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03 Modern
Farmhouse

Modern Farmhouse is evolving from cohesive, classic comfort into a resilient, grounded and nurturing style. The style reimagines rustic warmth to include resource-smart, inclusive layouts and intuitive modern conveniences, creating homes that foster resilience across generations.

Download the full Design Handbook for a more in depth look at design themes, inspiration, floorplans, landscaping and more.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook

Resilient, grounded
& nurturing  

Multiple connected spaces create privacy and independence for everyone, while simple, refined forms keep the home efficient and easy to live in. The Modern Farmhouse blends traditional charm with smart, contemporary features that make shared living feel comfortable, flexible and beautifully balanced.

Contents:

  • Lifestyle themes NEW
  • Floorplan NEW
  • Design features
  • Cladding solutions
  • Colour palette
  • Style variations
  • Materials & textures
  • Landscaping NEW
  • Styling
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Lifestyle themes

Grounded in resilient, nurturing and multigenerational rural living, the Modern Farmhouse home supports the practical and emotional rhythms of contemporary life—balancing rustic warmth with resource-smart adaptability, durable comfort and intuitive, connected daily living across generations.

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Evolved Living

Modern Farmhouse grounds resilience in rural-inspired layouts and robust materials, delivering comfort and resource-smart living across generations.

Creative Living

Celebrating grounded creativity, Modern Farmhouse layers rustic forms with adaptable, expressive elements. It invites storytelling through design, turning nurturing homes into canvases of resilience and imagination.

Multigenerational Living

Rural charm is reimagined with separate dwellings and shared verandas, fostering independence and connection under one roof. The design balances connection and autonomy, allowing everyone to share resources while maintaining independence and privacy. 

Autonomous Living

In the Modern Farmhouse, Autonomous Living is expressed through resilience and self-sufficiency. Durable materials, passive design and smart automation support independent, multigenerational living, creating nurturing homes that operate efficiently with minimal intervention and long-term comfort.
JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

For additional insights in to the lifestyle shifts shaping Modern Farmhouse homes today, Download the full Design Handbook to gain expert insight from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook

Design features

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1 Pavillion roofline

Multiple, interconnecting pavilions with A-shaped, hipped or gable roofs create open, airy layouts and covered verandas. These expressive rooflines evoke a sense of rural tradition and often feature large eaves which creates a distinctive ‘farmhouse’ look.
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2 Framed views

Large, square or rectangular windows flood interiors with natural light and frame views of the landscape. Signature black frames add a sleek, modern edge to the welcoming ambiance.
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3 Contrasting materials

Natural-look materials on the exterior such as vertical-joint cladding are contrasted with black or metallic accents such as window frames or light fittings, which add definition. It can also feature board and batten cladding for a perfect balance of old and new.
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4 Natural colours

Grounded hues of biscuit reds, deep greens, and weathered taupe anchor the home in rural calm. Neutral tones showcase tactile surfaces and craftsmanship, creating a serene, inviting atmosphere.

Cladding solutions

Modern Farmhouse layering pairs classic board-and-batten with contemporary cladding, enabling grounded, context-responsive facades that honour rural character while supporting resilient performance and evolving aesthetic preferences.

Ready to specify Hardie™ fibre cement products in your next project?

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Colour palette

A Modern Farmhouse colour palette draws on grounded rural hues layered with contemporary restraint, creating a warm, resilient aesthetic. Earthy neutrals, deep charcoals and weathered timbers anchor the form, while soft whites and natural textures enhance light, depth and architectural clarity without overpowering the home’s enduring character.

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JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

Want to understand how colour shapes the Modern Farmhouse aesthetic? Download the Design Handbook for insight into the colour palette from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook

Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Scheme 3

Roof
Main Walls
Trims
Front Door

Colorbond® steel Monument®

Dulux® Colorbond® Dune®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Dune®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Dune®

Rectangle 216

Brushed Brass

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Victorian Ash Hardwood

Colorbond® steel Night Sky®

Dulux® Brown Earth
Wattyl® Rhebok
Taubmans® Pumpernickel

Dulux® Puddle
Wattyl® Light Earth
Taubmans® Muddled Puddle

Dulux® Colorbond® Night Sky®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Night
Sky®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Night Sky®

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Victorian Ash Hardwood

Colorbond® steel Woodland Grey®

Dulux® Wet Sand
Wattyl® Sand Pebbles
Taubmans® Brimstone

Dulux® Natural White
Wattyl® Raw Paper
Taubmans® Couture White

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Victorian Ash Hardwood

Dulux® Wet Sand
Wattyl® Sand Pebbles
Taubmans® Brimstone

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Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Scheme 3

Roof
Main Walls
Trims
Front Door

Colorbond® steel Monument®

Dulux® Colorbond® Dune®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Dune®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Dune®

