DIY Farmhouse Wall Art Ideas to Give Your Living Room New Life
If your farmhouse living room is feeling lackluster, infusing rustic wall art can breathe new life into the space. From neutral photography prints to hand-drawn barnyard illustrations, art celebrates the simple joys of country living. Embrace natural textures like burlap and wood. Opt for a muted color scheme with pops of green from botanical accents. Most importantly, display pieces that speak to you. Whether passed down or discovered at a charming antique market, artwork with history adds cozy character. Follow our guide to curating an artfully rustic gallery wall that feels uniquely you.
Planning Your Farmhouse Wall Gallery
Before hanging any artwork, thoughtfully evaluate your existing decor. Make note of color schemes, materials, and textures already at play. Farmhouse spaces feature wood tones, woven textiles, and black metal accents. Include art that incorporates these natural elements for cohesion. Also examine your wall space. Small living rooms may feature one large statement piece like an oversized framed map or family photo collage. Larger walls provide room for creative arrangements. Measure wall dimensions and artwork sizes to map an appealing layout that fits.
Choosing Artwork Subjects and Themes
Since farmhouse rooms celebrate natural simplicity, select wall art reflecting this aesthetic. Neutral-toned photography of rolling hills or flowers exudes gentle beauty. Hand-drawn barnyard illustrations inject playful personality. Motivational quotes lettered on reclaimed wood offer a touch of inspiration. Lean into one theme like botanicals or farm animals for big impact. Or showcase meaningfully curated variety.
Soft and Natural: Neutral-Toned Photography
Photography adds effortless style while bringing the essence of the great outdoors inside. For farmhouse appeal, curate black and white or sepia-toned prints. Capture candid moments in meadows filled with tall grass and wildflowers. Collect scenic rural vistas showing open sky, weathered barns, and tree silhouettes. Or sn snaps of single floral stems like curled fern fronds. Display in standalone wood frames or create an eclectic photo wall with mismatched sizes and subjects.
Black and White Floral Photography
From delicate Queen Anne's lace to clustered hydrangea blossoms, flowers embody the splendor of nature. Capture their striking forms in black and white. Single out sections showing fine details like intricate petals or stamen filtered through soft focus. Or frame an impromptu bouquet plucked from your garden. Group unframed 8x10" floral prints together on one wall, leaving generous white space between clustered blooms.
Neutral-Toned Rural Landscape Photography
Paint a picturesque scene with neutral-toned photographs celebrating the countryside. Collect snapshots of weathered red barns backdropped by woods and open fields. Find curving gravel paths leading through meadows dotted with wild daisies. Discover close-up vignettes like a cluster of eggs nestled in hay. Arrange tonal photos in asymmetrical clusters to cultivate an artful romanitc tableau..
Vintage Sentiment: Typographic Signs and Quotes
Infuse heartfelt meaning into your farmhouse living room with vintage-inspired signs and quotes. Hand-paint upliting messages on reclaimed wood planks. Distress edges with sandpaper for a timeworn look. Or use printable designs featuring scrolling fonts. Surround words with painted florals for delicate contrast. Include burlap bows or jute fringe. Display over couches or group in empty wall space for breathable elegance.
Hand Lettering and Watercolor Quotes
Blend artisan touches with uplifting sentiments using floral-framed quotes. On watercolor paper, lightly sketch flowers like trailing vines or clustered roses using pencil. Paint gently in soft pastel pinks and blues, leaving white highlights for dimension. Once dried, use metallic pens to hand letter an inspirational quote in swirling cursive font. For added dimension, outline letters in black ink. Float in simple wood frames or showcase quote papers unframed against crisp white walls.
Organic Materials: Botanical Drawings & Prints
Celebrate beloved botanicals with drawings and prints spotlighting heritage varieties and wild specimens. Seek out antique scientific sketches documenting native flora discovered by pioneering naturalists. Frame intricately detailed ink illustrations of nightshades and orchids alongside modern graphite studies. Watercolor paintings also showcase plants with resplendent accuracy. For organic contrast, print photographs of botanical studies on jute, burlap or reclaimed wood. Group drawings of multiple sizes for an impactful gallery arrangement.
Watercolor Drawings of Wildflowers, Herbs and Seed Pods
Paint an ode to nature's simple wonders with original watercolors honoring delicate wildflowers, aromatic herbs and textured dried seed heads Find inspiration in native plants growing just outside your window. Practice sketching bouquets of goldenrod, black-eyed susans or purple asters. Capture the distinctive personalities of herbs like feathery dill and rosemary with trailing pine-scented needles. Float unfinished studies in handmade paper frames for added dimension.
Rustic Barnyard: Farm Animal Illustrations
Inject playful personality by displaying artwork starring beloved barnyard creatures. Seek out children's book-style drawings of plump hens, spotted cows and baby goats. Or frame modern graphic portraits of single roosters or horses in lively motion. For sweetly whimsical accents, pick black and white animal silhouette wall decals. Cut shapes from vinyl and stick on smooth walls. Arrange floating outlines of playful lambs or wandering cows grazing in clusters. Add hand-painted touches with watercolor washes or floral wreaths encircling animal shapes.
Graphite Drawings of Chickens, Sheep and Cows
Sketch sweet portraits of fuzzy baby chicks or a towering cow with stunning lifelike detail using graphite pencils. Start by lightly mapping out the basic shape, paying attention to unique markings and feather or wool textures. Build up darker areas adding depth and dimension. Finish with white pencil highlights around the eyes and nose for striking contrast against black and white coats. Mount cluster of drawings floating with generous white space showing off crisp white mats and wood frames.
Textured Accents: Woven Wall Hangings
Incorporate tactile handmade touches with woven wall decor. Create a cozy custom tapestry from natural jute twine wrapped around a wooden dowel. Hang in front of windows for perfectly imperfect light filtering. Macrame boho chic plant hangers supporting trailing succulents or air plants. For quick texture, frame burlap or muslin swatches in reclaimed barnwood. Make wispy linen art banners with unfinished fringe adding rustic movement. Or display a stunning collection of vintage grain sacks stamped with folksy iconography.
DIY Jute and Twine Woven Wall Tapestry
Make your own chunky wall accent using natural jute rope and varying twine textures. Wrap each piece around a 3-inch wooden dowel allowing strands to drape freely. Position dowel at top of wall space and secure tightly with anchors and wire. Use a mix of S-twist and loose natural cotton strings in cream and oatmeal shades. Intersperse occasional pops of muted red or slate blue. Allow strands to hang loose to cultivate an artfully imperfect organic statement.
Draw your living room arrangements together applying thoughtful finishing details. Carefully select frames to complement both classic and modern pieces. Seek out reclaimed wood and antiqued metal frames boasting naturally distressed beveled edges. Crisp solid white framing works beautifully to accentuate graphic black and white sketches. For finer pieces, treat to hand-carved frames with ornate maple details. Stagger similarly sized frame subjects across walls at slightly different heights for asymmetry. Incorporate sconces or picture lights to literally shine a spotlight on favorite works.
When curating farmhouse artwork, embrace pieces that hold personal significance and also give a subtle nod the surrounding space. most importantly, don't overthink it too much. Imperfect gallery arrangements with cozy mix-matched pieces feel distinctly homey. Follow intuition and you can't go wrong!