To me the only thing that screams new, and therefore may subject the home to being "dated", are the windows. I don't know if you want authentic, but certainly the last home in your post looks like a farmhouse, just a new version of one because a classic farmhouse would have beefier window trim and real divided windows. To me this is just personal preference. I like all three homes.
Diane

I agree with powermuffin. I really like the classic farmhouse look, but with classic windows.

Hmm. I'm having some problems with terminology as I'm not really getting "modern" from any of those images. I think they all look nice although in my opinion the second house looks a bit off with the low slab foundation (maybe better once the plantings grow in?).

This is more of what I think of as "modern" or "contemporary":

[{{gwi:2133228}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-farmhouse-farmhouse-exterior-san-luis-obispo-phvw-vp~7567526)

[Farmhouse Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2114) by Atascadero Design-Build Firms Semmes & Co. Builders, Inc

[{{gwi:2133229}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/radler-house-contemporary-exterior-new-york-phvw-vp~437050)

[Contemporary Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2103) by East Quogue Architects & Building Designers Bruce D. Nagel Architect

[{{gwi:2133230}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/porch-house-modern-exterior-kansas-city-phvw-vp~348515)

[Modern Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2105) by Kansas City Design-Build Firms Hufft Projects

I live in farm country.
The only one of the OP's photos that looks like a farmhouse is #3.
The rest incorporate elements that a real farmhouse does not have.

I think what OP is going for is the farm house shape with minimal decoration.

Personally, I love it. And it's kind of what I'm going for with my house.

I am not really sure what's so horrible about "90s" houses, though. Except that new houses I remember from the 90s (my current house included) is that is was the heyday of the tract suburban homes with over the top decoration while still looking exactly like your neighbours. At least with 1950s tract homes, sure, they were all the same, but they were the same in their simplicity. In the 90s, we started adding fake brick in places brick would never go, palladian windows for no reason, disproportioned columns, and monster garages sticking out the front. And we did it to EVERY house on the street!!!

In my area, builders are doing an "updated" version of the 90s houses. Still trying to look the same, and adding decorative touches that make no sense. So I think my modern farmhouse style will be different enough to not scream, "2015, yo!!!"

I don't know...they seem to be a current favorite custom home style here in the SE. I call them "eclectic farmhouses." They use a lot of board and batten, and most do have the steel-looking casement windows. There is one on my street of custom homes...and it is very curious. About 6000 sq ft, with board& batten, stone, some diamond grid patterns on the windows, and those 1/2 dormers that are on some of the examples above. This style seems to be over-taking the ubiquitous craftsman look here. And nineties houses here are brick homes with many front facing gables, no symmetry, and incorrectly proportioned "Palladian" windows. I have a friend who built a true farmhouse on acreage, and it is a white clapboard house with generous front and back porches and a simple gable roof line. That home will NEVER scream any era because it looks authentic.

A "farmhouse" is a building type that can be one or a combination of several different architectural styles. The most common style in the Northeast is Greek Revival. Another eastern styles is Folk Victorian. In the South you will find Tidewater South and Raised Cottage.

To an individual, a "typical farmhouse style" would depend on where he/she grew up and how much exposure they had to rural buildings.

The most famous contemporary farmhouse design is the one William Rawn designed in Amherst, MA. It was the subject of Tracy Kidders's 1985 book "House". It was the first house he designed. See the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neo-Greek Revival farmhouse

This post was edited by Renovator8 on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 7:15

Almost every house is going to look of an era because of the elements used and the shapes. So what? If it's a style you like and the shape and function of the house serves your needs, then build it and enjoy it.

Over the years, I've watched styles I grew up with look wonderfully up to date, age to very dated and in desperate need of remodel, and then return to be a new classic with a new name that is hot again. Doesn't matter if it's house exteriors, furnishings, colors or even fashion or cars. With enough time, what was dated becomes "in" again.

I think, instead, what becomes really tired is cookie cutter, no matter what the era, be it a 50s ranch, the 70s raised ranch, an 80s colonial or 2000's mc mansion...the house that you can walk around in blindfolded because it is so standard...just like all the rest down the street....monopoly houses.

Make it thoughtful with good proportion and scale and it will always be a good house. All of the houses you pictured above will look fine for many decades to come.

Thanks!

I guess when I look at those above images, I see them as different than the one below, which I would think of as a classic farmhouse. I guess the ones up top are trendier, but I do like the modern/contemporary touches, like the black windows!

We would be building in New England, so there are a lot of real farmhouses that look like below, don't think the trend of the ones like Nini mentioned have hit here, but it may be imminent.

