Farmhouse style has become a widely admired and adopted interior design trend, celebrated for its unparalleled coziness. It beautifully merges with contemporary elements, creating spaces that feel exceptionally warm, welcoming, and serene.
While farmhouse decor ideas abound online, specific inspiration for dining rooms can be harder to find. Yet, the dining room, a hub for entertaining, greatly benefits from this style, which inherently offers both comfort and an inviting atmosphere.
Here, you’ll discover accessible ideas to effortlessly bring farmhouse charm to your dining space.
Incorporate Natural Materials
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Living on the farm inevitably incorporates as many raw materials inside the house as it does outside.
This dining room displays a perfect mix of wood, iron, and brass.
Shop For Antiques
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There’s nothing more charming than pieces passed down for generations.
This dining room set gives this modern space an old-world charm that only antiques could.
Go With Spindle-Back Chairs
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Dining room chairs in the modern farmhouse style typically incorporate a traditional design construction using sturdy materials like solid wood.
Spindle-back chairs like the style featured in this space are a quintessential farmhouse addition.
The black finish is paired with a classic iron dining room light fixture, while white shiplap is used on the walls for a touch of farmhouse perfection.
Try A Weathered Table
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This design style is often centered around the table, which can incorporate modern or rustic accents.
A great place to source your farmhouse dining room table is your local thrift store or flea market.
Seek out pieces that boast natural weathering, or try your hand at a DIY project that mimics a similar look.
Strike A Modern Balance
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When redesigning your space, consider striking a balance between trendy elements, like shiplap, subway tile, or floating shelves with farmhouse influences like industrial lighting and reclaimed wood.
Build Up Collections
Farmhouses often use collectibles and antique pieces as decor. Whether they’re matchy-matchy or a more eclectic mix of items, collections always fit well in these spaces.
You can seek out particularly rustic objects in estate sales, antique stores, and even from family members who may have items they can pass down. The more unique the item, the better.
Mix Modern and Rustic
Modern farmhouse dining rooms (and modern farmhouse as a whole) have skyrocketed in popularity. It’s a subtler way of incorporating elements of a homestead without losing sight of modernity.
If you like this look, it’s perfectly fine to lean more toward the first word when decorating. Only a few touches are necessary to bring out the farmhouse appeal, which could be something as simple as a linen tablecloth or wooden plank flooring.
Lean on an Antique Piece
Being gifted a special item or having a family heirloom handed down is always exciting, especially when it fits under the farmhouse category.
An object or furniture item such as this can serve as a foundation or focal point. Base your design decisions on what matches and works well with this one-of-a-kind item that other homeowners and renters can’t just order online.
Contrast Farmhouse with a Touch of Luxe
@wildrosecountryhome / Instagram
Glam and farmhouse are practically antonyms. Yet that’s what makes it so fun to blend these styles together.Bringing these contrasting looks into one room can take on a variety of formats.
You could add a sparkly, bejeweled chandelier over top of a wooden table, choose acrylic chairs over wooden ones, or brighten up the area with an ornate mirror.
Opt for Intricate Detailing
@homestead.city.dwelling / Instagram
Craftsmanship and detailing are always evident in a farmhouse, so it’s worth keeping this in mind for a dining room.
Chairs, dining hutches or cabinets, and tables are all pieces in which ornate flair and details will shine. This isn’t minimalism, so don’t be afraid to select items that highlight intricacy.
Embrace Symmetry
The word “farmhouse” might conjure a picture of a dilapidated space with crooked panels or misaligned floorboards, but symmetry is an important aspect in many ways.
The occasional imperfection is more than welcome, but symmetry is essential for making a rustic room look balanced (just look at the exteriors of old farmhouses). Reflect the same shapes, numbers, and colors around a space.
Choose Intentionally Worn Accents
Before you break out that can of paint, take a pause. Distressed, worn, and well-loved furniture and decor actually adds to the farmhouse look.
In a dining room, scuffed edges, chipped paint, and faded surfaces can be the difference between a modernized space or traditional eating room and a room that feels innately farmhouse.
Add an Earthy Element
Jessica Nelson Interior Design
Beyond wood and metal, farmhouse dining rooms and spaces should prioritize plants and living creatures—it is inspired by life on a farm after all.
The easiest way to do this is through a potted plant or two. It can be placed in the center of a table, on top of a buffet, or set in a corner.
Elegant Space With Rustic Wood Accents

