What is a Country Style Home? Australian Farmhouse Design Explained

Australian country style homes are synonymous with cozy living and simple elegance. They’re the perfect choice for anyone who appreciates the simple things in life. Usually, a country home will have earthy colours, rustic accents, and natural materials throughout.

If you love the feel of a country cottage but want to enjoy all the creature comforts of a newly built modern home, then a country style home design is for you!

We know that there are so many different kinds of homes out there, but what exactly makes a country style home ‘cozy’ and ‘rustic’? What are some common characteristics of a country home? Think you know what makes a farmhouse design? Read on to find out more about this unique type of house…

Farmhouse Design 101: The characteristics of a Country Style Home

In general, farmhouse designs tend to be larger in width than they are in length. Usually, they are built on wide blocks of land in rural or semi-rural areas; the wide frontage of the house gives greater presence and accommodates plenty of backyard space for living life outdoors.

Going beyond the structural definitions; if you’re looking to adopt this warm, welcoming country feel when decorating your newly designed home, then you’ll want to keep a few key points in mind at the floor plan design stage. Some elements typical of country family homes include but are not limited to:

Colour Palette

A country style home will typically feature neutral, earthy, and muted tones that don’t clash with each other. You’ll rarely see bright colours of red, blue, or yellow in a country home. Instead, you’ll see creams, tans, browns, greens, muted brick shades, and greys that are a reflection of the surrounding bushland.

Textures

A country home will have lots of rustic and natural textures to create an inviting atmosphere. Timber, red stone, and steel are all common materials you’ll see in a country home that inspire a natural and rustic feel; from the floor tiles to traditional cabinetry handles to wood tones on furniture and decor.

Open Floor Plan

An open floor plan is one of the most common features of a country home. This style of home is meant to feel open, airy, and easy to navigate. You’ll typically see open plan design in the kitchen and living room areas; not just with a lack of walls separating the two rooms, but often with a soaring raked ceiling overhead to enhance the feeling of airy openness.

Family-focused design

Since country style homes are typically designed to be warm and inviting, you’ll likely see large communal spaces for family time and entertaining inside. This is a common feature in Australian country homes, allowing you to create the perfect atmosphere in your home.

Common Exterior Features of an Australian Country Style Home

If you’re looking to build a country home, these are some of the key exterior features to keep in mind for inspiration.

Roof

If you’re looking for a roof style for your country home, you’ll typically find two options: a Colorbond steel roof or a tiled roof. If you want a more modern feel, then a Colorbond roof may be for you. If you want to go for a more rustic and old-fashioned feel, then a tile roof could work best. In Australian country homes, gables, awnings, and weatherboard cladding are common design elements for adorning the roof.

Exterior Walls

In a country home, you’ll need to consider the material for your external walls. While rendered walls have become more common over time, the traditional country style tends to use exposed brick for external walls; occasionally with a section in stone cladding to establish a focal point for the elevation design.

Outdoor spaces

In most modern country homes, it is common to design outdoor living spaces that complement the internal spaces. Frequently, you will see a verandah wrapping around the home or at least spanning the width of the front elevation. At the rear of the home, you will almost always see a spacious alfresco or patio for cosy undercover entertaining all year round in the fresh country air.

Front Door/Entryway Surrounds

There are many different ways to make your front entrance stand out in a country home. For example, if you want your the entry door to be a focal point, you can choose a feature colour, unique design, or statement door handle to suit. This area can also be designed with a porch to draw attention up past the garden and towards this part of your modern country style house elevation.

Common Interior Features of an Australian Country Style Home

If you’re interested in creating a country look inside your home, these interior design recommendations will help you get started.

Country kitchen design

Many of these homes will include a large island bench in the kitchen, creating a central hub for family activity as you go about your everyday life. While some choose to add a scullery for a separate storage and cleanup area, others choose to make the kitchen extra-large for the most welcoming, open space possible.

Large floor plan with additional rooms

On rural and semi-rural properties, many people have such large amounts of floor space available, that they choose to dedicate sections of the house to purpose-built rooms. Examples of these include a home theatre, work-from-home room, teenage retreat, children’s playroom, games room with bar, or areas for specific hobbies.

Colour Scheme

As with the exterior, internal colours vary based on individual and family preferences but are typically centred around earthy, rustic tones. Think linen white, cosy creams, warm sand shades, eucalyptus green, wooden tones, and deep brick red-browns; the colours of the Australian bush, for both the construction of the home’s interior and the decorating process.

Textures

Warm wood cabinetry, stone benchtops, steel fixtures, terracotta tile flooring, and leather furniture are all common textural choices in country interior design. Across the board, the focus is on natural materials that use the nature surrounding that home as inspiration. For example, in many Australian country homes, traditional red brick is used to reference the red earth of our bushland and outback.

Why Are Modern Country Style Homes So Popular?

These nature-influenced, rustic designs have long been a favourite for Australian homeowners, but there are plenty of reasons why this style of home is so popular in 2022. These reasons include:

Looking for a tree-change

Many who choose to build a country style home in a rural or semi-rural location wish to escape the confines of more densely populated suburbs; leaving the hustle and bustle of city life behind. Similarly, many ‘tree-changers’ are seeking a space nestled in nature to enjoy a peaceful retirement with room for hobbies and entertaining.

Nostalgia

One of the most common reasons why people like this style is nostalgia. Perhaps you grew up in a rural area, have fond memories of living there, or have always admired the traditional way these types of homes are designed. Maybe the country feel evokes a feeling of being on holiday, staying in a warm farmhouse retreat away from the city.

Future-proofed

Many newly built rural-style homes are more energy-efficient and durable than their older counterparts. A home that uses more energy-efficient products such as solar panels, LED lighting, and modern insulation, creating a recipe for long-term happiness in the house.

Roomy and Comfortable

Rural-inspired home designs are typically spacious and comfortable in design, making them the perfect place to unwind. You’ll have plenty of room inside your home and may even have a few extra rooms to store your belongings or accommodate visiting guests.

Preferred aesthetic

For some, a modern country style home is simply their preferred design aesthetic. Whether it’s the soft, welcoming colour scheme, kitchen style, traditional timber look elements, or rustic features, this contemporary rural inspired look is growing in popularity online.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a home that’s full of warm and welcoming colours, then this look could be for you. This uniquely Australian design style is perfect for anyone who wants to make their home a cosy place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. There is nothing better than coming home to a sanctuary that makes you feel truly comfortable.

At Benlin Homes, we have an unmatched understanding of modern country style homes in WA and are specialists in creating custom farmhouse designs through our completely bespoke approach.