Vario by VELUX - Country Kitchen Extension Transformed with Natural Light

We met digital content creator and charity ambassador Sally, in her gorgeous detached house in the English countryside in Surrey. Sally, her husband Gav, their three sons, dog and cat live in a beautiful cottage with lots of outdoor space for football, dens and four chickens (all named Barbara). They’re an active, outdoorsy family who love embracing nature, from scuba diving to surfing Cornwall’s finest beaches.

Over the years they have built two extensions to their house. In the most recent extension project, Sally chose to illuminate the end of her gorgeous country kitchen/diner with a Vario by VELUX bespoke rectangular rooflight, so we went to visit her for a cuppa and a lovely chat about her impressions and experience on the importance of daylight.

Sally, what a bright and stunning space you have in here. Could you please tell us more about your extension project?

"We love this house; it has plenty of space and we absolutely love the country lifestyle. We bought a house 12 years ago and that time it was much smaller. The first big extension we did was 9 years ago, but we didn't quite get what we wanted as the building restrictions at the time were very strict.

The key thing for us was to bring the light in. A wall of glass made perfect sense, but as the extension has a flat roof, we also started to think about what was above. In a room like this, I think the roof should be seen as the fifth wall.”

Your original plan was to put a glass lantern in the extension. What made you change your mind and choose a flat glass rooflight instead?

“Initially we thought we would put a glass lantern in like everybody else and it didn’t even occur to me that I could have anything else until I was invited to a rooflight launch event by Vario by VELUX. At the event, I completely fell in love with the idea of having a rooflight in my house. I got all the information and, after I realised that even a modern flat rooflight comes with an upstand and you also get the height of the roof built in, which would also give the room the height we wanted, and that the cost would be less than having a lantern of the same size and with no breaks in the glass, choosing a flat glass rooflight was a no-brainer!

What do you love most about owning a bespoke rooflight?

“It’s so cool and yet functional. Rooflights brings so much more light in than you would get from a normal side window and the fact is that daylight does make you feel better, especially in winter.

On top of that, the customer service was excellent, there is always a backup call from Vario by VELUX to make sure you are ordering the right window, they hold your hand through the whole thing and the whole process of designing and ordering was made fun and easy.

They helped me with things like setting the window at a slight angle, so the rain just runs off and we don’t end up with a swimming pool situation on the roof! It’s a really hands on, personal service from a small team, but backed by a big name like VELUX so you know you can really trust them. It’s like the gold standard of roof windows.”

How did you perceive the installation process of the rooflight?

“The process was really simple, easy and quick. Our constructor was provided with all the information they needed to know, in order to put the rooflight in. Our bespoke rooflight was delivered in 6 weeks and we rented a small crane for a day to lift it in. The crane was literally tiny, it fitted through our side gate. Then it was simply a matter of dropping it into the opening and letting the builders do their thing to seal it in.

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous on the installation day as the dog insisted on sitting under the opening and it was very windy, but it all went very well. That moment when the hardboard comes off and you get your first glimpse of the sky above, it’s just magic.”

Do you think changing your house has improved your everyday life?

“Extending the house, and how we use it, has changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we relax. Having an extension, an extra room, the flow and the light we wanted has definitely increased the value of the house but also the saleability of the house. How many older properties have flat roof extensions and haven’t put in a rooflight? There must be loads and they’re definitely missing a trick. We wanted to build personality and I believe that with the extension and bespoke rooflight we got exactly what we wanted. With more daylight and space, I feel more active, I feel more awake, I feel fresher, I get things done. It has definitely changed the way we live.”