VELUX Company Ltd

We delve into Anna's inspiring rooflight replacement journey in her Hertfordshire home with a Vario by VELUX custom-made roof window. This stunning addition has wholly transformed her living space.At Vario by VELUX, we understand the importance of custom-made solutions to suit your unique needs, and our bespoke flat roof windows are designed to do just that. Anna's story is a testament to how our Vario by VELUX Rooflights can create a space filled with daylight, enhancing ambience and interior design.Custom Made Roof Window CollaborationAnna, who hails from South Africa and relocated to the UK almost 40 years ago, recognises the importance of natural light and how it can significantly impact your well-being. Having lived in her Hertfordshire home for many years, she knew it was time to replace her existing lantern rooflight due to a leak and a desire for a more modern design.When she reached out to her architect for guidance, he recommended Vario by VELUX, a decision that proved to be a game-changer for her home. Our team worked closely with Anna, making the bespoke flat roof window fit around the structural beam and seamlessly integrated with her living space. The result was nothing short of beautiful, highlighting the exceptional craftsmanship, professionalism and flexibility Vario by VELUX is known for.What improvements have you seen between the old rooflight and the new one?“The design of the extension is better now than when we had the previous rooflight. The lantern that stood up always bothered my eye and now this flat roof is unobtrusive. When I look out of my windows upstairs I don't see anything, I just see the garden, it’s just opened up another dimension.Another thing is the rain, the sound is different - it’s softer and I like the pool of water you can see lying on it - the different little patterns. It’s a wonderful sound and view so I really recommend it.”The Impact of Unlimited Daylight on Your HomeWith the Vario Unlimited Rooflight installed, Anna's living space now basks in abundant natural light. This daylight not only brightens up the room but also enhances the overall interior design. Even on cloudy days, the room remains well-illuminated, reducing the need for artificial lighting. The difference is undeniable, and Anna couldn't be happier with the transformation, stating, “I had such a good experience, everything was done so professionally… the end product is beautiful.”Advantages of Flat Roof Windows Over Lantern Roof DesignsWhen considering the choice between a flat roof window, like Vario Roof lights, and a lantern roof design, it's essential to highlight the benefits that make the former stand out:Unobstructed Views: Unlike traditional lantern-style skylights, flat roof windows can offer a more discreet and clean design that blends seamlessly with the roof. This design allows unrestricted views of surroundings, creating a more open and expansive feeling within a space. Lanterns can provide a beautiful and artistic effect by breaking up the daylight with the lantern intersections.Balancing Cost and Style in Skylights: Choosing between flat glass rooflights and lantern skylights isn't just about style but also cost. Flat glass rooflights are a bit friendlier on your wallet and can even help lower your heating bills, thanks to their excellent insulation. But don't let that sway you if your heart is set on a lantern skylight! They might require more time and expertise to install, but the result could be well worth it. Ultimately, the choice is yours - both options bring daylight and elegance.Ventilation: Vario flat rooflights are designed to maximise airflow thanks to our upstand, contributing to a well-ventilated and fresh interior space. Lantern roof lights, on the other hand, excel in aesthetics, adding a distinct charm to any room. However, their ventilation efficiency may not be as high as that of flat roof windows. Both options present a blend of form and functionality to consider.Insulation Differences: Lantern skylights and flat roof windows both provide insulation but to varying degrees. Lanterns with multiple glazing pane joints tend to have poorer insulation, leading to more heat loss. Conversely, flat roof windows, with fewer connections, generally offer superior insulation.There are certainly pros and cons to both types of rooflight design. What matters most is that you are considering adding more daylight into your your designs!Experience the ‘Wow Factor’ With a Bespoke Roof WindowAnna's advice when considering a renovation is crystal clear: "I really don’t think you can do an extension without a rooflight." She believes it's essential for well-being and making your space more enjoyable. A rooflight adds the "wow factor" that can genuinely make your life better.Incorporating a Vario skylight into your project can be a game-changer, just as it was for Anna.

Witness the stunning transformation of The Smurf House in Devon, UK, where modern rooflight design blends seamlessly with nature. Led by Katie Woods, this renovation of a holiday home combines the beauty of its surroundings with bespoke interior design, thanks to innovative Vario by VELUX round rooflights. These custom-made skylights flood the home with strategically placed natural light, creating a breath-taking connection between indoor and outdoor spaces and a fun, vibrant environment. Let The Smurf House inspire you to embrace nature in your designs.

