homemade pie because "Fixer Upper" is HGTV/Scripps property. Chip Gaines's clown act and Joanna Gaines's earth mama persona cover very shrewd marketers.

Virgil - would you not agree many do understand the term modern farmhouse. You as an architect want an accepted architectural term, I understand that, but most people on this forum are not architects and are comfortable using such terms.

Just finished reading "If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home". Her last chapter addressed the effects the author felt climate change would likely have on homes' interiors and exteriors. I think the people building the large sharply gabled many windowed homes "plopped" on their large lawns may have more reasons to regret their choices than style changes. Next week will be bringing the third winter thaw since November to my horses' drylot, meaning the scourge of mud in January in western Wisconsin. I put my horse blankets on and off like they're barbie dolls, when there used to be a continuous blanket season.

This is a recreation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's birth farmhouse, located a few minutes from our home.

You as an architect want an accepted architectural term, I understand that, but most people on this forum are not architects and are comfortable using such terms.

I'm not an architect, but I appreciate communicating well with others because I find it makes life, personally and professionally, infinitely better and easier. I've found that being "comfortable" in language, as with clothing, can cause one to slip toward the lazy and inappropriate.

And in the grand scheme of things, for the lay public to understand architectural terms is quite simple. Easier than putting together kids' toys on Christmas Eve, for example : ) .

One's mileage may vary, of course.

Well...anytime and everytime the discussion of "modern farmhouse" arises, the conversation often separates folks into two distinctly different groups.

The first group, often consumers, find the term "modern farmhouse" comfortable, meaningful, and as in this thread view the term "...“modern farmhouse” is a well-understood aesthetic descriptor..." This group of folks think the term "modern farmhouse" is so simple and so clear that they can't understand why another group of folks object to the term at all. After all this first group of folks understand the term perfectly.

Now...the second group of folks, often including architects, historians and folks in the field of design and construction, find the term "modern farmhouse" absolutely meaningless, without any sort of commonly understood definition or description...these folks (of whom I am one) consider the term "modern farmhouse" nonsensical jargon created by marketing teams paid good money to find trendy terms which will encourage other folks to spend money on stuff labeled "modern farmhouse"....stuff like "modern farmhouse" quilts, bedspreads, sliding doors, exterior siding, black window frames...and yes, even building themselves. "Modern farmhouse", "color of the month", and similar terms are coined by the Trend Gods and Goddesses, for transfer of coin of the realm.

And...the solution to the divergent points of view about "modern farmhouse" is so simple. For everyone who believes that "modern farmhouse" is a useful, well understood and completely clear archhitectural descriptor, simply post your definition of the term below.

Just define what "modern farmhouse" is. If it's simple and clear, and well understood, it shouldn't be hard to define. So define it.

Or...post a couple of photos illustrating what a "modern farmhouse" looks like.

Take your time. We can wait...

I've missed so much, again!! I'm really enjoying this thread! :)

The term "modern farmhouse" consists of two vague if not confusing terms so it means nothing specific to me. I have trouble with "shabby chic" as well. Its important to make a distinction between meaningful terms and marketing jargon.

barncatz: Next week will be bringing the third winter thaw since November to my horses' drylot, meaning the scourge of mud in January in western Wisconsin. I put my horse blankets on and off like they're barbie dolls, when there used to be a continuous blanket season.

Girrrrrllll... Ain't that the truth!! Same here in Indiana.

Just define what "modern farmhouse" is. If it's simple and clear, and well understood, it shouldn't be hard to define. So define it.

I can't ... It's more a trend to me.

But in other thoughts, how long does a trend have to be a trend to become a clear architectural descriptor?? Is that the common progression??

"...But in other thoughts, how long does a trend have to be a trend to become a clear architectural descriptor?? Is that the common progression??..."

It's a good question. The answer is in here:

The term "modern farmhouse" consists of two vague if not confusing terms so it means nothing specific to me. I have trouble with "shabby chic" as well. Its important to make a distinction between meaningful terms and marketing jargon.

All true.

I also have trouble with "rustic industrial" and "modern farmhouse industrial" etc.

