everyone likes different things, which is lovely and makes the world interesting

(I would def not call it boring, for me the design tries too hard and I think it will date f.a.s.t. - plus whenever I see those designs, I can only think of the Target home decor section - but that is a sample size of 1)

I think la_la_girl hit it on the nose with "tries too hard." I have never cared for the style, even before it seemed to be everywhere. The contrast of the black and white is too severe for my taste. Also, the overall black and white seems to make every iteration of the style look the same somehow, which might be why you're wondering if it's boring. I will take actual 100 year old farmhouse over "Modern Farmhouse" any day.

However, as la_la_girl said, different strokes for different folks. I guess my biggest objection is people trying, unsuccessfully in many cases, to make a house look like Modern Farmhouse when it clearly isn't. Painting your house white and getting black windows by itself doesn't do it.

New modern farmhouses like that one aren't bad, but the efforts to turn other houses into modern farmhouses are generally pretty awful.

One of the trends I dislike is shown pretty clearly in your picture: nested gables. Both the gables are nested --- happily only one extra gable. It reduces room for windows on the second floor. There are worse examples, like the house below, with a few tiny windows on the second floor.

Exterior – Coyote Song Model – Fall Parade 2014 · More Info

Better than the multi-gabled MacMansions with 3 types of siding and a Palladian window, or two, that we saw being built starting in the 2000's !

The rendering you show could be painted in a wide range of exterior colors, but would be even more versatile with white windows.

I designed what I call a "modern Spanish". It fits into my FL neighborhood, but avoids all the excess details of the older faux Mediterraneans in the neighborhood. I went with simple lines, with quality materials.

My choice of darker barrel tile and bronze/brown windows does limit the choice of exterior colors that will work with the house, from warm white to off-white to beige, so not the best house for a homeowners that likes to change the whole color scheme of the house when they need to repaint.

Look to your area and its architectural history for inspiration.

I think there are more interesting style developing on the horizon, but it's always expensive to not do what everyone else is doing.

I've seen much worse. This is an easy style to work with. I'd install great landscaping that helps obscure the house and then enjoy all of the light inside. The landscaping in this rendering kills me.

I'm sensing a lot of similarity in these opinions! These houses are all perfectly lovely but they do seem to all look the same. Maybe that's why I feel so blah about them? (Even though there's literally nothing wrong or offensive about them!) They are literally just everywhere around me, but maybe if it wasn't constant black and white, I'd feel differently. I was just curious as to others' thoughts since they seem to be so pervasive!

Find ways to differentiate yourself from others. Look at the fine details of why they all seem the same to you. Soffit overhangs, window sizes, window styles (casements vs double hungs), window grid patterns, roof pitches, materials, etc all play big factors in contributing to the style of your home.

Good luck on your build!

I was intrigued when they first started popping up, but I'm over them now. Give me a classic style any day, done with high quality materials and workmanship, one that displays good proportions, both inside and out, and that fits into its surroundings. That will never go out of style.

" Even though there's literally nothing wrong or offensive about them! "

No, your're right. Nothing offensive or horrible, but they just exist and exist in too large a quantity. Just too cookie cutter, nothing classic or timeless about them. They just exist. At least this one does not have the lick and stick "stone" on the front side only.

I do feel like there is a general trend to have all sorts of doodads and "interesting elements" tacked on all over the house and then have lousy landscaping.

I think the houses that stop us in our tracks tend to be fairly simple and have incredible, lush landscaping - it's a much more sophisticated look IMO

there are so any posts on here that say "what should I add to my house to update it or make it look more interesting?" meanwhile the house is totallly fine but there are only two 50 year old bushes planted in the yard blocking the front door 😅

la_la Girl - good observation.

Styles come and go and everything old is new again at some point.

IMO, these wood trims/decor are the worst offenders. The home would look much better without them.

This isn't my house (obviously just a generic rendering) but it is pretty typical of the houses in a neighborhood we plan to build in. The style does actually look right there, so I get. And of course, with all of the tract builds, it's not like people have that much say so in the build. But I just see so many custom homes like this as well. Is it just that they see it, so it's easy to say, "I want that!". Is it all Joanna Gaines' fault? LOL It's funny to me (that at least here on Houzz), people have pretty tepid opinions on these, but they are everywhere. I'm just enjoying this conversation and all your opinions- I guess this could apply to any trend... I know Houzz is a lot of pros and at the very least enthusiasts, so I wonder if you all have different opinions because you are just so much more versed in other styles. Food for thought.

Just because something is "everywhere" doesn't mean that it is good design. People just follow the crowd and are not capable of any original thought.

"Styles come and go and everything old is new again at some point."

Waiting for the curtain of beads in doorways to come back.

Rubber stamp lemming houses en masse is a failure of imagination. Or a failure to even copy historical styles properly.

Mark! They are back! I shared these lights I saw this month and shared them in another forum:

Anyway, this thread reminds me that my neighborhood is full of mid-century brick-on-the-bottom, siding-on-the-top houses. They were the ”modern farmhouse” of the ’60s. Drive through one of those neighborhoods, surely you know of some, and see how they have changed over the decades. Same with the neighborhoods of little postwar cottages, and 1980-90 mansions, and 200s McMansions.