Rectangle 216

Brushed Brass

150ff25f304c17ca80b04a1e6f95bb2cb3cdcb41 1

Victorian Ash Hardwood

Colorbond® steel Night Sky®

Dulux® Brown Earth
Wattyl® Rhebok
Taubmans® Pumpernickel

Dulux® Puddle
Wattyl® Light Earth
Taubmans® Muddled Puddle

Dulux® Colorbond® Night Sky®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Night
Sky®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Night Sky®

150ff25f304c17ca80b04a1e6f95bb2cb3cdcb41 1

Victorian Ash Hardwood

Colorbond® steel Woodland Grey®

Dulux® Wet Sand
Wattyl® Sand Pebbles
Taubmans® Brimstone

Dulux® Natural White
Wattyl® Raw Paper
Taubmans® Couture White

150ff25f304c17ca80b04a1e6f95bb2cb3cdcb41 (1)

Victorian Ash Hardwood

Dulux® Wet Sand
Wattyl® Sand Pebbles
Taubmans® Brimstone

JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

Want to understand how colour shapes the Modern Farmhouse aesthetic? Download the Design Handbook for insight into the colour palette from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook

Style variations

While the familiar farmhouse form anchors the Modern Farmhouse style, variations respond to lifestyle, site conditions and climate. Pavilions, material palettes and junction detailing evolve to suit context, enabling homes that balance resilience, adaptability, comfort and long-term performance across changing family needs.

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The Grand Modern Farmhouse

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The Grand Modern Farmhouse

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Cottage Farmhouse

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook

Get the Look

Materials & textures

A grounded material palette layers warm whites, soft stone and pale oak with brushed metals and muted greens, forming a calm, resilient base. Subtle texture replaces contrast, with natural grain, honed finishes and mineral surfaces adding depth while maintaining Modern Farmhouse’s understated, enduring character.

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Editor Avatar

Hear directly from VOGUE Living Editor Rebecca Caratti on material choices. Download the full Design Handbook for exclusive insights.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook
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Exterior

  • 1

    Ammos Stone Wall Cladding, RMS Traders

  • 2

    PVC Decking, Vintage Collection®, Coastline,
    TimberTechv

  • 3

    London Grey Cobblestone Limestone, RMS Traders

  • 4

    Peacock Pearl Blend Pool Tile Glass Mosaic,
    
The Pool Tile Company

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Flooring

  • 5

    Alta Engineered Floorboards, Kustom Timber

  • 6

    Penza Natural Oak Floorboards, Tongue & Groove

  • 7

    Chamoisee Natural Oak Floorboards, Tongue &
    Groove

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Windows & Walls

  • 8

    Brushed Brass Window Frames

  • 9

    Deep Forest Green Interior Paint, Porter's Paints

  • 10

    Plaster of Paris Interior Paint, Porter's Paints

  • 11

    Axon Cladding, Interior, James Hardie

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Cabinetry

  • 12

    Laminex Whitewashed Oak, Laminex

  • 13

    Laminex Porcelain Blush, Laminex

  • 14

    Laminex Coolum Sand, Laminex

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Tiles

  • 15

    Paoli Sand Porcelain Wall Cladding, RMS Traders

  • 16

    Elba Natural Stone Tile, Artedomus

  • 17

    Clovelly Travertine Look Crazy Paving Tile, Tile
    Cloud

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Textiles

  • 18

    Epitome, Moss Upholstery, James Dunlop Textiles

  • 19

    Sawyer, Wren Upholstery, Warwick

  • 20

    Inari Angora Drapery, Warwick

Get the Look

Materials & textures

A grounded material palette layers warm whites, soft stone and pale oak with brushed metals and muted greens, forming a calm, resilient base. Subtle texture replaces contrast, with natural grain, honed finishes and mineral surfaces adding depth while maintaining Modern Farmhouse’s understated, enduring character.

865d4c3c6351c8752f5109d4aaccfe54d583d599 1 (1)
Small Image1
Small Image2
Small Image3
Small Image4

Exterior

  • 1

    Ammos Stone Wall Cladding, RMS Traders

  • 2

    PVC Decking, Vintage Collection®, Coastline,
    TimberTechv

  • 3

    London Grey Cobblestone Limestone, RMS Traders

  • 4

    Peacock Pearl Blend Pool Tile Glass Mosaic,
    
The Pool Tile Company

Editor Avatar

Hear directly from VOGUE Living Editor Rebecca Caratti on material choices. Download the full Design Handbook for exclusive insights.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook

Landscaping

Landscaping extends the grounded character of Modern Farmhouse homes, pairing meadow-style planting and hardy natives with gravel paths, timber decks and shaded verandas. Outdoor rooms balance openness and shelter, fostering connection and independence while embracing seasonal change and relaxed rural living.

MF Design Handbook Landscaping
JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 2

Find a detailed, climate specific planting list in the full Design Handbook, with expert insight from Matt Leacy, Director of Landart.

Download the full Modern Farmhouse Design Handbook
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