Hi, oakleyok, I have a small one on the garage, not the barn. It's been there about ten years, so it's a little faded--I still love the soft green color. Wow, it's nice to be trendy, for once. ;^D

I love Barn Stars and they've always been a consistent best seller for me for the past 10 years.
I don't think they're necessarily country or rustic either.
They're definitely casual but can work in all but the most formal spaces, imo.
Here's a very small sampling on Houzz:
Barn Star Decor on Houzz

I've had this project saved for a few years - someday I'll make one.
I love decorative paper and I'm always looking for ways to use it.
Gold or silver leaf would be neat too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Step by step - paper covered Barn Star

I loooove barn stars. I have several metal stars (small, not barn stars) on the porch next to the sign that says our surname.

Many moons ago, DH made a giant sun face out of plaster and I painted it to resemble patina'd copper. We hung it on the eave of the house and when we moved, I insisted we take it with us. So now it hangs on the front of our garage, but when it finally succumbs to the elements, I will replace it with a barn star. I think they're iconic, not trendy.

i'm partial to any kind of star. and although i do like them, the barn stars don't work for our home. i have friends in texas and they are all over the place. this is my moravian star. it is my FAVORITE all time fixture!

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Mama goose, that's exactly where I want to put mine outside the house. It has good height, and can be seen when someone drives up the road.

Shee, don't you live in the country? For some reason I thought you did. Even though you don't do country decorating I bet one would be pretty. You can paint them any color.

Joanie, thanks for the link!

Pesky, I know BS's have a meaning, so I need to go look it up.

Kate, very pretty! I like the light it gives off on the ceiling.

I grew up in southeastern PA, so I know a little of the origins of the barn star. The barn star and decorating of barns came from the Germans who settled in southeastern Pennsylvania (you may know them by the name Pennsylvanis Dutch-a misnomer). They would paint stars on their barns as decoration and they also began to paint more elaborate signs later. The term "hex sign" which most people use is most probably a misinterpretation of the German word sechs (or sechsafoos which is Pennsylvania Dutch for six-pointed)) for hex (or hexefuss which means witch's foot). The language spoken by these settlers became known as Pennsylvania Dutch and was a mixture of English and German. Most of the "meanings" associated with these decorations were attached in the mid-20th century.

I like the barn stars. I never had a house that seemed right for one though.

I have always loved hex signs and this house had one over the garage when we moved in. You know, now you have me wondering what the symbol is. :) I should buy my own and replace the one that is there.

I lOve that star kateskouros. I would like to put something like that in my small foyer, but I am not sure it will give off enough light.

Here is a link that might be useful: hex signs

took me so long to type I didnt see your note cyn!

They're not for me and like Shee - wouldn't work on our house, but if you want one - go for it. You don't see them here in our area but when we've traveled up to PA and other areas, you see lots of them.

Love your light fixture Kate.

tina

I'm LOL. Never noticed these stars before moving to Texas and owning a barn, so I always thought those were Texas Lone Stars! Didn't know of the association with Pennsylvania or hex signs. Thanks for the new information!

I guess they are okay in the right place, but I have to say I don't like them. Maybe because they have become so faddish around here and I see them all the time on houses where the look just doesn't fit at all. The houses on my street are colonial style and someone stuck a barn star in the middle of the second story. It kind of looks like the house was shot in the forehead.

I do love the old hex signs in Lancaster County. I never see them on houses, only on barns.

ded, really? Can't picture that in your neighborhood! Too funny. When I do make that trip back up there and we go to the Guardhouse, I will drive through your neighborhood to check that out. :)

I love the old Hex signs. Didn't know about the star association either.

Kates, that's a beautiful light!

Oakley, in your situation I think it would probably look good. Like you said you're in the country and would see it from a distance. Around here the big thing is fleur de lis. Dh wanted to put a big one on the screened porch wall and I vetoed the idea. Wanted something different. We ended up getting a metal flower.

I live smack-dab in the middle of "Amish Country" so EVERYONE has Barn Stars, either on the outside or the inside...they're everywhere! Mine are on the inside:

I love stars, but most of mine are Texas stars. This is our living room and we do have a barn star on the wall. You can see Texas stars in the coffee table and the shelf in the corner. I have them scattered around everywhere.

Color and Betty, I like how you placed them. The one I ordered which was too small is for my wallpapered accent wall in the dining room. The wallpaper has a black background with large floral and nothing I put there looks good.

The right size BS would be perfect, in a rust color which would match the paper and tie into the kitchen.