This is how a modern farmhouse dining room looks like. It doesn’t make any compromise with comfort but it does it in a cozy and welcoming way.
The island has been planked with wooden slats creating a shiplap pattern. The tufted chairs surround a wooden round table which reveals authentic design and finish.
The chandelier above it is made of the same wood. Its carved design gives the dining room an additional sense of uniqueness and class.
Add Farmhouse Details With Furniture And Lighting

via Home Remedies
This chandelier finishes the appealing decor of an elegant farmhouse dining room. The color of the metal matches the black painted chairs, the chalkboard sign and other very small accents spread around the room.
White is the other color seen in this interior- it also marks the accents and easily contributes to creating an airy and neat ambiance.
Earthy colors dominate in this dining room being a typical farmhouse palette and also ensuring a good backdrop for the unique textures and applications.
Wood Eggs And Vintage Metal Basket

via Little Farmstead
Another motif from the farmhouse living makes eggs a charming and nostalgic decoration in the contemporary dining room.
You can either use real eggs or artificial ones, the second option will be safer. Find a vintage container like this basket with patina signs to arrange the eggs in and finish your new focal point or centerpiece for the dining room.
Add Greenery In Glass Terrariums

via Sarah Joy Blog
These wooden candlestick holders have been turned into a fantastic table centerpiece. Instead of holding candles, they are displaying small pots and vases at different heights to create a point of interest with a farmhouse nuance.
Some of the plants are topped off with glass cloches, others are left unprotected to ensure attractive design and alignment.
Painted Mason Jar Hydrangea Display

via Etsy
This centerpiece idea is an easy and affordable craft idea that will take you not more than a couple of hours.
To decide the color of the jars, you need to choose the flowers you are going to dip into them. In this case, faux hydrangea blossoms in white and dark red have defined the non-traditional color combination.
White is typical for the farmhouse interior and it suits the neutral walls behind. The red jar complements the red hydrangea blossoms and the gold one- enhances the gold spatters that are barely seen.
To ensure a clutter-free and attractive loo,k, all of them have been grouped together in a wooden box-shaped crate
Long Wood Box Makes Stunning Centerpiece

Finishing touches can make a significant difference in any space. your dining room doesn’t have to be entirely designed in the farmhouse style. You can give it a significant amount of appeal by including a simple but very charming table centerpiece.
Made of reclaimed wood, this boxed container looks like an old possession with a farmhouse story. Use plain jars in their original transparent look to welcome spring indoors.
Flank A Hutch With Rustic Wood Shutters