[{{gwi:2133231}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/christiana-saeger-house-farmhouse-exterior-phvw-vp~5463438)

[Farmhouse Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2114) by Middlebury Interior Designers & Decorators Connor Homes

I think a lot of people are building a house that has nothing really to do with a farmhouse and everything to do with the fact that modern homes are still not that mass acceptable for resale so they have to get called something else and give a nod to a form that most are decidedly NOT. They are a good way to have a contemporary interior open volume with more than a nod to a contemporary exterior. The disconnect between the open concept interior and exteror French Chateau Neo Ecclectic is far more jarring than having a large boxy home with a large boxy interior. The next step towards the full on acceptance of modern architecture will be to omit the homage to tradtional form.

So is is it a good thing or a bad thing?

If we go ahead with building, we want to hire an architect, but need a starting place.

Personally I love them. We have a similar contemporary coastal home vernacular up here. I live in a climate that is not kind to flat roofs (they certainly exist but have varying levels of expensiveness/problematic-ness) so the simple gable roof is seen frequently in our more modern residential architecture.

{{gwi:2133232}}

{{gwi:2133233}}

The Connor Homes example is a rural version of the Greek Revival Style found throughout New England. The primary characteristic a front facing gable containing an entrance porch, cornice returns and individual DH windows spaced evenly along the facades.

A more formal version found in towns would have a large frieze board between the eave soffit and the tops of the upper windows.

These farmhouses always had a barn out back and over time they were connected to the main house with utility buildings. They are called "connected farm buildings" by historians. A good New England farmhouse resource is "Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn" by Thomas C. Hubka. There are still many of these connected farm buildings all over New England.

http://www.amazon.com/Big-House-Little-Back-Barn/dp/1584653728

Also: The Farmhouse: New Inspiration for the Classic American Home by Jean Rehkamp Larson

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561588741/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687682&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1584653728&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=18RKA9FZEE7RQZKPZVS7

Here is a link that might be useful: Greek Revival farmhouses

Nice houses, but as a farm girl from the NC countryside, I assure you they look nothing like the farmhouses in the rural area where I grew up!

Here farmhouses tended to be "works in progress" -- I was always interested in these houses, and I have vivid memories of them from my childhood -- I remember expecting to have a house like this when I grew up:

- A couple'd get married and build a rectangular building with two rooms -- a kitchen/dining room on one side, a living room with a bed in the corner in the other room. And, of course, in our hot climate, theyd have a deep porch on the front and the back. Why two? So the woman of the house could do her work on the shady side of the house. If you were "well to do", you'd have a spigot on your porch. Many porches included a porch swing, but all were set up for work: shelves on the house's exterior walls, etc.

In our climate, houses always had windows (tall, thin windows, always singles) arranged for cross-flow of air and high ceilings so the hot air could rise. Roofs were tin.

Typically the house had an open fireplace in the living room and a wood stove in the kitchen/dining room.

- When the couple had children, Dad would add a staircase to the attic, which became the children's shared bedroom. Typically the house's roof was a simple a-frame, and the kids had a window on the two ends. If no children ever arrived, the couple never bothered with the upstairs.

- If the couple could afford it, they'd add another room off the back of the house -- that new room would become a kitchen, allowing the old kitchen/dining room to be JUST a dining room.

- If any "old maid sisters" came to live with the couple, they'd add another room for them. I remember one of my older relatives had a room that was about 8x10 . . . and it was shared by TWO women. Alternately, sometimes they put the "old maids" in a small, separate house that was JUST a bedroom (and a porch, of course -- every woman needed multiple porches upon which to work), and they'd come to the house for meals, etc.

- Before the oldest girl started courting, they'd add an extra room to the front of the house (usually accessible only from the front porch). This was where the girls could "keep company", and after the girls were married, the parents often moved their bedroom over to this new room.

- In addition to the house, the couple would work towards having a barn, a grainery, a chicken house, a pig house, a tool shed, and an outdoor pantry (the pantry was typically the only out building with a lock). The house where I grew up had 8 outdoor buildings -- some of them two stories, some of them with multiple rooms.

I do agree that farmhouses look different based upon your location. For example, Butternut's example of a farmhouse with an attached barn falls flat with me: Here in the South, we'd never want a smelly barn so close to the house in the summer heat -- but I understand that in a different climate, it'd be ideal.

This post was edited by MrsPete on Sat, Jan 17, 15 at 20:25

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder! So a house that looks historical and authentic to one may seem preposterous to someone with a different history and perceptions. It's just the way it is.

Getting back to the OP's question: "Pretty or no?..." IMO, the first two photographs are quite handsome, well proportioned and will maintain their appeal over a long time. The third example, however, I find to be ill-proportioned, "fat" and just undistinguished, making it unappealing initially and likely to go downhill from there! How's that for an opinion?

