An Old Schoolhouse, A New Light

A new chapter with Sarah at Hearts at Claremont

Home to Sarah, the old schoolhouse has been reimagined with a calm, assured hand.
Light plays a central role throughout the house, shaping each space gently and purposefully, from the kitchen at its heart to the quieter rooms beyond.

Many will recognise the style from Hearts at Claremont, an interior-led Instagram space that has grown steadily over time. Its focus has always been on creating rooms that feel warm, practical, and lived in, guided by a strong sense of balance and restraint. This new home continues that approach, building on familiar choices while allowing the spaces to evolve naturally.

We visited during the Christmas season to photograph the Lam Lighting pieces already living in the house, and to explore how light continues to find its place as the home develops. It is not unusual for us to share new designs with collaborators during this process, as considered feedback can be invaluable. On this occasion, we were especially excited to introduce a prototype that has been long in the making and frequently requested. The Grand Giselle, the larger sister to the Giselle and Petite Giselle, designs that already feature throughout the home.

The response was immediate and instinctive. The Grand Giselle was left in place above the kitchen table, where it settled so naturally into the space that there was never any question of removing it again. Although it will not be released until later in January, it already feels entirely at home.

The kitchen is where the story begins. Here, three medium Giselle pendants bringing a familiar rhythm and calm functionality to the space, quietly supporting everyday life.

Above the kitchen table, something new takes its place. A prototype, carried with us on this visit, and one we have been working towards for some time. The Grand Giselle.

Larger in scale but unmistakably Giselle in character, it sits confidently above the table, anchoring the room without overpowering it. This is the final evolution of a light our customers have been asking for over many years. Creating a porcelain shade of this size brought technical challenges we took our time to resolve, and seeing it here, in a home that already understands the language of Giselle, felt like the right moment to introduce it.

Elsewhere in the kitchen, the story continues. A plug in petite Giselle above the Aga adds a softer, more intimate note, while a Bergholt Cottage wall light brings warmth to a quieter corner. Together, the full family of Giselle sizes coexist naturally, each serving a different purpose, yet speaking the same design language.

Moving through the house, lighting becomes less about statement and more about guidance and comfort. In the hallway, Sarah chose a Flatford wall light with the Ophelia shade. Positioned alongside the staircase, it offers reassurance and softness, a gentle pause between rooms.

In a small study area, a Bronte pendant provides focused task lighting. Hung low, it creates a sense of purpose without losing the warmth that runs through the rest of the home. It is a reminder that good lighting is not only about atmosphere, but about supporting how a space is actually used.

The living room is where light becomes most atmospheric. Flanking the chimney breast, Flatford Millais wall lights with fluted glass shades frame the fireplace beautifully, adding texture and depth, especially in the evening. On the reverse side of the wall, Bergholt Keats wall lights offer a more traditional silhouette, their refined shapes lending themselves perfectly to a space designed for rest and retreat.

These choices show a deep understanding of how light can change character from room to room, even wall to wall, while remaining visually coherent.

Upstairs, the bedrooms continue the story with the same thoughtful restraint. In the main bedroom, plug in Giselles are used softly and practically, proving once again how adaptable the design is across different settings.

Throughout the home, Lam Lighting brass and porcelain switches have been chosen to complement the lights themselves. This is not accidental. Every piece in the collection is designed with the same materials, finishes, and proportions in mind. When lights and switches share a common language, they do not compete. They belong.

This consistency is what allows Lam Lighting pieces to work so naturally in homes of every style. Old or new, traditional or contemporary, they sit quietly within a space, enhancing rather than defining it.

In one daughter’s room, the Giselle appears again, this time in its Bergholt wall light form, scaled perfectly for a child’s space. In the youngest daughter’s room, a Flatford Bronte brings vertical emphasis and focused light, working in harmony with the striped walls and creating a comforting, bedtime glow.

These rooms underline something important. The lights are not reserved for show spaces. They live alongside a family, adapting as needs change, and settling into rooms of every size and purpose.