Even if you are not familiar with the term, you will definitely recognize the modern farmhouse aesthetic.
It started in the US with renovations of actual old farm and ranch houses and has slowly taken over the world, one apron sink at a time. It’s defined by a rustic style with a contemporary, clean finish. Renovations within this genre often feature whitewashed walls and a range of mismatched but lovingly handled materials, often reclaimed or upcycled.
As it has spread, the trend has also evolved and morphed in the last few years, in particular in the context of many former city dwellers upping sticks and moving to the country. And it’s not just limited to farms anymore, with some of the techniques and looks of the style being employed for cottages and tiny houses, or as a starting point for more daring and edgy renovations.
Hotels have even started following suit. There’s a new crop of traditional rural properties housing modern luxury hotels — we’re thinking of course of Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, but also continental contenders like Le Barn in the Rambouillet forest outside Paris.
Rural, design-led properties are increasingly popular for platforms like Airbnb and in recent months the platform has introduced new ways to filter down to find these kinds of stays. You can now search for farms, tiny houses, properties on a lake…even specifically for barns or shepherd huts. Below you’ll find the cream of the crop – a selection of modern farmhouse style properties, some of the most beautifully designed Airbnbs, perfect to inspire your own projects.
Modern farmhouse gems you can rent on Airbnb
1. O.G. farmhouse style in a converted barn in Oregon wine country
This property epitomizes the modern farmhouse style in its purest, original form, fresh out the box, as nature intended it.
This guesthouse is located in Dayton, Oregon, a small town with a population of 2000, about 25 miles out of Portland. This is a historically agricultural town, which is also very close by to increasingly popular vineyards in Willamette Valley AVA and the Dundee Hills AVA.
The host, Anne, is a professional interior designer - hence all the amazing modern farmhouse wall decor - and born and bred in rural Oregon , so the styling here is authentic. The converted barn sits in the four acres of the the family's main house and features all the modern farmhouse staples: white shiplap walls, repurposed materials (note the pebble/stone feature in the kitchen) and typical farmhouse furnishings with a modern finish.
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Interior design is clean and thorough
2. A traditional Swedish cabin with a modern farmhouse twist
Rustic rural cabins are nothing new in Swedish culture. Swedes and their Nordic neighbors have long been heading out to the pristine countryside to make the most of their long summer days. Traditionally Swedes have stayed in torps, small country cottages most typically painted Falu red and white. Danes and Noreigans head to their hyttes, while Finnish people call it mökki or torppa.
This gorgeous cabin in southern Sweden is in the heart of the lake and trees that are typical of the region. Though the outside is traditional Nordic, the ultra-cozy interior has definite hallmarks of the modern farmhouse style.
We especially like the exposed beams garlanded with modern-look lanterns and the antique dining set up at the window complete with elegant candelabra. It’s simple but chic, all that we would expect from Scandinavian stylings.
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3. A beautifully refurbished 16th-century dovecot in Edinburgh
City meets country in this distinctive converted dovecot in the Scottish capital. The atypical structure, a kind of cottage with a high tower attached, was once home to hundreds of pigeons. Today it’s transformed into an inventive and cozy retreat.
Guests enter through the host’s garden under an archway of roses and before even entering the structure can glimpse a centuries-old cavern under a pane of glass in the ground.
Inside there’s a bespoke cedar wood kitchen hewn from a huge tree that once stood in the garden. In the living area there’s underfloor heating and a romantic wood-burner snuggle up by in the blustery Scottish winter.
Wooden stairs lead to a tiny bedroom in the tower where the cozy bed is elegantly made with Egyptian cotton sheets and looks out a casement window onto the garden. There’s even a feature wall of original nesting boxes, nodding back to the lodge’s original purpose. More treated cedar wood creates the striking headboard. Full marks for charm.
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4. A modern converted barn in Luxembourg featuring upcycling galore
This listing is located in a small village in rural Luxembourg and its barn exterior blends in with the surroundings. Inside though it's a mini masterclass in modern stylings.
Celine the host is studying for a PhD in architecture and she has artfully restored the space. The overall feel is pared back and minimalist, with plenty of repurposed cork, chipboard and slate. But the finishes give it that cozy, rustic feel typical of the modern farmhouse genre.
Note the bookcase and cozy rug in the living area and the Eames rocking chair draped with a sheepskin-style rug, or the bathroom that's all brutalist slate but with a metal bucket sink, befitting of a former barn.
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5. Half-timbered house from 1669 in Germany, complete with its own slide
There aren't many houses that could claim to be both a small child's dream and a design lover's paradise, but this conversion-new-build hybrid in Mechernich, Germany seems to manage it.
The property incorporates a modern barn-style building and a listed half-timbered house dating from1669. The two are brought together with a slick yet playful interior style that blends characterful old timber with smooth, modern wood surfaces. You'll find a lot of stark slate and stone and minimalist furnishings, but also super cozy elements like a wood burner and even a sauna.
And for kids, well it's basically a dream. The modern barn addition features a slide connecting the mezzanine level to the ground (with a crash mat for safety, of course).
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6. A gorgeous eco barn on the water in East Sussex
Lewes and the South Downs National Park is favorite among Londoners for an accessible weekend break in the country, and this eco-conscious barn conversion provides all the rest and retreat a harried city worker could need.
In the style stakes, this property offers all the hallmarks of the modern farmhouse style: period beams set against clean lines and modern colors, check! Wood-burning fire, check! Lovingly restored vintage furniture, check!
The property sits on the grounds of the host's home and wins all the bucolic points with its woodland garden and pond featuring apple trees and laying hens.
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7. A barn conversion in Woodstock with a view of the Catskill Mountains
Classic Americana meets modern design and luxurious comforts in this impressive converted barn in Woodstock.
Lovers of farmhouse interiors will appreciate the lofty ceiling height and gorgeous original wood beams, while the huge windows offer an unobstructed view out to the Catskill Mountains.
Every detail has been attended to, from the cheery vintage dresser in the open kitchen to the positioning of beds to create cozy sleeping corners. And the modern amenities, like the Sonos smart speaker system throughout the house and the hot tub bring this 19th-century property right up to date.
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8. A converted barn on a private beach in the Western Cape
Fancy sharing your garden with zebras and springboks? This converted barn in Overberg, a little east of Cape Town, sits on the coast where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, surrounded by wildlife and rare birds.
The interior of the building is a modern farmhouse dream featuring original beams, shiplap walls and polished slate floors, as well as a striking mezzanine level.
The floor to ceiling windows are perfect for watching the Cape sunrise and gaping at the stars when night falls.
Book a stay on Airbnb.
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