skylights – The Interiors Addict

Never underestimate the importance of natural light. You should never buy a house with poor natural light because once you’re in, you can’t do anything about it. Only you can. You can cut a big hole in your ceiling and whack in a skylight or two! That’s what we’ve done recently and the transformation has been so big I still can’t get over it. We are thrilled with the outcome and I’m wondering if I should change my job to skylight saleswoman!

This is what I’m talking about! Now this was always a lovely big room and we were pretty happy with it in here. Apart from the natural light which was horrendous! We have lovely light in the kitchen/dining area but in here? We had those chandeliers on all day every day and believe me, we needed all 18 globes! Much as I love those pendant lights, I didn’t love having permanent warm yellow electric light in the daytime. But without it, it was dingy. And if there’s another thing I hate it’s dinginess! So I just left those lights on all the time. The following before photo make it look better than it actually was but you get the picture.

Seriously though, it was really getting me down. In our discussions of how long we would stay in this house, it always came up as one of the things that still made me want to move. We talked about skylights on and off for years. If only we had done it sooner!

I didn’t realise how many added bonuses there would be to these skylights though. It’s so much more than just letting more light in. The feeling of increased height and openness in the room is undeniable, not to mention it’s also a great new design feature in our biggest room.

All the colours (and there’s a lot in here!) now pop and the light feels so clean and bright and well, natural! And seeing the sky and the clouds, and the tall trees across the road is lovely. Not to mention the sound of the rain on them!

Because these VELUX skylights open (one is automatic and solar powered and the second manual), they let in a fantastic breeze which cools the room down on a hot day and is great for ventilation. Get the right window open at the back of the house and it creates great airflow. I never considered what a bonus this would be until we had it.

We also have blinds on them and this was strongly encouraged by our installers, Shire Skylights, mainly to prevent the potential for glare on the TV (opposite the modular) on a sunny day. You can obviously also use them to prevent it getting too hot or bright at any time. The blinds are automatic and solar-powered and you can close them partially or fully. And of course there’s flyscreens, which really don’t look obvious, but do the job of keeping dreaded flies out!

Let’s get to the really clever stuff though: VELUX Active and its app! Smart sensors continuously monitor the temperature, humidity and CO₂ levels in your home and open or close your electric or solar-powered VELUX skylights to create a healthier indoor climate. Now we can use the app on our phones to open or close the window and/or blinds and we can personalise the settings too. For example, ours is set to open every three hours throughout the day for airing. If it rains, don’t worry, the skylight will automatically close! Get too bright? The blinds will automatically close. This all blows my mind! This is an optional extra with your skylight.

Another great surprise was the ease and speed of the install. For anyone who missed it on my Stories, I strongly encourage you to watch the entire process which I saved in my highlights, in just a few minutes.

It was incredible to watch; at first a little nerve-wracking as they cut a huge hole in my ceiling and I could see the sky, but it then became fascinating and super impressive! I didn’t get much work done that morning. I say morning because the whole thing happened in just over four hours, including sheeting! The plasterers then came in the afternoon, came back a day later to sand, and then I waited a bit longer for my painter to be available. Incredibly fast!

So, the question you all want to know: how much does something like this cost? The answer is around $10,000 including install, blinds, the VELUX Active setup, the solar power and the electrician. This is obviously an all-singing, all-dancing scenario and the costs are considerably less if you choose for them to be fixed for example (non-opening). Shire Skylights offer entry level VELUX skylights installed for around the $2,000 mark.

If all this has you wanting to cut a big hole in your roof too, the good news is that The Skylight Warehouse have a competition over on their Instagram feed where you could win a $1,000 voucher so head on over and enter by this Friday 23 October 2020, it’s super simple. The Skylight Warehouse is an online store selling skylights. They’re a premium VELUX dealer and they are their preferred product. They also manufacture and supply custom flashings for every roof type.

Their sister company, Shire Skylights, installed our skylights at lightening fast speed! They service Southern and Eastern Sydney and if they don’t service your area, they can still sell you the skylight and recommend a local installer.

For more information on The Skylight Warehouse and Shire Skylights

After photography by Jacqui Turk

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Last year, I was approached at a family barbecue by a friend of a friend who had a problem. The problem was she said, that it was incredibly hard getting her family going in the morning and that breakfast was simply a form of extended torment. After much discussion back and forth it did not take long to define the primary problem was most likely a lack of morning sun (by the way, we did discuss the quality of the coffee on offer – it was apparently good — and then again we had to consider the kids too!). It turned out the breakfast area was in the middle of the house without a window or skylight in near sight and, apart from the clock, it was hard to tell what time of day it was.

Morning light is one of the most fundamental, and in my opinion most overlooked, elements of a home and a lifestyle. Now with our knowledge of daylight and our circadian rhythms, it is a no-brainer to ensure that we have some sun on the breakfast table! The morning light will literally wake you and your family up and get you going!

One of Joe's projects where he has added a skylight in the breakfast area — One of Joe’s projects where he has added a skylight in the breakfast area

It is a common issue with many houses I have visited over the years having poorly located breakfast areas. It has always surprised me to see how many families have spent their good lives having breakfast (arguably the most important meal of the day) in dark and depressing spaces.

In fact, when designing a house, well before I worry about the breakfast table styling and accessories (for example what type of bowl to have your cornflakes out of), I make sure that there is going to be some sun on the breakfast table. Imagine how much more of a happy and productive day you and your family are going to have when you have enjoyed the twinkle of some winter sun off your spoon of strawberries! And knowing you are going to have some morning sun, imagine then what styling you could enjoy – is it going to be Scandinavian blonde timber with a navy cloth, or bright daisy yellow napkins against a pure white slat bench? The inspiration for the space and the experience is so much greater because the fundamental is right, and in this case it is the capturing of morning light.

So, how to make immediate change? Well, first of all, find out where the morning sun is coming into your home. Seek it out and adjust your planning; sometimes it means changing rooms to suit a breakfast table and chairs catching the sun. Never be afraid of light as it is always better to take it away with well-placed blinds or screens than not have it at all – particularly in winter.

Once you have located the morning sun in your home, freshen up the space with lighter and brighter colours to reflect the light and make it a morning place – whites, yellows, light coloured timbers – it does not have to be the whole room – it can just be the breakfast area. Once you have brightened the space consider a large mirror. They can be a great addition if placed in such a way to reflect the outside in – whether it is a view, the garden, a tree or even the sky. Remember that the early morning light is quite horizontal, particularly in winter, so a mirror can literally bring the morning into a space and all the beautiful light reflections are an added bonus.

In terms of a renovation, do all of the above and literally design around the morning light – include windows and skylights that are designed to capture and funnel light into your breakfast space. Good quality skylights these days are so much more available and better priced than in the past. Some even include electric sun blinds and automatically close when they sense rain. Give priority to your place of breakfast in your design so that it is located on the edge of your house, preferably near an outdoor area, so on those perfect mornings you can easily spill outside. Consider as well the convenience of its location as for many of us, breakfast can be a bit of a rush.

At the start of the day, there is nothing more important than making sure that you get your family’s body clocks and appetites going with some sun on your breakfast table. With some clever design and planning, invite that morning to breakfast!