Styling The Tollhouse On The Lake

The Tollhouse In The Lakes // The Quiet Language of Light

We arrive in the Lake District at dawn, a place of quiet beauty and natural harmony. Mist lingers on the hills, and light moves gently across the water, offering a sense of calm that feels both timeless and deeply restorative. We had the privilege of styling Lam Lighting in one of the most idyllic cottages: a 17th-century former toll house that rests beside a river in the village of Ambleside, just north of Lake Windermere. A quiet invitation to pause, breathe, and be. And when the spirit stirs, it becomes the perfect base for exploring the wild beauty of the Lakes.

Open the timeworn front door and you’re welcomed into the heart of the home via a characterful boot room. French doors on the rear wall frame the river beyond, letting the soft daylight pour in. We dressed the walls here with the classic Bergholt – its sculptural lines as calm and assured as the flow of the river. At the back of the kitchen, we placed the Bergholt Cottage. With its Limoges porcelain shades, it becomes a quiet piece of art when unlit – then, come dusk, casts warm pools of light into the recesses of the room. Above the dining table, we chose the Bergholt Linen Wall Light. The linen shade offers a broader, more ambient glow – an elegant presence for intimate dinners or lively conversation.

To complete the scheme, we added a porcelain 3-gang switch on either side of the kitchen – its Limoges case a perfect companion to the Bergholt fittings. The quiet nod to early Victorian electrical design allows it to sit effortlessly in this period kitchen, while modern installation is made simple by its compatibility with existing square back boxes.

The kitchen flows gently into the lounge – a generous space anchored by an oversized, carved stone fireplace. Here, we began with the Millais pendant as the centrepiece, casting refracted light through its delicate hand-blown glass flutes. It brings a subtle elegance to the room, both sculptural and soft. Near the hearth, the Nayland Bronte provides a gentle counterpoint – its black powder-coated bracket a whisper of ironmongery past. Beside the windows, the Bergholt returns, this time paired with Small Keats shades to bring a twilight glow as the central pendant is off. The lighting here is controlled with a porcelain two-gang switch in black and antique brass, balancing function with artistry.

After a morning of styling, a cup of tea in the garden offers fresh inspiration. The garden is a quiet haven – a harmony of wildflowers and considered planting. Watching the light shimmer across the river’s surface, we are reminded that nature is, and always will be, the greatest designer.

The toll house is full of architectural quirks, offering hidden corners to retreat into. On the ground floor, what was once the original entrance has been cleverly reimagined as a reading nook. A generously sized limestone slab forms a seat, softened by textiles in modern-country hues. Above, the Bronte shade offers focused, directional light – perfect for moments lost in a book. Its gentle off-white Flatford wall bracket makes it feel like it has always belonged.

A quiet corner near a wide window becomes a natural place for a small study. Again we return to the Bronte, this time as a pendant – its practical form softened by its elegance. Here, we paired it with black and antique brass switches for a subtle, timeless contrast.

Later, we step outside again. The early afternoon light settles across the valley like a blessing. There’s a hush to the Lake District that feels almost sacred. Its scale – majestic, humbling – never overwhelms, but rather soothes. And in Spring, the land becomes a living canvas: bluebells scattered like brushstrokes, lambs calling across the hills. It’s an England at its most romantic.

Back inside, as the day fades, the bathroom is bathed in the last of the golden light. The Millais pendant catches the rays in its glass flutes. We paired it with our white and chrome porcelain switch – a harmonious match to the existing fittings, clean and crisp.

In the master bedroom, a pair of Bergholt Linen wall lights flank the brass bedstead. Their linen shades offer a soft glow that flatters the room’s period features, while the antique brass arms lend a quietly confident presence. Beneath each light, a single porcelain switch with a black plate and brass toggle ties the design together with understated grace. As the light shifts and shadows stretch across the walls, we find ourselves anticipating nightfall – to see the Bergholt Linen wall lights cast their full enchantment.