A Townhouse In Bath

We arrived in Bath in the early morning, the honeyed light catching on soft limestone walls, casting long shadows across the quiet Georgian streets. Tracey Whitnell’s townhouse at No.4 waited just beyond the bustle, nestled on the outskirts of this cultural city, where the pace slows and history deepens. Originally part of a brewery complex and built around 1775, the house stretches gracefully across three and a half stories. It is a place where past and present hold hands.

Our project today was to photograph the beautiful interiors, capturing our brand-new Boxted wall light. It follows the form of our Nayland and Flatford wall lights and is available with all of the same shades and iterations, but realised in solid antiqued brass. The Boxted is an exciting new addition to our collection. For this shoot, we installed Boxted wall lights in every variation, allowing the home itself to dictate the story. From the hallways to the bedrooms, we explored the emotional rhythm of light and shadow, function and softness.

Before lifting a single box, we found ourselves seated in the kitchen for a breakfast of coffee and pastries beside an open window. Outside, a quiet backstreet shimmered in the morning sun, the air cool and crisp. There was a peacefulness here, gentle and grounded, that lingered with us throughout the day.

The hallway greeted us first. As you step in through the front door, a soft diffusion of light reveals textured woodwork and earthy tones. We paired the Boxted bracket with a domed Brontë shade, its form sculptural, in the natural light. The fluted glass of the Millais shade caught the light like water, while a plug-in version of the Boxted provided a quiet solution on the lower wall. The Fonteyn’s shallow cone offered a geometric contrast, and the Cottage shade lent a more traditional silhouette. It was an ideal starting point – calm and considered.

To the left of the hallway, the ground floor sitting room offered a moment of stillness. Here, we kept things simple with a single Ophelia pendant suspended above a rustic, timeworn chest. The softness of the light echoed the softness of the furnishings, while the stone hearth anchored the space.

In every room, Tracey had curated original oil paintings by local artists, small works full of mood and colour. From vibrant sardines to deep woodland scenes and joyful still lives, they brought a sense of quiet playfulness, gently grounding the home’s layered character.

One floor up, the living room shifted into something more dramatic. Dark green walls, worn leather, and generous sash windows created the perfect backdrop for the Boxted. A large Keats pendant offered a bold centrepiece, while on the walls we alternated between small Keats shades and the refined simplicity of Constable glass. A single Acanthus with a globe bulb echoed the clean form of the Constable, while the curving lines of the Ophelia, also tested here, caught the light with elegance.

By midday, we paused and wandered into the heart of Bath. A busker’s melody echoed with rare clarity on Burton Street as we sat among sweet shops and cafés, absorbing the city’s rhythm.

Returning to No.4, the kitchen had transformed. The morning’s softness had shifted to a bright, welcoming light. We installed a Large Keats pendant above the table, and paired the Boxted with both the Cottage and Small Keats shades. Their finishes, natural brass, soft porcelain, created a harmony that felt considered but never forced.

On one landing, a fluted Millais pendant hung near the window. Its curved glass caught the afternoon sun and reflected it gently across the pale walls. The second-floor landing, low on natural light, gave us the perfect place to trial the plug-in Boxted again, this time with a Delphinium shade and exposed pear bulb, casting a soft, ambient glow. On the ceiling, a single Brontë offered a focused light for the staircase below.