Q. This week: The question you answered last week about painting a house was in some ways, but not all, pertinent to what I'm going to do this summer - paint my barn. What should I use, latex or oil?

Much of modern farmhouse style — the shiplap, natural materials and distressed finishes popularized by magazines and shows such as HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” — evokes a simpler time in a vague, nostalgic ...