Barn Lighting Featured in Texas Hill Country Home
Characterized as the border between the American Southwest and Southeast, the Texas Hill Country boasts a majestic landscape of hills, rivers, and colorful explosions of native wildflowers such as bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush. When Jennifer Harbison, of Cobalt Living, was tapped to design a new home nestled in the Hill Country, she wanted to embrace the rustic feel of the surrounding countryside.
“It was a new build, but we wanted to maintain the integrity of the land and build around trees and the natural landscape,” Jennifer says. “We wanted to use materials that would age and offer a timeless look that captures the casual feel of the Texas Hill Country.”
The results are stunning. The ranch home is situated on 250 acres and includes a barn, several casitas, a saloon, barndominium, and extensive outdoor living spaces. Jennifer chose barn style lighting to lend the simple, rustic feel she envisioned for both inside and out.
“Barn lighting complements the extensive use of 100-year-old barn wood, plaster, and reclaimed brick and stone,” she explains. “The use of galvanized fixtures was the perfect neutral and primitive choice.” For the outdoor porches and living areas of the saloon and casitas, Jennifer chose the Original™ Vented Stem Mount Pendant. She customized these handspun fixtures with 14″ shades, Galvanized finish, and narrow slot vents in the neck.
“These are perfect to gently illuminate the relaxed outdoor spaces which are the main gathering areas on summer nights,” Jennifer notes. “I love the vintage look and the vents provide extra uplighting in addition to the downlighting.”
Jennifer, who has worked in residential interiors for more than 10 years, also chose the complementary Original™ Warehouse Gooseneck Light to frame the saloon entrance. She customized this American-made gooseneck light with a generous 16″ shade and an Oil Rubbed Copper finish.
She also chose one of our newest gooseneck arm options which features a chain mounting for extra stability and style. This G64 gooseneck arm is finished in Black.
“I wanted something that would coordinate with the galvanized stem mount lights but be more of a contrast and stand out as a focal element,” Jennifer notes.
On the interior of the saloon, Jennifer chose a smaller Oil Rubbed Copper fixture to highlight the bathroom vanity. The petite Fargo Wall Sconce, with its 5″ shade, provides the perfect spot of light on both sides of the vanity mirror. Jennifer notes that the higher arc on the sconce arm adds more height while still saving space.
In the guest bathrooms, she chose the Austin Wall Sconce in a Galvanized finish to bring the look from the outdoor porches into the interior. The Austin Sconces feature 8″ shades and provide excellent secondary lighting in the space.
“The Primary Schoolhouse Gooseneck Light is also in a guest space,” Jennifer explains. “I selected this fixture because of its classic vintage look. I wanted to again carry the neutral galvanized finish throughout the living spaces.”
Jennifer customized this schoolhouse light with a small globe and G26 gooseneck arm. She notes that the opaque glass helps minimize the glare above the vanity.
“The client and I love the vintage and timeless look all of these fixtures create for the upscale yet rustic spaces,” Jennifer says. “While achieving a casual look, they also portray simple sophistication. As the designer, I absolutely love the ability to almost completely customize the fixtures, and, of course, made in the USA is a huge plus!”
Photography courtesy of Ashlee Newman Photography
