Inspiration

Laramie Family of Lights Adds Traditional Touch to Barn

With a house full of kids involved in 4H, Sarah’s 31-acre farm in northern Minnesota is bustling with four-legged activity. Chickens, pigs, turkeys, goats, sheep, and alpacas roam the property, along with the requisite dogs and cats. And they all need their space to eat, sleep, and, yes, have babies.

“This winter, we will have a full barn as it will be our first time raising pigs,” Sarah explains. “Our oldest boys are planning to hatch chicks this winter, the sows will farrow in February, and, in the spring, our sheep will have their spring lambs.”

With all of the activity taking place in and around the barn, Sarah needed plenty of lighting. The metal pole barn was crafted to withstand the harsh Minnesota winters, but Sarah wanted it to feel more like a traditional barn so they added wood paneling and faux beams inside and decorative cupolas on the roof. The overhead doors were also built to resemble classic barn doors.

“We wanted the lighting to enhance the look of the building and give it an old-time barn feel,” she says. “It turned out even better than we were imagining.” In looking for traditional barn lighting, Sarah came upon our Laramie family of barn lights which are offered as ceiling pendants, wall sconces, and gooseneck lights.

“The Laramie collection just called out to me. I loved it right from the start,” Sarah notes. “We settled on that style first, because I love it, and second, because it gave us the look we were hoping for.” She chose the Laramie Gooseneck Light to highlight the barn doors both on the outside and under the covered storage area where hay is stored. These American-made wall lights are customized with both 12″ and 16″ shades, White finish color, and G22 gooseneck arms.

“We choose the gooseneck lights for above the doors because the look is so traditional and really says ‘this is a barn’ to us,” she says. “The goosenecks illuminate the door and just enough space on the apron, and the gentle light we get from them is beautiful.”

Sarah chose a matching Laramie Wall Sconce, also in a White finish color, for the porch door.

“The sconce fits perfectly under the porch and is a beacon for us as we walk across the yard,” she adds. “We chose the white color for these outside lights because the barn is finished with white trim and accents. The lights look great and stand out without drawing attention away from the whole look.”

Inside the barn, a dozen Laramie Stem Mount Pendants, customized with 16″ shades, a Textured Black finish, and 12″ stems provide plenty of light in the cavernous space. These hand-crafted pendant lights merge both industrial and farmhouse styles and are rugged enough to withstand many seasons of chicks, lambs, and piglets.

In the covered storage area outside, Sarah chose the same Laramie Stem Mount Pendants but matched the White finish color used on the other exterior lights.

“They are beautiful and very functional,” she says. “I love the look of the stem lights hanging outside. They finish the space and give it a classy look.” Sarah adds that the lights are the statement pieces of the barn, and they are thrilled not only with the finished look but with the quality of the fixtures.

“Buying American made was very important to us. There are so many lighting companies but very few that make lights right here in the U.S.,” Sarah says. “Barn Light Electric sells a high-quality light, and we are proud that our lights are American made!”

Photos courtesy of the homeowner