Traditional farmhouses tended to be very simple, utilitarian and resilient to time and weather. The "modern" adaptions, such as the series in the fourth and sixth series of photos are a modern architect's delight, but chances are good that, if the climate is relatively wet and/or cold, these houses, which photograph beautifully when new, will not weather and age well. The white house and red barn in the fifth photo, on the other hand, if built well initially and maintained, will look wonderfully in 50-100 years IMO.

At the end of the day, it's simply about personal taste and preferences. I like all of the photos, except the "fat" house, but the maintenance over time will be very different for many of these houses. And the cost to build will likely differ significantly as well.

Good luck with your project.

I was writing a history lesson on the Midwestern farmhouse, but then I thought 'eh, they don't want to read that.' : )

To answer your questions I think if it's done well it will not become dated. It seems to be a popular style now which bugs me because it is what I want to do. I live in Iowa on a working farm though so it feels right to me.

I think it's weird to see them in a lot in a suburb or city. I just don't like them there (archivist nerd alert, so take my opinion for what it's worth).

I have the first two pictures you posted in my Houzz folder just waiting to show an architect (although mine will be a much smaller example) and I really love Robotropolis' examples. Those homes though are really coastal though and sadly don't belong in my neck of the woods.

To help me decide if I like something because it's trendy or is something I really love I will find an example and then put it away for a couple of weeks, months, or years if I have time. If I come back to those images and still love them then it's what I should go with. That always seems to work for me if I'm unsure about something.

I also think there is a lot of freedom to a modern farmhouse because as you can see from the examples above (and a few of the history lessons above) a farmhouse can be anything you need it to be. The modern elements bring it into what today's family needs it to be which I think keeps with the spirit of the house. I don't think you can go wrong.

To reference a "farmhouse", whether traditional or modern, as a basis for the design of a house is to evoke history. To not understand history can limit the designer to fashionable design elements commonly used by other designers often popularized by developer/builders which would be like taking a sandwich to a banquet.

I'd suggest reading the Sarah Susanka books...or look up her website. She is into the "Not so Big House" stuff and her design principles work well with a farmhouse look with very practical modern day living in mind with an eye to using the space you have, however small or large, efficiently. Here's one house that was featured in one of her books:

Here is a link that might be useful: farm house

I really like a lot of what is being called Modern Farmhouse style homes. I think it all depends on what elements you choose to create the Modern aspect and the Farmhouse aspect. I love the Connor houses, and the Susanka designs. Both are great eye candy. I think both will remain classic over time.

I like the modern farmhouse style. I like the simplicity and clean lines, especially after the mcmansion era. When it's done right, I think you can get a nice combination of a historical look with modern amenities.

Of the examples you posted, I like the second example most. The shed dormer and the detached garage are nice. I like the board and batten siding and metal roof. In the first pic, I don't like the three little crowded gables, or the asymmetrical walkway to the house. In the third pic, the roof overhang seems too shallow and the whole house seems a little squatty.

I think if you keep it simple on the outside, it will be less likely to look dated in the future.

This new home is near our new build, it does not look like your examples but think it is a interesting twist on a farm house. There is a barn for their horses and fenced pastures. I love it but many people I have taken by the house do not like it at all.

all that really matters is that you love it and it functions well for your style of living
then again, if you should ever have to sell it, would a buyer find it attractive

most of the time, if you love it, it will show and others will find appreciation for it too

I think it could be great. If done well, I think it can be a timeless and beautiful style as long as it fits in with it's surroundings.

For inspiration, you could look at some of the Howard Backen houses. Most are classic styles that somehow feel contemporary and fresh at the same time.

FWIW, I prefer the first two photos

Here is a link that might be useful: Backen Gilliam Kroeger

I love the look of the Modern Farmhouse, but I do think they do not blend well in neighborhoods/subdivision. We are building a Modern Farmhouse but it will be on 12 acres.

There is no such thing as a modern farmhouse.

A 3-year old thread...and there's farmhouses...and there's Modern or International Style...but there's no "modern farmhouse"...except on HGTV, where any and everything goes.

Broken record alert.

Our in house artists are on a mission. The current is stronger than a tsunami, but please keep paddling. I see from your little circles where you two are situated.

Im going to hang a sign on my front door that says my house doesn't exist. You people crack me up.

I'm curious at what point do you realize that you are smearing something special. If everyone loves it, if there are channels dedicated to it, if there are shows dedicated to it, if houzz and pinterest have it front and center, if you go to all the ARCHITECTURAL PLAN websites that is all you see...perhaps soon you will come to your senses. Just because someone used the word "modern" it has thrown you guys for a loop. If 98 people think its breathtaking, and 2 think that there is a collision with some "artist law" about the whole category, then wouldn't you then begin to break the log jam in your mind and embrace this home. Follow me, I promise you'll have more fun.

Ummmh...want some Cholula on that? That's what's fun...