A staple on home design shows and social media, the modern farmhouse has dominated housing trends for years, but is it still popular?
The modern farmhouse floor plan, which favors natural light and free flowing spaces is still a bestseller. However, standard modern farmhouse decor is out, as homeowners gravitate towards transitional, traditional and contemporary styles.
This may signal a transition away from the modern farmhouse entirely, or it may represent a swap of specific design elements to better support current design priorities for homeowners, which center on self-expression, customization, nostalgia and sustainability, affecting choices for decor, finishes and design details.
A Floorplan with Longevity
The modern farmhouse replicates the down-home vibe of country living, even in urban and suburban areas, on small and large lots alike. It’s a design that leverages that sense of space, along with a reliable familiarity.
According to Aurora Zeledon, director of digital content and marketing for Zonda House Plans, including Houseplans.com, the modern farmhouse continues to be their bestseller, making up 36% of sales in the first quarter of 2025 (versus 31% the year before).
Zeledon says that the secret to success behind the modern farmhouse’s plan is due in part to its scalability.
“It looks good at all different size points, and that's important because we're seeing a gradual move towards smaller square footage, particularly the 1500 to 1999 square foot range. That's our most popular and simple footprint,” she says.
These house plans refer to footprint and exterior, which often feature white board-and-batten, and a wide front porch.
While the house plans sales data indicates the farmhouse as a front-runner, Zeledon notes that pre-drawn house plan trends tend to lag greater design trends, in part because of the longevity of pragmatic designs, such as the modern farmhouse. This provides context to other design data focused on specific design and decor details, that reveal a shift from farmhouse style.
A Movement Away From Farmhouse Decor
Several design industry reports show that demand for the modern farmhouse style is sliding, including Houzz’s 2025 Kitchen Trends Study, the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s 2025 Kitchen Trends Report and Apartment Therapy’s 2025 State of Home Design Survey.
Current interior design trends empower homeowners to express themselves through color, pattern and personally meaningful decor, so it’s not surprising that they are looking beyond the farmhouse, which some feel has become ubiquitous because of its enormous popularity, for inspiration.
When the farmhouse trend started, homeowners were seeking specific emotional connections from their homes.
“People wanted comfort, a sense of belonging, a sense of home and peace, which I think the modern farmhouse aesthetic brought,” says designer Andrea Sinkin of Andrea Sinkin Design. This was behind defining farmhouse elements, such as all-white kitchens, shiplap, clean lines, hand-painted signs, rustic decor, matching, industrial fixtures and barn doors.
Now, contemporary and traditional trends, and the fusion of transitional style for curated and bespoke interiors, are taking over. These are seen all through the house, but prominent in kitchen and bath design.
Homeowners still seek a similar emotional response that the modern farmhouse offered but are using a different design approach that focuses on meaningful choices, family heirlooms, or investment pieces, states Sinkin. Fresh colors, patterns and an emphasis on natural materials and sustainability are influential as well.
Transitional Housing Style
Both Houzz and the NKBA indicate that transitional housing style is the modern farmhouse’s successor as the top aesthetic.
“Transitional interior design bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary styles,” says the team at DKOR Interiors. It's a mashup of these two styles, with a focus on comfort and quality. Coastal and resort-style aesthetics are common.
It’s not surprising that transitional style is becoming more popular, because it supports several current design priorities at once.
It is timeless. This helps with sustainability and affordability, as homeowners don’t have to update decor often to look fresh.
It is customizable. Wide parameters give homeowners space to mix and match pieces more easily, allowing for greater personalization.
Colors are versatile. While color palettes tend to be neutral, bold color is welcome, addressing current color trends. Main pieces tend to be neutrally colored, and color is introduced liberally through accents.
Often modern and vintage pieces are blended, which adds personality that homeowners yearn for. “Mixing old with new allows you to have longevity, adds to the sustainability factor, and avoids being a one-hit wonder. (Homeowners) are looking for quality and timeless appeal that you can reimagine in different ways,” says Sinkin, adding this approach gives soul to a home and helps homeowners to tell their story.
Texture is an important element. “Transitional interiors often layer smooth and tactile finishes, like polished wood, brushed metals, soft fabrics, and textured tiles, to bring warmth and visual interest. It’s subtle but impactful,” says the team at DKOR Interiors.
Traditional Style
Traditional interiors are also trending, in part because of the strong influence of nostalgia on housing trends at the moment, as is a preference for luxe-look decor.
It’s common to confuse traditional with transitional interiors, because they share a lot of common elements, but there are a few telltale differences.
“Traditional design is more classic, leaning into rich details, classic furnishings, and timeless elegance, while transitional design softens those elements with a more relaxed, updated feel,” says the design team at DKOR Interiors.
A traditional interior might feature darker woods or wood stains such as walnut or mahogany. Classic patterns, such as brocade, plaid, jacquard and florals are prominent, and often seen in upholstery, textiles and on wallcoverings. Furniture tends to be larger, with delicate details (think wood carvings, or a claw-foot tub).
Contemporary Style
Contemporary interior design focuses heavily on sustainability, sleek minimalism and function-first design. The contemporary aesthetic has also launched popular sub trends, such as Japandi, where minimalism gets a glow-up with textures and natural materials.
The classic contemporary aesthetic is very popular in kitchen design, because of how minimalism supports the hot kitchen trend in 2025, wellness kitchens.
While the modern farmhouse kitchen features rustic woods, black, industrial fixtures, open shelving, a central island, and, of course, an aproned farmhouse sink, a contemporary kitchen is scaled back for a streamlined aesthetic.
Contemporary-style kitchens strive to be clutter free with panel-ready appliances, flat-panel cabinetry, concealed storage, workstation sinks, smart tech, multi-functional appliances and floor plans that feature zones and adjacent prep spaces.
