This Home's Colorful Farmhouse Decor Will Convince You to Go Bold

This Upstate New York house got a full-fledged interior renovation. See how the homeowners updated it with bold accent colors for a modern twist.

A charming stone exterior and barnlike addition create this 2007-built home's sophisticated farmhouse style. The inside got a full-fledged renovation by getting rid of unneeded walls and cramped spaces, and by adding in an extra-large dining room, abundant built-in bunks to maximize sleeping options, and big and small seating spots throughout the house.

To complement its sophisticated farmhouse exterior, the furnishings are done with the same modern-meets-country aesthetic. Against crisp, light backgrounds, there are artfully layered traditional shapes and patterns with clean-lined lighting, different materials, and happy punches of bold, vivid colors—primarily vibrant blues—to give each room a decidedly modern twist.

front view house and driveway

Appearing much older than its decade-long provenance, the stately stone house is juxtaposed with a wing designed to look like an added-on gambrel-roof barn. The owners wanted a farm-like house, but something a bit more stylish and sophisticated than a traditional farmhouse.

front entry blue door

Inside, you're greeted with a vivid glossy blue door and a vintage rug that seems to suggest the home's entire palette in one graphic punch. The homeowners wanted to surround themselves with their favorite colors, including a range of blue shades.

living room green trunk multi color curtains

With multiple seating and gathering spaces throughout the house, this light-wrapped living room is designated as the "grown-up room" and has a more formal feel. The designer started with crisp, neutral backgrounds, then let the furniture and artwork create color interest. A neutral backdrop gives you the opportunity to be a bit bolder with color since it is like a blank canvas.

wooden kitchen island with red chairs

Before the renovation, the kitchen's footprint was large, but the layout wasn't user-friendly. Now, an ample island grounds the space and provides lots of room for cooking, serving, and seating a crowd. The bright red bentwood Era stools are the hit of color in this kitchen against the white of the cabinets.

farmhouse table green chairs

The owners wanted a farmhouse table that could seat tons of people. The dining room's simple Windsor chairs—in a happy glossy green finish—allow for plenty of seats and provide the room's requisite pop of color. Spotted at New York's Affordable Art Fair, the colorful drip painting by Gian Garofalo was love at first sight for the homeowners.

Bright blue cabinets and a playful collection of vintage colanders put the "fun" in the functional butler's pantry. It's also hard not to smile in the mudroom, which also serves as the pool house, ski hut, and all-around drop zone.

breakfast nook blue pillows

Piled with pillows, the breakfast nook's comfy banquette is the family's unplugged zone, hosting casual meals and afternoon reading sessions. The homeowners love the way the untreated tabletop records daily life. This area of the home is a great example of the maximized seating and gathering space created in this renovation.

library with blue walls and leather chairs
Laura Moss

The library's surfaces are painted a high-gloss bold blue from floor to ceiling. This choice to paint all the trim one color gives it a unified backdrop and feels more modern. The strong high-gloss paint color is also so rich in this smaller space and envelops you; it's perfect to sit and read. A pair of French leather club chairs gives the room an old English library feel, while wall-to-wall sisal is topped with a contemporary animal print.

farmhouse bedroom post bed

The large primary bedroom was cozied up with shiplap-look paneling painted a soft cloud gray. The pale blue checked curtains give a nod to romantic style. Throughout the home the blue hues are varied from room to room; by mixing the shades slightly it feels more organic while still keeping with the overall cohesion of the home.

bathroom green sink

A custom-made washstand lends the powder room a country feel but in a fresh, clean form. The cheerful green color pairs nicely with the blues that carry through the home and the tiling on the floor is the perfect touch of farmhouse style in a modern setting.

kids bedroom white bunks

The kids' room is sleepover central as the bunk boasts a queen bed on the bottom, a twin up top, and even a queen trundle bed below. The built-ins are a great way to maximize floor space. The color scheme is similar to the living room, where the backdrop is neutral in order to let the furniture and decorations speak for themselves and add vibrancy to the room.

outdoor pergola seating path

The backyard pergola gives the family an outdoor room for enjoying their surrounding nine acres, making it the perfect place to watch the sun rise and set. It also takes the sophisticated farmhouse style and extends it out into their backyard keeping with the modern, yet country aesthetic.

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