12 Farmhouse Staples Every Country Home Needs

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Also referred to as double-hung or half doors, these unique structures were purposefully designed to allow fresh air in while keeping wandering barnyard critters out. Look for vintage models at salvage shops, antiques stores, or vintagedoors.com.

Effortlessly elegant, a slipcovered sofa feels right at home among rustic elements, thanks to its understated style (a white canvas or cotton twill allows antiques to take center stage) and undeniable durability (even more so if you opt for drop cloth covers).

Farmhouse style enthusiasts appreciate the rough-hewn beauty of items with a humble, utilitarian past. Here, found items from a nearby farm, including a windmill remnant and discarded wooden water pump, give a nod to this loft's similarly hardworking manufacturing roots.

An economical alternative to upper cabinetry, open shelves keep everything within sight and within reach—and encourage guests to help themselves. Fortunately, the items that tend to occupy these shelves—glass canisters, copper cookware, stone crocks, and, yes, mason jars—are beautiful in their own right.

Functional wooden collectibles like breadboards and rolling pins add warmth to white spaces.

Tools and equipment unique to rural living are great for outdoor spaces of all sorts. Here, an egg sorter is used to display a variety of potted plants, and, with the addition of a few wooden trays, it becomes a serving table. Galvanized troughs, tubs, and barrels can also serve as rustic vessels for container gardens.

While porcelain was the top choice for pendant light shades in the 1920s, hardy milk glass became a popular choice in the '30s and '40s. The opaque material is still popular today—many mass retailers offer an array of retro-inspired milk glass options.

In the 1800s, cast-iron bed frames came in three sizes: full, twin, and 3/4 or half bed, which was smaller than a full but a little larger than a twin. In order to craft the solid frames, iron was melted and poured into a mold to form the shape.

Cast-iron fixtures, like this old sink salvaged from an elementary school (and propped on old sink bases cut down to child size), add utilitarian elegance to a bathroom—particularly when paired with understated finishes like nickel hardware. Shop architectural salvage yards and flea markets for sturdy scores.

Items reclaimed from country churches—wooden pews, Gothic windows, stained glass—can often get a new lease on life in farmhouses. Here, a stately trio of six-foot-tall 19th-century stained-glass windows, salvaged from a church in Florida, serve as a divine, one-of-a-kind headboard.