Ahhh…the great American farmhouse. Some of my fondest memories occurred in my grandparent’s farmhouse. Both sets of my grandparents were dairy farmers in Wisconsin. I loved time spent at the farmhouse. My maternal grandparents still had a working dairy farm as I was growing up and I can remember so clearly hearing my grandfather get up and a few minutes later call from the bottom of the stairs to me to leave for the barn at 5:30 A.M. to milk the cows. He called the same thing every time, “Come on then.” It was so much fun. Their farmhouse had small bedrooms, a small living room, and a huge kitchen with a large farmhouse table, cuckoo clock, and wood burning fireplace.
So let’s dive into the farmhouse style. The odd thing about farmhouse style is there are very few details in architecture that really characterize a true farmhouse. Different parts of the country had different looking farmhouses. A lot depended on the materials that were available in the area an the skill of the farmers to build a house. Farmhouses can be stone, log, Victorian, and even Colonial. Perhaps the most important part of the farmhouse style is the fact that is located in a rural area. The exact same house located in town wouldn’t necessarily be called a farmhouse. Location, location, location.
Of the few architectural elements that are common with the farmhouse, the front porch is the most recognizable. The front porch on a Southern Farmhouse may have been open and wrapped around the house to take advantage of the mild weather.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Whereas, a farmhouse in the North (like the one’s my grandparents had) may have had a small open front porch and a larger enclosed porch on the side or back as a place to take off winter gear and boots before entering the house. The key element though is the traditional looking porch.
Another aspect of the farmhouse is the one I was describing of my grandparent’s farmhouse. The formal rooms were in the front of the house and a large kitchen was located in the back of the house. The kitchen was truly the heart of the home in the farmhouse where people spent the majority of their day cooking, canning, and eating. I can attest that my grandmother spent the day in the kitchen, only retiring to the living room after dinner was finished. There were always fresh vegetables and fruits to can, pies to be made, and loaves of bread to bake each day. It was an all day affair. My grandparents also made maple syrup. Yum. There is nothing like a ladle of hot maple syrup while it is cooking.
The above photo reminds me so much of my grandparent’s farmhouse. Of course, the “new” take on farmhouse is much more modern and the kitchen is open to the rest of the living areas.
Source: Southern Shore Decorating
If there is one thing to take away from the American Farmhouse, it is that it was a place for family to live, work, and spend time together. The house was practical and in itself had a job to do. Large farmhouse tables were needed for the large families and as a work area for all of the cooking and baking activities during the day. It was less about the style of the interior and more about the functionality of each and every piece in the home.
Source: KB Home
Just for fun I thought I would throw in a pic of the cuckoo clock my grandparents had. I wish I had that clock. I can remember sitting at the farmhouse table cleaning strawberries we just picked and watching the time on the cuckoo clock so I didn’t miss it’s little show.
Hope you are having a great weekend!
Nancy