I looked at the prices for the large one's that I'd put on the house. Whoa! DH has a woodshop so maybe he can make one.

Several years ago when on a vacation in New Brunswick , I noticed these stars on a lot of homes.
I did a google search to find out the significance of these stars.
My search turned up the this which was posted on this forum by Duhaide1 in 2009.

"Hello, I just saw your question regarding Stars on Houses. I have one on my house. I live near Montreal, Canada. I got one this summer when I was traveling in New Brunswick because my brother-in-law is Acadian and he told me what they mean. They are Acadian Stars. If you have one on your house you are either Acadian, you have Acadians in your family or you are friends with someone who is Acadian. They were to let Acadians know that they could find safe shelter in your home. It is also for sailors to find a safe way home (Many Acadians were sailors living in the Maritimes of Canada). The reason you are seeing these in New England is because during the Great Deportation of the Acadians in the 1800s many of them escaped to New England, Georgia and Louisiana. Here is a bit more info I was able to find on these stars:
'L'�toile de la mer' translates into 'the star of the sea' which means a 'Sea star'. The Acadian star is also called la 'bonne �toile' which translates into the good star or the lucky star. It represents the star that would guide the sailor 'through storms and reefs'. In the past, captains had the knowledge of certain stars that would indicate to them how far they were from their destinations.
The Acadian Flag
Many visitors to New Brunswick will see a blue, white and red flag with a single star flying from many homes, cottages and vehicles. Others will note a bright yellow star painted on barns and garage doors. Welcome to Acadia. As a mark of their nationality, the Acadians adopted the French tri-coloured flag and added a gold star to the blue section. The star symbolizes the Acadian�s devotion to the Virgin Mary and is emblematic of their Catholic faith which saw them through the hardships brought about by the Expulsion (Deportation)."

Chloe, I live near the heart of Acadiana in Louisiana and don't ever remember seeing the stars. They do have a star on the Acadiana flag along with 3 fleur de lis.

"The 3 fleur de lis represent the French heritage of Acadiana, the gold star symbolizes Saint Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption, patron saint of Acadiana (the star also symbolizes the active participation of the Cajuns in the American Revolution, as soldiers under General Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish governor of Louisiana). The gold tower on the red field represents Spain, which governed Louisiana when the Acadians arrived."

My neighbor who I think lived in Texas before moving to PA recently put up one on the side of her house - it definately doesn't match the style of her home. It's up high on the side of the house and really doesn't "go". Maybe if she choose a different location on the house it would look better.
But, the cute cowboy boot at the end of her driveway that she puts flowers in, kind of fits as it's part of her landscape.It's sitting on a large rock and has other plants around it.

They're hugely overdone here in Texas - and I really dislike seeing an enormous metal star on the front of a house that it doesn't seem to go on. Generally, I just don't care for them. And having said that, I do have a couple of small stars in my upstairs bath, so I guess along with countless others, I bought into the trend too. ;-)

auntjen, I think it depends on what part of Texas you are in. We're in the lower panhandle, and don't really see that many here. But when we visit the hill country, they are literally everywhere. I like them because they say "Texas" to me - must be that Lone Star thing. ;0)

Oakley, I agree with other, it is not for everyone, but I think you have the perfect setting and decor style for a star on the outside! You are smack-dab in the middle of farmland and with your mix of a little bit traditional, a little bit country, a little bit vintage - it will be perfect for you. I love the fact that you always ENJOY your things!

If I were you, I wouldn't get too carried away inside with stars though. Even though I don't do primitive, I think they look really nice with primitive decor when it is done well.

Can't wait to see your star in all it's glory on the outside of your home.

Tuesday

They were really popular here about 4 years ago, but now they are sort of out of style. I first started seeing them in pictures in design blogs and magazines about 10 years ago, and they sort of reached a peak about 4-5 years later---now they are kind of dated. If you look at a place like Home Goods, they still have them in the "rustic country" area of the store.

But, if you love them--then more power to you! They do have a sort of rustic charm. I am not a fan of weathered colors or the color red (many of these stars seem to be red) but I have seen some pretty bronze stars. Recently I bought a white paper star at Ikea that you put a light in, and it looks really pretty with our Christmas decor.

I decorate with them, on the inside of my house. This is a picture of my son's room. His room is kind of a vintage Texas travel theme, with calendars from the 30's, old license plates, etc. We have deep Texas roots and it seems appropriate for us!

I see them a lot in TX. Since this is the 'Lonestar' state, it would seem the right place to have on a garage/house/above the fireplace. ;o)