Stunning Views, Customized Lighting Create Home Sweet Home in Wisconsin
Surrounded by 40 acres of forested ridges and deep river valleys, Laura wanted to create a home that featured plenty of opportunities to showcase the view and bring the lush landscape indoors.
“We designed the house around a modern farmhouse aesthetic with a bold black-and-white color scheme,” Laura says. “It was important to us to maximize the focus on the seasonal color changes of the landscape outside the windows and create a feeling as though the land itself was flowing right into the house.”
The house, located in Viola, Wisconsin, features an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining, and living area oriented towards a two-story wall of windows with a stunning view of the fields and woods beyond. A set of floating stairs constructed from old birch ceiling beams from a late 19th-century warehouse in Chicago lead to a second-floor balcony.
In the kitchen area, open shelving crafted from the same birch beams as the nearby stairway cradle the family’s dishes, pottery, and other heirlooms. An Original™ Gooseneck Warehouse Light brings illumination to the workspace below. Laura customized this handspun wall light with a 12″ shade, powder coat Black finish, and G1 gooseneck arm.
“Because the main room is so large, we wanted each of our lights to define a space individually but also connect these spaces to each other into an integrated whole,” Laura explains. “This gooseneck maintains a similar shape as the other lights and echoes the black-white patterning in the house.”
Over the island, Laura selected another classic RLM-style fixture in the Dino Pendant Light. These handcrafted pendants feature 12″ shades, a powder coat White finish, and standard black cords.
“I didn’t want the pendant lights to detract from the shelves and the things on them, but rather contribute to a stylish neutral palette that helps accentuate them,” she notes. “These white pendants do exactly that.”
For the dining room table, situated between the kitchen and living spaces, a Calico Chandelier offers plenty of light and farmhouse style without distracting from the view. This chandelier is customized with three warehouse-style shades in a powder coat Black finish, a standard Black cord, and five feet of chain.
“The chandelier connects to the black accents of the living area including the long stove pipe and the window frames,” Laura says. “It adds definition and drama to the dining area and is my favorite of all the lights.”
In a nearby bathroom, Laura decided to add a hint of color to the space with a Seaside Gooseneck Light in creamy Mint. This American-made gooseneck sports a 12″ shade and G11 gooseneck arm.
“We decided to be a bit more playful with the lights in the bathroom and add a pop of color,” Laura explains. “The gooseneck allows the light to fill the space proportionally as the wall is 9-feet tall. A smaller sconce might have seemed out of proportion. It creates a fun retro vibe.” As a return customer to Barn Light Electric, Laura knew she could customize each of her new lights to suit each space perfectly.
“The fixtures provide crucial light in our large space and are objects of interest themselves. But they don’t distract from the view of the landscape and the individuality of the kitchen shelves and other furnishings in the main room,” Laura says. “They really help define the modern farmhouse style and have always felt like the best design decision I’ve ever made. I was thrilled to have a chance to try out new fixtures, and I love them just as much!”
Photos courtesy of the homeowner
