Nautical Lighting for Sonoma Valley Wine Country Home
Just a stone’s throw from San Pablo Bay north of San Francisco, lies a beautiful home built in the late 1990s. Like most 20+ year-old homes, some updates were needed when new owners Tom and Krissy took over.
“Let’s just say there was plenty of deferred maintenance,” Tom says. The couple wanted to give the home a good refresh before listing it as a vacation rental — Carneros Barn House — in the popular Sonoma wine country.
In the search for exterior lighting, the couple sought solid, sturdy, American-made fixtures that were easy to personalize and would give their home a new look. And even though they are in the wine country, the area does have a maritime influence thanks to the proximity to the bay.
“We chose Rustic Wall Sconces for the front and rear doorways because they lent a modern feel to the common fixture but are also heavy duty,” Tom explains. “There is no exposed glass to break and bugs can’t get in easily.” They also liked the maritime aesthetic of these rugged wall sconces.
Flanking the front door are two Industrial Guard Sconces customized with a Charcoal Granite finish and heavy duty cast guard. They further customized these nautical style wall lights with frosted glass.
“The land is visible from all angles so, to be considerate to neighbors, we wanted to diffuse as much light as possible,” Tom notes. “The frosted glass also offers an additional modern aesthetic.”
The complementary Streamline Industrial Guard Sconce brings light to the rear door and to the upper deck. This compact sconce features an industrial guard and flared half shade for an updated look on the traditional nautical wall light. These American-made sconces also have the Charcoal Granite finish and frosted glass.
“The Charcoal Granite finish blended in with our prospective trim color but also lent a bit of texture to the overall look,” Tom says. “We didn’t want a contrasting or glossy third color in our color scheme.” A third Streamline Sconce was added to the well pump house located along the driveway while a Marathon Gooseneck Light throws extra illumination — a nice touch for visitors arriving at night.
“The pump house was the perfect location to have extra light on the driveway and the gooseneck light added that extra classic touch that we didn’t have on the main house, but it also blended with the modern maritime component,” Tom adds. “It’s the first thing you notice as you go up the driveway day or night and everyone comments on it!”
Two matching 12″ Marathon Gooseneck Lights round out the exterior lighting scheme on this beautiful rental home bringing a modern splash of style to the rear of the home.
“Given the large façade of the back deck, we wanted something that would complement its height but also focus the light on the deck for visibility,” Tom says. “We felt the Maritime shades blended the classic barn look with a modern and subtle maritime note.”
After a long winter of el Niño rains, Tom is happy that his rugged, American-made lighting is now in place.
“We like the way the lights further developed our home’s personality, offered a modern touch, and are built to last,” he says. “These are set-and-forget lights where I hopefully only need to change a light bulb every 10 years!”
Photos courtesy of Carneros Barn House