I like the house a lot. It would be unique in my area - the land of the raised ranch. But if it's everywhere, I would be tired of it. I would look for a twist. I also don't like a lot of those nested peaks that are everywhere now.

Adding to the trim, interesting garage doors, a nice porch, 2 color siding, combinations of window styles - that sort of stuff works for me. Lean into the modern more vs the farmhouse.

Fun conversation!

The landscaping is definitely photoshopped. The bottoms of the spiral shrubs give it away. They are sort of hovering in air. Besides, very few people actually have spiral shrubs as they require constant, careful pruning. You probably can't trust the average landscaper with them.

I would not be surprised if the whole house was AI or a rendering.

And, of course, one of the things that makes it not timeless or classic is the off proportions. The gables on the left are a little higher than those on the right. The rooflet over the leftmost window is higher than the rooflet over the window next to it. The rightmost window is not aligned with either.

I never thought of illuminated beads, on the exterior of the house, and at the main entry! Trend setting!!

I see many of this style in my area, in-fill builds built to the size limit of the lot. While I like many of them individually, I'm a bit tired of them because they all start looking alike. But I grew up in a neighborhood where all the homes were built in different styles and in different eras, and everyone had big yards. Two of my friends lived in Zook homes that I loved (architect Harold Zook) and others had unique homes too.

To help explain my saltiness about modern farmhouses: the house I grew up in, modest yet unique with a huge yard, was replaced with a 7600sq ft 'modern farmhouse' style house built to max size. (Right vs left in the pic below. In my childhood the old house had a slate roof and copper gutters, pretty but too pricey for my parents when they needed to be replaced.) The builders bulldozed everything inside and out including huge trees and leaded glass windows. (Luckily my SO was able to rescue 2 of the windows while the bulldozer revved up - I was traveling.)

Sorry, I'll climb off my salt box now.

Would love to see them more in my area….most homes are brick..I love the fresh crisp look..kinda like a red barn it never gets old!

I love it ...I would get rid of the arrow of would at front door!

Now all I can see is that arrow.

But it points the way!

It will be more modern & add a planer & large numbers for the street.

My niece and her husband had an architect design their home on a one-acre lot before this style became popular. I think it is beautiful! and I wish I had a photo to share. Diana mentioned "high quality materials and workmanship, one that displays good proportions, both inside and out, and that fits into its surroundings." I'd say this home on the prairie met all those requirements. Professional landscaping will ornamental grasses, other prairie plants and boulders from the region ground the home beautifully

I have loved b&w photography forever, so I find the colors striking, decade after decade. And the timbers as well as the design at the front entry really pop in a good way on their bhome. All this was before I saw these homes everywhere, but I still like them a lot. Would I want to see an entire neighborhood done in them? No. But I wouldn't want to see an entire neighborhood of any style. Have I? I'm flashing back to looking for our first home in the mid-80s. If I'd heard the realtor say one more time, "This is your typical Beaverdale brick," I think I would have fired her. I hated driving through that neighborhood for the next twelve years!

Anyway, I will add that they needed a home for their two young sons who had recently been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. The architectural firm [fortunately] donated their services and reworked the design several times to meet their needs and their desires. Of course it had a zero entry. There is only one floor so the boys have access to everything. [Safe room of concrete blocks was built in center of garage...this is in the midwest, aka tornado land.] Someone here mentioned their dislike of upstairs windows in some of these homes. Obviously, that's not a problem in a one-story home. Good choices can be made! I might guess it's often builders who come up with less than tasteful versions.

In sum, yes! I would build a home in this style! Just choose the right lot, the right neighborhood, and a good design firm! Having a good bank account makes that a lot easier. Haha.

So, where we live the modern farmhouse look is everywhere. Especially black and white with some type of pop of stained wood. It always looks nice and clean but maybe because it’s just everywhere i look, its it’s starting to feel a little blah… just curious about others’ thoughts. Is this boring and overdone? Timeless but also still on trend? If you had this kind of house, what would you do with it?

- Never build based upon a trend. Trends come and go -- they're fine for throw pillows and tee-shirts but not for house designs.

- This style will definitely be branded 2020s in the future.

- This is in no way a farmhouse. Farmhouses have single windows, simple rooflines (never multiple gables) and large porches that protrude from the house. Farmhouses do not have Pacific-Northwest-look trim around the front door.

Just because something is "everywhere" doesn't mean that it is good design. People just follow the crowd and are not capable of any original thought.

Hear, hear!

What is a "modern farmhouse"?

I'm convinced it's a color scheme.

It can be popped on pretty much already-existing floor plan and called "modern farmhouse".

What is a "modern farmhouse"?

LOL good question!

Around here it is white vertical board and batten siding, black windows and some sort of wood accents. Inside is all shades of whites, wood floors and shaker doors everywhere with black handles. MAYBE a little color in the kitchen or bedrooms and a patterned floor tile in a powder room or laundry room.

Modern farmhouse is using white paint natural Woods Stone or soapstone and like butcher block and gray paint white paint and plants or a shades of green it can be too here and there like a kitchen or a porch or pantry some places have a yellow kitchen or a porch like a sunroom

I think you could even have a like a blue bedroom

I like the modern farmhouse. It appeals to my sense of simplicity.