via Little Glass Jar
It is always a great idea to place a vase with flowers on the table to make the atmosphere more homely.
Using a galvanized bucket instead of the traditional glass vases will add another feature to the interior- it will make it welcoming in a lovely casual way.
The tin can be placed directly on the table or into a wicker tray to ensure a more elegant representation.
Hang Up Vintage-Inspired Wallpaper
Jessica Nelson Interior Design
Sometimes, the decor and furniture options out there can come across as a little too modern. This isn’t ideal when you’re aiming for an older, antique-style aesthetic.
One surefire way to center this notion of historical design is through vintage-inspired wallpaper. A floral print or similar can have an incredible effect on a room that feels overly current.
Select Only a Few Farmhouse Touches
Jessica Nelson Interior Design
Your dining room doesn’t need to feel like a barn extension when it comes to getting a farmhouse aesthetic. Even just a few well-thought-out touches can make a difference.
This could be a wooden plant stand, a rustic light fixture, or a stunning statement table—a raw edge wood one, of course.
Emphasize Wood Textures and Pieces
You’ll likely notice a running theme amongst most farmhouse dining rooms and that’s wood everything.If you’re trying to transition a dining room from a different design style, use this as your foundation.
Any wooden textures, panels, or pieces that look plucked from a real farmhouse will be quick catalysts for achieving your vision.
Play Around with Chair Style
Design by Michael Keck for EHD / Photo by Sara Tramp
Vintage-inspired floral wallpaper, wooden furniture, and metal-based fixtures are the perfect formula for creating a farmhouse dining room.
If you’d like it to look less like a museum display of a farmhouse and a little more, think about the shape of your chairs.
You can retain the materials that visually signal that this space is completely a farmhouse dining room, but a modern silhouette of a chair can bring it up to speed with modern-day.
Mix Traditional and Farmhouse
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
Traditional and farmhouse styles are a fabulous combination. Both look to historical references and blend well together.
Upholstered chairs and ornate fixtures and furniture items will look elevated next to worn, distressed wood and wrought iron textures.
The key is to balance both in equal measure so one doesn’t outweigh the other.
Plop Farmhouse Into a Modern Vignette
Design by Velinda Hellen for EHD / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
Suddenly have a hankering for a farmhouse dining room? Design tastes fluctuate over time and even if you’re one who typically sways toward modern styles, you can still add a pinch of the farm to your home.
In a modern room or space, the easiest way to get a quick farmhouse infusion is through tables and chairs. Swap out a more angular or modern pick with something rustic and wooden.
Try a Southwestern Twist
The Spruce / Marty Baldwin
When we talk about farmhouses, especially the styles of those around the U.S., we can’t forget the ranches and farm homes that exist in the Southwest.
These have their own flair and flavor that differs from the Midwest or South.Each will be unique in their way, but you can expect a little more color and even geometric patterns—great for anyone who finds the usual farmhouse palette a teeny bit bland.
A faux cow skull or antlers adds a very real pinch of authenticity in a space like this.
Fold Farmhouse Into an Open Concept Space
Without a formal dining room or walls to close in a space, you’ll want to create an effortless flow between your kitchen, dining area, and living room.
This might feel challenging at first since many traditional farmhouses were built with separate rooms. Stick with neutral colors of chairs, couches, and tables and select a glass or iron chandelier to break up space above.
Embrace Coastal Cowgirl
A micro trend that spun off from farmhouse design in recent years is “coastal cowgirl,” which essentially blends farm-inspired aesthetics with those found in beach houses.
Although unexpected, it’s an ideal trend to follow for anyone who adores both seaside and rural living. What’s needed to achieve the look? Wooden furniture, white soft furnishings, candles, and a touch of blue here and there.
Opt for a Minimal Take
Eclectic decor, vintage collections, and worn-down wood can be a touch too cluttered for some folks’ liking. That’s perfectly fine, the essence of farmhouse can still be distilled in a minimal way.
Rather than going all out with farmhouse everything, settle on a few tiny details that make your dining room—e.g. a smooth wooden table, a little plant or bouquet of faux florals, or one antique can all serve as a symbolic nod to farmhouse.
Utilize Your Kitchen Space
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We’re big fans of a formal dining room, but this kitchen setup is what farmhouse décor dreams are made of.
The white marble countertop contrasts with the industrial-inspired stools is inviting—just how the farmhouse style was designed to be.
And don’t even get us started on the stunning color of those cabinets.
Try A Moody Approach
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While we love the bright, airy approaches to farmhouse living, this dark and moody dining room is giving those light spaces a run for their money.
The deep green color on the walls and ceilings pairs brilliantly with the rich oak dining set.
Play With Pastels
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We love how a fresh coat of paint can transform a spindle-back chair into a fresh addition to your farmhouse-inspired space.
This powder blue paint is an unexpected finishing touch that ties the entire dining room together.
Go With Mismatched Items
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In your search through flea markets and thrift stores, don’t get too hung up on finding items that are part of a set.
This dining room is proof that mismatched items can still look cohesive in a space together.
Embrace Exposed Beams
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If you’re lucky enough to have exposed beams in your dining room, give them the attention they deserve.
Stain them in a dark shade or paint the ceiling white for a touch of contrast. If you don’t currently have exposed beams, they’re only a contractor call away.
Play Up The Earth Tones
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If ever there was an appropriate time to play up the earth tones, it’s in a farmhouse setting.
This gorgeous dining room is loaded with earth tones in materials from wood to twine, and concrete—and the result is nothing short of a country escape.
Be Mindful Of Seating
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Using mismatched chairs at the dining room table is a classic farmhouse move. We love how this space features two varieties of chairs that share the same blonde wood tone.
It feels cohesive, but not too uniform. Pair your table and chairs with dining room wall décor that complements the modern farmhouse theme, like this simple white accent piece that allows the centerpiece to steal the show.
Add Small Touches
While larger furniture items and pieces of decor are essential for nailing the farmhouse look, they won’t change as frequently as the smaller details.
It’s these tinier bits and pieces that can help update a dining room over the months and years. For example, the shades on a chandelier or a bouquet of wildflowers on the table can help emulate the farmhouse aesthetic.
Don’t Forget the Outdoor Dining Room
Indoor dining rooms may be top of mind, but what about the eating spaces in your outdoor areas? There are many ways to translate a farmhouse look into an exterior space.
Opt for wooden tables and benches to get the classic finish. A wrought iron chandelier will also boost the ambiance and shed some light.