American Farmhouse style
First emerging in the Midwest in the mid-1800s, the American Farmhouse style ranges from small, simple structures to more elaborate homes bordering on Victorian. Our American Farmhouse is a modern interpretation of this classic home style.
Essential design elements
The American Farmhouse style is typically one-and-a-half to two stories and features asymmetrical massing with a gable at the front of the house. These homes feature simple detailing, open floor plans with central chimneys and often include wraparound porches.
Quintessential doors
The front door is located on the porch and is traditionally a single, paneled door. Side doors and back doors are similar to front doors but do not have sidelights. While patio doors were not used in original American Farmhouse style homes, these doors can be appropriately styled for today’s houses.
Quintessential windows
The traditional American Farmhouse style window is a double-hung window that is taller than it is wide. Accent windows may also be used, particularly in gable locations.
Style options
Colors & finishes
American Farmhouse style colors reflect the limited choices available to homeowners during the style’s evolution, as well as colors that were popular in other architectural styles. The rich, earth-tone colors from the Victorian color palette, plus the whites and pastels of Colonial Revival homes, are often borrowed for American Farmhouse style homes.
Exterior color palette
White
Canvas
Sandtone
Terratone
Prairie Grass
Forest Green
Dove Gray
Cocoa Bean
Red Rock
Black
Interior stain colors
Honey
Mocha
White
Interior wood species
Pine
Oak
Hardware style
American Farmhouse style window hardware takes its design cues from the Victorian style. However, since the American Farmhouse style is deeply rooted in practicality, only the less ornate examples of Victorian style window hardware are appropriate.
Like its window counterparts, American Farmhouse style door hardware uses the less ornate examples from the Victorian style.
Double-hung hardware
Lock and Keeper in Oil Rubbed Bronze finish
Double-hung hardware
Hand Lift, Bar Lift and Finger Lifts in Oil Rubbed Bronze
Newbury® Door Hardware
Newbury® hardware features clean lines and suggests the practicality for which the American Farmhouse style is known.
Whitmore® Door Hardware
For a more ornate look that American Farmhouse homes often borrowed from Victorian style, Whitmore offers graceful curves with a decorative rope border.
Hardware finishes
Antique Brass
Bright Brass
Oil Rubbed Bronze
Satin Nickel
Grille patterns
The traditional window and grille pattern is a double-hung window with a 2-over-2 pattern. The Colonial pattern, the 2-over-1 pattern or no grilles at all may also be used as alternatives.
When casement windows are used for egress purposes, their grille patterns should create the look of rectangular windowpanes that are approximately the same size as those in the home's double-hung windows. Andersen offers a 2 1/4" wide grille that can be positioned horizontally across the center of a casement window to simulate a check rail, giving it the appearance of a double-hung window.
When casement windows are used for egress purposes, their grille patterns should create the look of rectangular windowpanes that are approximately the same size as those in the home's double-hung windows. Andersen offers a 2 1/4" wide grille that can be positioned horizontally across the center of a casement window to simulate a check rail, giving it the appearance of a double-hung window.
2-over-1 grille pattern
6-over-6 Colonial grille pattern
No grilles
Andersen® Art Glass
Although the American Farmhouse style is known for its straightforward sensibility, high-end examples use art glass in select locations. Patterns range from classical Renaissance designs to the more flowing, nature-inspired Art Nouveau motifs.
The most popular locations for art glass in the American Farmhouse style are front doors, transom windows, the upper sash of cottage windows and accent windows. See more art glass options.
The most popular locations for art glass in the American Farmhouse style are front doors, transom windows, the upper sash of cottage windows and accent windows. See more art glass options.
More on this home style
Pattern books from the Andersen Style Library present quintessential details of the most popular American architectural styles, with an emphasis on window and door design. The result of years of research, they exist to make it easier to create homes with architectural authenticity.