As an interior designer, these are the 5 big farmhouse furniture pieces that I’ve found ALWAYS create a home with character.

When the seasons change, it’s easy to add fall decor, holiday decor, or spring and summer themed decor to add character, but this week I want to look at the BIG PICTURE when it comes to home decorating ideas.

These furniture pieces will bring your farmhouse style and interior design skills up several notches. Beyond simply styling beautiful home decor, they will elevate your home not just for now, but forever.

I know you’re probably doing a big eye-roll thinking this sounds like designer babble. I realize this can sound like an overreaching promise. That’s why I made it easy with these five actionable ways for you to add personality into your home.

Watch along as I show you how to choose and where to place these items for instant character:

1. The Dining Room Buffet
2. The Farmhouse Style Dining Table
3. Antique Chairs
4. Free Standing Cabinets
5. Vintage Inspired Decor Instead Of Farmhouse Furniture

The Dining Room Buffet

One of my absolute favorite farmhouse furniture pieces is a trusty dining room buffet.

The great thing about buffets is their dimensions are the same no matter where or when they were made. 

Knowing this, I always love using them in dining rooms that have a little extra space. 

Because this is a piece that gets medium usage, it’s okay to accept imperfections. Blemishes such as overly distressed surfaces, chipped paint, or doors and drawers that don’t work perfectly are beautiful.

The Farmhouse Style Dining Table

Staying in your dining room, another great farmhouse furniture piece that brings charm and personality is your dining table.

Okay, a dining table is a dining table is a dining table, but what does that mean to have one with character?

Well, for example in my home, I have an almost 12-foot-long dining table. What I love about it is that the top itself is antique, and it has a weathered texture. That means it can really take a beating! In fact it has taken a beating and will continue to in this house.

With an imperfect surface like this, it tells a story of all the uses that it has had over the years. That, to me, shows that it has been loved and cherished in its lifetime. These are blemishes, knicks, and scratches that cannot be replicated in a factory.

Over at my shop, Village Antiques, we have many different examples of tables with character. One of my favorites is a beautiful concrete top table with brass legs. There is really nothing else like it in the store.

I love how this style truly speaks to the right person. It feels fresh and modern with its clean lines, but still has a little bit of classicism and natural texture with its concrete top.

Another one of my favorite dining tables over at the shop is a dark, old library table. The solid wood tells a story of heritage and tradition. If those were the values or feelings that I wanted to create in my home, this table would create that character.

Farmhouse Furniture Must-Have | Antique Chairs

My next favorite pieces of farmhouse furniture that bring instant character are antique chairs.

A little known fact is if you’ve got a bunch of people at your house, no more than two people will sit on a sofa at once. 

Now that you know this, you can reconsider splurging on a sofa, and focus your attention on some accent chairs. 

A pair or two of chairs will guarantee that most, if not all, of your guests have a place to sit. 

Beyond functionality purposes, this is exactly where I like to go design specific. I’m talking antique, 16th century, 19th century, mid-century modern, French country, Farmhouse, fabric, and patterns!

You can have fun taking big design risks here.

I did this in my family room. We have two sofas that are facing each other, but knowing that many people won’t sit on the sofa together, I went ahead and added two pairs of chairs.

What’s funny is, the pieces that add the most character are actually the chairs. Even though the sofas are large and comfy with patterns on them, people always ask me where I got the chairs, how I chose the fabric, and how I chalk painted them. 

Free Standing Cabinets

I like to refer to this next type of farmhouse furniture as the “special cabinets” or free standing cabinets.

When we think of our homes, we tend to imagine built-ins as the only way to create space for our storage necessities. 

I’m going to need you to pause on that thought! Instead consider using a china cabinet or an armoire to add character into your home.

When I was building out my kitchen, I opted for a beautiful antique armoire. It has cracks on it, doors that don’t fully shut, patina, chalk paint, chicken wire, and carvings.

I’ll tell you, this is the number one piece that I get asked about in my kitchen.

Vintage Inspired Decor Instead Of Farmhouse Furniture

If all of this farmhouse furniture feels like too big of a risk, just start with your home decor.

These character pieces could be in the form of antique art that speaks to you and your heart. You can also do this with some crusty old kitchen decor or even simply with a breadboard.

If you’re still unsure, my best tip is to go for a tray. You can use it all throughout your home and move around until you find that perfect spot.

Your Shopping Guide

Before you leave, bookmark this video! Use it as a tutorial guide whenever you start looking for items to add character into your home.

Now instead of getting overwhelmed by pretty things that sparkle, you can identify one or two  furniture pieces that you can bring home and love for years to come.

As always, if you have any questions or comments you’d love to share, leave them down in the comment section below. 

And don’t forget to sign up for your free newsletter to get notifications every time a new blog comes out and exclusive inventory alerts and design advice. 

Keep using your amazing design gifts to create heart in your home, 

Amitha 

P.S. You can find all of these early fall decorating items at our retail store, Village Antiques in Houston.

Please stop by and check out our collection of farmhouse-style furniture, french country home decor, antiques, vintage, chalk finish paints, and more!

We are open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

You can also reach us at (713) 468 – 3931