I love the posts that say there is "no judging going on here." LOLOL

Lots of experts here - and I've learned a lot. But the reality is that most people do not have the means/energy/time/money required to build/design/live in Houzz-pro-approved houses.

I researched last year - what it'd take/cost to buy a lot, hire an architect, design a house with an ideal process, build the house - and it would've cost $100K+ more than what the house would've appraised for.

So instead - I worked w/ a tract house builder - got a contract on a house that he hadn't started building, made a few tweaks to his plan that is certainly NOT Houzz approved, picked out some finishes I personally like - and will be closing on a house that I can afford, that appraises for what my mortgage is, and will mostly meet my needs.

This house fails a few tests that some of the architects regularly list here for good house design - but hell - it's a million times better than what I was living in - and if I need to move I can sell it without losing my shirt.

But the reality is that most people do not have the means/energy/time/money required to build/design/live in Houzz-pro-approved houses.

My husband and I knew that building our new house would be a one-time event in our lives, especially since we'd already been married for 20 years when we finally started building. For us, my putting in the time and energy on the various GardenWeb (now Houzz) forums -- Building a Home, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Appliances, etc. -- was vital to ensure that we got the biggest bang for our buck. This will have been our biggest expenditure in our marriage. And too, because we farm it's not a question of selling the house at some point. This house will likely be here for a long while, so best to make sure everything would be as well-planned as possible, from the house itself to the kitchen layout to our appliance choices.

I don't understand those forum members who think that the virtual strangers here need to "approve" certain types of houses and layouts for kicks. The simple truth is that most of the people on here with some design talent -- and that includes professionals as well as some amateurs -- simply want posters here to end up with the best possible plan. Because a well-planned house saves you money and improves/enhances daily life.

Any house plan with even a slightly larger kitchen and one more bathroom would have been a million times better than our old house. What we ended up with was considerably better and certainly worth the research and willingness to listen to others in the forums. I will be especially forever grateful to those in the Kitchen forum who champion drawers for base cabinets : ) .

I suppose this is yet another thread where the old, more educational culture of GardenWeb comes up against the new, validation/approval culture of Houzz, most obviously found in Design Dilemma. Sigh.

I am only here to encourage those building a home to seek that which is above and beyond what they conceive to be the norm to improve and enhance their lives (and to get entertainment during my breaks).

I hit send too soon. I wanted to add I'm also extremely grateful for the advice in all these forums which have allowed me, while living in the back of beyond in remote rural Canada where there are no architects and when we had family emergency on top of family emergency and a lot of travel away from home which wouldn't allow for the sort of remote projects that have become more popular in the last few years, to access so much good advice, from experienced homeowners, amateurs, and pros alike. These forums have been a gift for anyone willing to mine the archives, and to be open to advice and suggestions.

I relied on Larson's The Farmhouse (posted by Virgil Carter Fine Art upthread) while spending six years worth of weekends completing our house with my DH.

This paragraph (p.174) sums up for me why the term Modern Farmhouse means nothing to me. It is because the term can and does mean anything. In many such labeled houses, it seems to mean all kinds of anything, with no appreciation for human scale or the types of human activity the Farmhouse once partnered (and on working farms still partners) with.

Designing with Restraint

The character and charm of old farmhouses...are in part the result of constraints. At the time these structures were built, materials were few and locally produced; the available technology had been handed down for generations....if a new home is not carefully proportioned, [the profusion of all the choices available] may come together to resemble a suburban house rather than a charming old farmhouse.

barncatz, I regret only that I can like your post but once.

[ Modern farmhouse] ...the second group of folks, often including architects, historians and folks in the field of design and construction, find the term "modern farmhouse" absolutely meaningless, without any sort of commonly understood definition or description...

=

[ The Rise of the Modern Farmhouse] probuilder.com

https://www.probuilder.com/rise-modern-farmhouse

Born in the home-flipping culture that rose during the 2008 recession the modern farmhouse, with it’s white shiplap, apron-front sinks, and industrial and antique touches, has stuck in the national design vocabulary. It has been fueled by DIY shows like the Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines, as well as by social media like Instagram and Pinterest.

