Authentic, American-Made Lights Top Must-Have List for Homeowner
Louise and Jason dream big. For years, they longed to live in the country and finally, that dream came true. The couple purchased 450 acres of rolling hills and native prairies in west-central Minnesota and built a 5,000-square-foot farmhouse for their family of 12. Since the land is not ideal for farming, they chose to bring back the American bison to these native grasslands.
Did we mention they dream big?
“We knew when we were designing our home that, just like bringing bison back to this area, we wanted something authentic,” Louise says. “We built a farmhouse that looks and feels like it’s been here for 100 years but with all of our modern amenities.”
The couple wanted a timeless, classic farmhouse but with an open floor plan. The home features painted white shiplap, solid reclaimed barn wood flooring, area field stone for the fireplace, and authentic lighting.
“I wanted to find American-made, authentic, farmhouse-style lights,” Louise explains. “I knew immediately that I found what I was looking for with Barn Light Electric. Classic, quality, and customizable — everything that was important to me in an American company.”
For the exterior of the home, the couple chose the iconic Original™ Warehouse Gooseneck Light. They customized these handspun fixtures with 14″ shades, a Black powder coat finish, and G11 gooseneck arms.
“We chose them to accent the garage, the front door, and on the back veranda which extends along the entire back of the house overlooking the pond and hillsides,” Louise notes. “I love these Original™ gooseneck lights! Such a classic farmhouse look!”
For the interior’s open floor plan, Louise kept a very clean, neutral feel. The kitchen boasts a white shiplap ceiling, white subway tile, open shelving, and a center island. Louise and Jason selected Avalon Pendant Lights to accent the island and Barn Light Mini Artesia Wall Sconces to bring light to the shelving.
“The 14″ Avalon Pendants bring in that timeless farmhouse feel with the white shade and black cloth cords,” Louise explains. “And I chose the Mini Artesia Wall Sconces because I wanted something small that would still coordinate with the island lights. I chose black as an accent to the white and the G33 gooseneck arm so they would remain an understated accent.”
The living space features sliding barn doors which lend a rustic feeling to the space. Louise accented these doors with Marathon SoHo Wall Sconces customized with 14″ shades and a Galvanized finish.
“I wanted to bring in the slightly industrial feel of the Marathon Sconces, so the logical place was over our sliding barn doors,” she notes. “I chose the Galvanized finish since this was often used as a building material on the old farmsteads. They remind me of the old lights you would find over a sliding granary door.”
In the nearby laundry room, Louise opted for a more modern touch with the Barn Light Indy Industrial Pendant Light. She customized these two pendants with a Black socket, black cloth cord, an on/off turn key, and 1910-Era 60-watt Edison light bulbs.
“I liked the idea of just a cord and bulb hanging from the ceiling, so these were the obvious choice,” Louise says. “They look slightly industrial and unfinished in an intentional sort of way. There is nothing fussy about them, and they are perfect for the utilitarian nature of a laundry room.”
For the bathrooms, the couple installed more Original™ Gooseneck Lights in a Galvanized finish but chose the slightly more feminine Seaside Gooseneck Light for the master bath.
“Our master bathroom has more feminine design choices such as the patterned cement tile floor, the stand-alone tub, and the antique wooden-framed mirror,” Louise notes. This handcrafted barn light features a 14″ shade, Black powder coat finish, and G11 gooseneck arm.
Having settled into their dream home for several years now, the couple are still very happy with all of their lighting choices.
“The quality of the workmanship is unmatched,” Louise says. “The lights need no maintenance other than cleaning, and they are easy to clean. They will continue to bring that authentic century-old farmhouse feel to our home for decades to come! Thank you Barn Light Electric!” To see more of this beautiful home, be sure to check out their Balance & Bison Instagram feed!
Photos courtesy of the homeowner
