Tucked away in the northeast corner of Colorado Springs, the Star Ranch property rests beneath the watchful gaze of Pikes Peak - America's Mountain. Spanning sixty acres of rolling hills, native grasses, and evergreen forests with a 13,500-square-foot residence, the estate stands as a testament to how thoughtful lighting can completely transform a landscape. When owner Dean Stoecker purchased the property in 2020, he envisioned a private retreat that felt both expansive and intimate - a home that blended seamlessly with the surrounding forest while offering moments of artistry, warmth, and connection. "There's something about lighting that changes pretty much everything," Stoecker says. "Whatever you put in the ground or on the wall or in the trees, it changes the whole scenery."

Originally installed in 2001, the property's lighting system was due for a complete overhaul. Its halogen fixtures were outdated, energy-hungry, and inconsistent with modern technology. Timberline Landscaping's residential lighting division, led by certified outdoor lighting designer Kevin Hunt, was brought in to reimagine the entire system from the ground up.

Design Goals and Vision
From the start, Stoecker had a clear vision for how light could bring life to his property. He wanted to showcase the home's rich stonework and architectural detailing, illuminate outdoor living areas for both entertainment and family use, create a sense of depth between the manicured gardens and the surrounding forest, and highlight distinct landscape features - such as the two ponds, the connecting stream, the bronze sculptures, and a whimsical pirate ship treehouse built for his grandchildren - all while integrating fluidly with the home's smart-automation system. It wasn't just about visibility - it was about experience. Stoecker wanted guests to feel the property's serenity after dark. "Everyone I have over for dinner or events always likes to go outside at dusk when the lights come on," he says. "You can sense a degree of relaxation; it's a strange phenomenon, but lighting changes everything."

The Design Process

 
The Timberline team began with an in-depth site evaluation and discovery meeting. "We walked the property several times at different times of day," recalls Hunt. "You can't understand a site like this from drawings alone; you have to see how light moves through the trees, how the mountains frame the view, how reflections dance on the water at dusk." Working collaboratively with Stoecker, Hunt drafted a preliminary lighting plan focused on creating visual layers - foreground, midground, and background illumination - to give the property depth and dimension after sunset. Renderings were refined, balancing artistic goals with technical realities such as transformer placement, voltage load, and beam spread.

One major challenge was the existing mature landscape. Timberline's residential maintenance team performed plant health assessments and removed materials that had been left unattended for several years. Their sister company, Front Range Arborists, provided extensive rejuvenation pruning and selective removals to enhance structure, light access, and long-term safety. Still, with decades of growth, intertwined roots, and extensive plantings, every fixture placement required precision. "We were threading wire through established planting areas and tree roots without disturbing sensitive vegetation," Hunt explains. "It required a steady hand and a lot of patience to preserve the integrity of the landscape."

Technology Meets Artistry
The lighting design features a network of 214 fixtures - a blend of Brilliance and Lumien products chosen for their reliability, color rendering, and adaptability to LED technology. Path and area lights, recessed well lights, wash lights, spot and uplights, tree downlights, and submersible water lights work together to create a cohesive illumination that paints the property with warmth and movement.

Each fixture was thoughtfully selected based on its role within the landscape's visual story. Uplighting accentuates the home's architectural features and native stone façade, while downlighting from mature pines casts a soft, moonlit ambiance and artful patterns on open areas, adding texture and dimension. Cross-lighting reveals the fine details of bronze sculptures - from flying geese to a monumental elk - while submersible fixtures beneath rippling streambeds and along pond edges highlight the movement of water and mirror the surrounding light. "The lighting is dynamic - it moves with you," Hunt says. "We designed it so no matter where you are on the property, something draws your eye forward. It's not about brightness - it's about balance and flow."

Smart Integration and Subtlety
The project also incorporated the home's existing Lutron Smart Home electrical system, allowing Stoecker to control all exterior lights with a single touch. This integration required reusing transformer locations tucked under the home's first floor - spaces so tight, Timberline's crew had to maneuver with surgical precision to connect and conceal wiring.

Despite the scale of the property, subtlety remained key. The entrance lighting was intentionally minimal to preserve privacy and avoid drawing attention from the road. As the tree-lined drive transitions to open space, the lighting gradually intensifies, revealing layers of warmth and texture. "Light has rhythm," says Hunt. "It should rise and fall, just like music. At Star Ranch, that rhythm is what creates the sense of peace guests feel as they walk through the property." Stoecker shares that emotional connection. "I love coming home," he says. "Even if I leave at four in the afternoon, I'll turn all my lights on before I go. I can't wait to come home at dusk just to experience the lighting. It changes the mood; it changes how you feel, right here," he adds, patting his chest.

Lighting even transformed how he experiences sound. "I have two streams that join under a bridge and empty into a pond. You could hear the soothing sound of the water at night, but you couldn't see it. Once we added puck lights in the stream and edge lighting in the pond, it changed everything. The audio and visual now work together."

An Ever-Evolving Masterpiece
Star Ranch remains a living project - constantly progressing as new sculptures, plantings, and creative ideas are added. Timberline continues to maintain and expand the lighting system, adapting to growth and seasonal change. "The beauty of a project like this," says Hunt, "is that it's never truly done. As the landscape matures, the light changes, and so does the story it tells."

Illuminated Serenity
At Star Ranch, every beam of light carries intention. From the shimmer of the stream to the gentle wash over a bronze elk and from the twinkle of the forest's edge to the glow on a grandchild's pirate ship, Timberline's design transforms the night into something living, emotional, and profoundly peaceful. Referring to the project as one of the most rewarding he has ever worked on, Hunt reflects, "Good lighting isn't just seen - it's felt. When we get it right, the light disappears, and all that's left is beauty."