What is surprising is that such a readily recognizable look is just a few years old. The New York Times first used the phrase “modern farmhouse” in an October 2016 article describing the work of the Jersey Ice Cream Co., an interior-design firm that gained attention in the early 2010s for home makeovers that layer in reclaimed wood, antique finds, and farmhouse sinks. Google tracks the use of the phrase “modern farmhouse” as nearly nonexistent from 2004 (when the search engine began tracking phrases) to 2015, with a sharp climb beginning in 2016 and continuing upward and upward with each passing month.

I'm sure I'm not adding anything new to this discussion, just to repeat that there's decor, and then there's architecture

Modern Farmhouse-I think one can understand it as either being a farmhouse built now, which then will have different architectural features depending largely on its location (climate demands, geographical and hitorical context, lot, etc)-and thus will vary in appearance accordingly.

Or one can undertand it as a decor trend which I'd put somewhere under rustic-industrial umbrella. But it won't be translated into architecture. It can go with it well, or clash with it-depending on who's using the trend. It will contain some distinctive design elements inside the house, like more open floor plan, use of certain elements, color pallettes, etc. But the house from outside won't be easily recognisable as "modern farmhouse". It can be a bungalow, a ranch, a Cape Cod, a-some- other Colonial. Maybe a contemporary attemp at Tuscan as folk think of it here, for all I know. Some houses will lend themelves better for this aesthetic than others. I'm not sure people always take their house into account when choosing this style(or any other style, for that matter).

Yes, sometimes one can get mind blowing result combining traditional architecture with modern decor, Usually won't happen without very good bones, and pretty good eye. The decor usually is very well conidered too-the bones are left to sing untouched in their glory. One just needs not to spoil it, so to say.

In short, to me there's a difference between "a look" and an architectural style..and this thread appears in "Building a Home" forum, thus a lot of attention to architecture, first of all.

(no, I'm not a pro, I don't have money for all the houses I'd like to have/need to have lol, or to have even mine finished to my high standards.. I haven't even finished reading yet that pretty amazing book Virgil linked to, above-I'm t onto 20 th century there. I'm just somebody who loves houses and interested in their relationship with people and place and times, enough to read here, and in other places, with growing passion that proves hard to kill )

(no, I'm not a pro, I don't have money for all the houses I'd like to have/need to have lol, or to have even mine finished to my high standards.. I haven't even finished reading yet that pretty amazing book Virgil linked to, above-I'm t onto 20 th century there. I'm just somebody who loves houses and interested in their relationship with people and place and times, enough to read here, and in other places, with growing passion that proves hard to kill )

You're not a pro or a Houzz-styled "Pro", april, but you're definitely a design aficionado and easily what is often referred to in this forum as a person of design talent (in the words of the much missed cpartist).

And I do find it distressing that so many forum users, esp a lot of newer Houzz vs. GW members, seem to get hung up on the Pro designation and overlook the remarkable possibilities of talented amateurs. For the first few years I was hanging out in the Kitchen Forum, it was almost entirely homeowners working together to help each other out, and the result was so many beautiful, functional kitchens.

saw a nice modern "farmhouse" on a city lot the other day. I actually liked this house.

beckysharp I agree...loved GW and all the people who helped me with my kitchen and baths back in the day.

Becky, you're too kind

I also miss cpartist and many others, miss them terribly, I think their presence and contribution were invaluable.

Look what arrived today!

There is such great wisdom in here :)

Did you get all four volumes?

Just Vol 3. Keeping an eye out for the others :)

Love it shead! And I'm now reading the book Virgil posted above... for the 3rd time. I've had it a long time, well it's actually my dad's copy, but it's been a while!!

This is our house on our working farm. It is not white, it is green. The interior is grey with white trim. The farm grows organic produce for our 6 stores.

House · More Info

Beautiful Macimom!!

Modern Farmhouse definition: A pseudo-architectural style (farmhouse) with an attached disclaimer (modern).

The newest arrivals on our farm were born yesterday around noon. Last year we did water names , thinking this year we might go with a construction theme.

and to stay on topic, our 'farmhouse' in process.