Simplicity is the essence of timelessness. And the American farmhouse is the ultimate example of enduring design. That’s why Shea’s six models at Stepping Stone are each available in a very popular, Modern Farmhouse style.

While offering today’s families contemporary, highly livable floor plans and state-of-the-art construction practices, these homes definitely tug on the traditionalist’s heart. Each plan takes its own spin, but they all include farmhouse elements such as a steeply pitched roof, gables, metal roofing, and wainscot-style siding. These details evoke the classic rural homes of the past, whose design elements were borrowed and simplified from the fancier Greek Revival, Georgian, and Victorian styles popular in their urban contemporaries.

So how might you decorate your new Modern Farmhouse home? Consider exploring a shabby chic direction, with soft colors, distressed woods, and comfortably rumpled fabrics. Florals are always a nice complement, too, whether used in cottage-inspired fabrics or even glassware that invites guests to settle in with some cool, southern-style sweet tea. Let your creativity out to play as you concoct new ways to use vintage finds, such as this pedestal sink upcycled as a birdbath. And because your home will be a charming blend of past and present, keep your eyes open for décor that walks both sides of the divide, such this very modern grid of rural-inspired photographs.