Custom Farmhouse Style Homes
At SSDB, we have been designing and building custom farmhouse style homes for more than 30 years.
As farmhouse architects, we love the featured materials and spaces of modern farmhouse style homes- neutral color palettes, exposed wood beams, barn doors and details that evoke a comfortable homestead feel. Here are a few favorite project highlights from our SSDB modern farmhouse style homes from over the years:
- South Coast Modern Farmhouse – Northbrook
- Low-country Farmhouse – Northfield
- Traditional French Country – Glenview
- Farm-style Standout – Northbrook
- Modern Farmhouse Hospitality – Evanston
- Farmhouse Renovation Before and After – Northfield
- Video: Reclaimed Barn Beams
Farmhouse Architects and Builders
After more than 30 years of building luxury custom homes on Chicago’s North Shore, we believe SSDB offers the right combination of experience, expertise, references and local ties to deliver on your vision of a farmhouse home design. Opting for a united design-build service is a smart way to secure licensed architects, builders, a dedicated project management team with long-standing subcontractors, suppliers, and craftspeople that pay close attention to detail.
Our team maximizes spending power and minimizes obstacles – allowing your family to enjoy the luxury of a collaborative, informed, and inspiring process all along the journey of building your dream home.
Farmhouse Style Homes 101 | Farmhouse Architects
(Source: Architectural Digest)
Often defined as chic, comfy, cozy, or warm, it’s a look that’s been made particularly popular in the last decade or so. And while you might recognize it when you see it, understanding the core design elements and principles can help anyone bring this welcoming and homey style into their space.
Though there can be some fluidity in forms, farmhouse style homes are generally separated into two distinct design aesthetics: traditional farmhouses and modern farmhouses. The classic farmhouse look—also known as a traditional farmhouse—is often defined by a more rustic country style, often making use of vintage furniture or familiar patterns like plaid.
Modern farmhouse style homes, on the other hand, are largely credited to Joanna Gaines and the debut of Fixer Upper in 2013. Her unique style made use of certain traditional farmhouse elements, such as exposed beams or shiplap paneling, but with contemporary upgrades—like modern wood floors or appliances—and a more neutral color palette, with accent colors usually reserved to darker blues or greens.
As these homeowners were constructing their properties, the homes were often made from readily available materials, like wood or stone, and were designed for both comfort and functionality. Often this meant the homes weren’t large—as most users would spend the majority of their time outdoors—but were welcoming after a long day of work.
Like any interior design aesthetic, there’s no one way to do farmhouse style. However, when it comes to farmhouse style, many homes make use of some combination of the following elements:
- Exposed wood beams
- A neutral color palette
- Plants and greenery as accents
- Vintage or antique accent pieces
- Shiplap paneling
- Large, comfortable furniture
- Barn doors
- Reclaimed wood
- Open shelving
- Ample cabinetry
Farmhouse style homes are still overwhelmingly popular; in fact, it was one of the most searched decor styles in 2022.
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Our North Shore architects and builders specialize in new home construction, historic renovations, and eco-conscious green building projects. We would be happy to take you on a tour through some of our farmhouse style homes in the North Shore suburbs. Please contact us, and we’ll get something on the schedule.
CUSTOM FARMHOUSE DESIGN HOMES
Happy Clients
“We loved every minute of the process and even moved in 6 weeks early!! We really looked forward to our planning meetings and quickly became friends through the building process. They are truly a wonderful design/build company who honors what they say, is transparent with the budget and customizes the project to their client’s needs.”
~ Wenk Family, Northbrook
“Craftmanship of the highest standard! I give my highest compliment to the entire crew at SSDB for making our home so special and doing it with such thoughtfulness and love!”
~ Miller Family, Northbrook
“They share a true love of building and wanted to make sure that our home reflected both our needs and style. All of the subcontractors were very talented and routinely cleaned up every day. We may be the only homeowners to say, “we miss working with our builders every day.”
~ Krull Family, Renovation in Northbrook
“You were amazing at managing the big picture but not skimping on the quality details that make all the difference. We are so proud to have people over and so happy to be raising our family in this amazing space customized just for us.”
~ Champ and Lisa Raju, Northbrook
“Their expertise, accessibility and transparency sets them apart and their “product” is unmatched among other builders. Most importantly, they are remarkable people whose main goal is to create a beautiful and unique space for you and your family.”
~ Two-Time Client, Northbrook
“The quality of workmanship from every one of their contractors was five-star. We love our new home and continue to have a great relationship with the SSDB crew from start to finish and beyond! I would recommend them without hesitation.”
~ Design-Build Homeowners, Northbrook
“Every day we sit back and marvel at how much we love this house. It was the best decision we ever made. We appreciate the Simpson team’s company culture and the way they take care of business and are grateful for the fun we had building this house together.”
~ Harris Family, Northbrook
“The step by step process made us feel very comfortable and left no surprises with our budget. We feel so lucky to have worked with Simpson Builders and would highly recommend them to any of our family, friends, or anyone else!!”
~ New Construction Family, Northbrook
“I hope you are continuing to use us as reference whenever you need and my door is always open for you to walk clients through.”
~ Northbrook Family
“We are so happy with the house. It’s everything we dreamed. It’s like we dreamed it- imagined it- and now we’re standing in it!”
~Myers Family, Northbrook
“We love our house, are obsessed with it and never want to leave! We are so grateful for the hard work and patience of the whole SSDB team designing and building us a home that is exactly what we wanted.”
~ Ross Family, Northbrook
“Now that we are building again we didn’t even let anyone else bid on the project. They are really that good. Besides the quality of the work, they are super easy to deal with, always on top of things and always answer the phone.”
~ Donahue Family, Northbrook
“Everything exceeded our expectations. The design features, construction quality, and team dedication to our home’s design and construction, couldn’t have gone better.”
~ New Construction Client, Glenview
“We like the idea of having the coordination and collaboration of a team of people versus having an outside architect and builder. As the process unfolded, we really saw the benefit of that. We feel very fortunate that we made the right choice in builders.”
~ Dave and Nancy Huber, Glenview
“We can admit now – we picked you for what turned out to be the best reason of all – we liked you as people. And we really think that good feeling comes across in our home.”
~ Custom SSDB Homeowner, Glenview
“Making our home LEED certified was no easy task but your eco-building sophistication and connection to expert North Shore subs made this build possible – and beautiful.”
~ Glenview Family, New Design-Build
“I don’t believe that a day doesn’t go by where my wife and I say how much we love our home. Our house is perfection. Friends that come to visit are in awe and jealous of our home.”
~ Custom Home Clients, Glencoe
“SSDB built us a beautiful home. It was a great process. Even after the build, it’s good to know they will always be looking out for us.”
~ Barb and Bob Davis, Glencoe
“We are beyond grateful to have this home.”
~ Slotnick Family, Glencoe
“You guys are so responsive and straight-forward about options that we actually had the luxury of adding in true personal details and my favorite surprise – the under-the-staircase wine cellar. And the Preservation Award from the village was a nice bonus.”
~ Wilmette Historical Homeowners