3 Bestselling Farmhouse Designs

Design, Media

4 minutes read

If you’re planning to build in the Perth Hills, the South West or any other of WA’s fabulous rural locations, chances are you’ve come across one or two farmhouse designs in your search for that perfect plan.

Farmhouse designs are synonymous with rolling countryside, the great outdoors and, for many people, a relaxed, casual lifestyle. The sort of get-away-from-it-all escape we associate with life outside the city and the suburbs.

There are probably views to capture, guests to welcome and long lazy weekends to look forward to.

To help you in your search for your perfect farmhouse, we’ve picked three bestselling designs from our Farmhouse Range.

They’re all quite different, but they’re also all timeless farmhouse designs ideally suited to country living.

What defines the farmhouse look

Look out for the following features that help define farmhouse style:

Wide frontages are ideal for making the most of a big block.
Verandas and timber decks, with year-round options for outdoor entertaining.
A grand living space, often with classic country features such as timber beams and bush poles, a feature fireplace and soaring ceilings.
Big windows to capture as much of the view as possible, often with raking windows and glass sliding doors to the front and to the rear.
High ceilings, letting light flood in, and enhancing the feeling of space and volume.
A generous kitchen, with ample storage and preparation space, often with a larder or scullery.
Spaces to enjoy in tune with the seasons, from cosy winter sitting rooms to shady summer verandas.

Whether you’ve got your sights set on a sprawling multi-acre block, are settling in a semi-rural area, or are simply looking for a taste of the country on a corner lot in the suburbs, could one of these bestsellers be the starting point for your bespoke farmhouse?

Our three bestselling farmhouse designs

The Argyle

You could say this is where it all began for the Rural Building Company. A prime example of the quintessential country home, the Argyle takes us back to our roots.

Like all Rural Building Company designs the Argyle suits just about any country block you care to find, even tricky terrain such as a sloping site or a site with challenging soil conditions.

Big windows, expansive outdoor areas and natural materials provide that all-important harmony with the surrounding environment. Think bush poles, vast timber beams, soaring ceilings, big verandas, and lots and lots of glass.

Designed to suit a block with a minimum width of 34m, this classic farmhouse design delivers a mighty 371sqm of home, including summer and winter living areas, kitchen with scullery, office, home theatre and activity room.

Take a closer look at the Argyle and the rest of our Farmhouse Range.

The Karroo

We took the Argyle and blended it with another of our bestsellers, the Karridale Retreat, to create the Karroo. Adding feature stone into the mix gave this country hideaway an extra layer of rural romance.

High raking ceilings, big windows, bush poles and a colour palette of natural neutrals echo the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Suiting a minimum block width of 28m, the Karroo delivers 317sqm of home, including four bedrooms, freeform living area, kitchen with scullery, alfresco, activity room and retreat.

See how the Karroo sits alongside the rest of our Farmhouse Range.

The Evolution Farmhouse

Proving that farmhouse designs don’t have to be traditional, the award-winning Evolution Farmhouse brings edgy contemporary style to the country.

With its wide, modern façade, featuring strong lines and organic materials, this excitingly different farmhouse combines the essence of rural living with touches of warehouse chic.

Designed for a 28.5m wide lot, the Evolution Farmhouse delivers 329sqm of home, including four bedrooms, double-sized alfresco, activity room, study, home theatre and extensive verandah.

The Evolution is our Western Australian take on the modern American farmhouse, the look that keeps a classic gabled shape but finishes it with clean, contemporary detail. Where a traditional farmhouse leans on timber beams and stone, the modern American farmhouse is known for crisp lines, black-framed windows and board-and-batten cladding (timber boards fixed in clean vertical lines) in a restrained palette of natural timber, deep green and black. You can see that contemporary influence in the Evolution’s wide modern façade, strong lines and organic materials, brought together with the touches of warehouse chic that set it apart from a classic country home.

Explore the Evolution Farmhouse and every plan in our Farmhouse Range.

Common questions about modern farmhouse style

What is the new modern farmhouse style?

The newer take on the modern farmhouse leans further into contrast. Think black-framed windows, simple timber-board cladding such as board-and-batten or vertical-joint, and a restrained colour palette of natural timber, deep green and black accents, set against the warmth of stone, brick and timber inside. It keeps the honest, hard-wearing materials of a classic farmhouse but styles them in a cleaner, more architectural way.

What is a modern farmhouse?

A modern farmhouse keeps the familiar shape of a country farmhouse, the gabled roofline, the wide frontage and the generous verandahs, and pairs it with clean contemporary lines and a simple, natural material palette. The result is a home that still feels rural and relaxed but reads as current rather than traditional. Our Evolution Farmhouse is a good example, combining the essence of rural living with a wide modern façade and touches of warehouse chic.

Is modern farmhouse still in style in 2026?

Yes. The farmhouse look has stayed popular with people building in the country and on rural blocks, and the modern farmhouse in particular still suits the way people want to live outside the city, with big windows, indoor-outdoor living and a strong connection to the surrounding landscape. It is a style built around lifestyle rather than trend, which is a large part of why it lasts.

What was the typical Australian farmhouse?

The classic Australian farmhouse was a practical, no-frills rural home built around family life and working the land, usually timber-built with a wide verandah and simple, functional rooms rather than decorative detail. Modern Australian farmhouse designs take that honest, down-to-earth character and adapt it for the local climate, the block and the way we live outside the city today, which is exactly what our farmhouse range is built to do.