Jessica's home renovation and extension. Please see below a brief overview of Jessica's renovation journey in a blogpost:I’m not going to lie, renovating in a pandemic with no kitchen, was extremely stressful at times, particularly during the long stretches we were home-schooling, and it’s not something I’d want to repeat, but it definitely could have been worse, and we survived it.We bought this house six years ago and I have wanted to do the kitchen side return extension ever since Day One, but we had to wait and save, and then finally in September last year (2020) the day finally came, and we started the renovation. For reference, this is what it looked like when we bought the house. We did do a budget makeover in the interim by painting the cabinets and replacing the handles, but by the time we came to do the major building work we had doors hanging off, shelves collapsing, and the major lack of storage meant things were stuffed in and precariously balanced on top of each other and ready to topple as soon as anyone dared to delve in. I shared lots of my inspiration and ideas for the new kitchen before we started. I knew from very early on that I didn’t want to spend a huge amount of our budget on creating a fancy architectural kitchen extension. For me, the space inside was what was most important, and I just wanted to make sure we were maximising that to its full potential. We hired architect to draw up just the plans for us. I had initially wanted a pitched glass roof to run the length of the side return extension, but council planning regs and the unusual way our house is laid out, put paid to that idea. Our local council had recently introduced a height restriction of 2.5m at the boundary when extending more than 3m at the rear. Which we weren’t. Or so we thought! What we hadn’t realised is that the existing kitchen had already been extended and that counted towards the allowance, so the restriction did apply. This caused a lot of stress at the time, as we were so worried that the ceilings were going to feel low and dark. The good news is that as soon as the Vario by VELUX rooflights went in, all our worries melted away, and it’s not something I even notice or think about now.Another thing we did was speak to our neighbours about a third-party wall agreement. This was pretty key for us, as the buttress was on our side of the wall and if we had to build around it we would have lost at least half a metre of the side return. What we needed to do was take it down and build up right up to the boundary (saving as many of the London stock bricks as we could in the process). Luckily our lovely neighbours agreed, as this really did make a huge difference to the internal space.The LayoutI have had a lot of questions about many different aspects of the kitchen, but I think the thing I have been asked about most is the dimensions and the layout. We extended out 1.5m at the rear and around 2.5/3m to the side, bringing us to a total of 5m wide x 8m long. I think our layout is fairly unusual for a kitchen, and it seems to have inspired lots of people to try and do the same in their own kitchen renovations. The good thing about waiting almost six years to renovate your kitchen is that you get plenty of time to mull over what your dream kitchen might look like. The Design  knew I wanted to go with a seamless sleek, understated design and let the other materials do the talking, so I settled on the Urban kitchen, with slab doors. I worked with a kitchen designer to fine tune the space, and that’s where it really comes into its own, because they think of all the details you wouldn’t necessarily think of, and they know exactly how much space you need to allow you to move around your kitchen comfortably. The area around the island and peninsula was a tricky one to get right, because we didn’t want to interrupt the flow too much, but having lived in it for the last few months, I can confirm the kitchen designer got it spot on. We also included a fluted glass cocktail cabinet in our kitchen design, which houses all our glasses and drinks bottles and sits on the dining/entertaining side of the kitchen.The Vario by VELUX rooflightsOur previous kitchen had very little natural light and as a result none of us ever wanted to spend any time in there. So getting as much natural light as possible was a major priority in this renovation. We planned for two large rectangular rooflights along the side return (as we knew we needed a steel in between) and a square one towards the rear. Once we got planning permission, I asked our architect to tell me the absolute maximum amount of glazing we were allowed, and then headed straight for the Vario by VELUX website to design bespoke rooflights to the exact size we needed, using every last bit of glazing we were allowed! The bespoke nature of Vario by VELUX means you can tailor your sizes exactly to your needs. Using the 3D configurator online, you can also choose the frame colour, the type of glazing, and whether you want them to open or not. We have two 2.3m x 1m Rectangular rooflights (one opens) and a 1m x 1m square rooflight. Our builders had never worked with them before and were really impressed by the ease of fitting. The moment they went in, was the moment we really start to get excited about the new space. Even with screed floors and bare brick walls in November, the light was incredible in there. Now it’s finished, one of my favourite things is to work in the kitchen and watch the light as it changes and moves throughout the day. Even watching the rain is epic.

Vicky and Nick, the owners of Holloway and Holloway, a London based architecture studio, share their story on living and working under the same roof, in a stunning recently extended house where they added an Unlimited Rooflight. Questions to Vicky and Nick:What was the decision-making trigger in choosing daylight from above?To be honest there was no choice here. In a London mid-terraced property, even a semi-detached one, when you do a side infill to increase the rear of the property by filling in the gap between the properties, it creates a dark space in the centre of the property where there is no natural light.So, you generally counter this by adding roof lights in the ceiling over the new extension, and make sure that they are placed fairly close to the back of the room so that you can flood that space with natural light.Vertical windows tend to allow a good level of natural light to penetrate around 6 meters into a building. Not only do roof lights allow a lot more light in a space than a vertical window, but as you can place these in more central areas in the room, they are nearly the only way to get daylight into the centre of your house.We have our office in the central room of the property, so for us, we had to have good natural light levels in this area as we spend the most amount of time here in the whole house.You added a rather large rooflight to your extension - The Unlimited Rooflight. What impact does it have on the space?It is amazing how bright the space is. We get so much light from above that the space always has a wonderful vibrance to it during the daytime.But I think that possibly what’s even more striking than the amount of light itself is the size of the glass, its 5m² total, split into 2 pieces. It makes it feel as though there is more glass than there is solid roof up there, it really is the wow feature of the whole space.Whilst we had expected that when we designed it as it was always meant to be the feature in the room, what we hadn’t realized was how much it would make the space feel bigger. With extensions on a mid-terrace property, you are often limited as to how high you can build so your ceiling height can be capped at a certain level, but having this huge opening in the middle of the room makes the whole space feel like you’ve got this really grand ceiling height, it has such an effect on how the space feels. Tell us what was the timeline from inspiration to finished interiors? I'm sure it's a question you get very often.Indeed. Well we actually only found out about Vario by VELUX as we were on site, they were just about to start the roof construction as we found out about them, so we didn’t have a huge amount of time and had to get things organized very quickly! From finding the products to getting them on site it was only a matter of weeks, once we had chosen a size for the roof lights all we had to do was confirm the opening dimensions to our contractors, and double check with the structural engineer that the roof structure was ok to support the new roof light. Once that was all sorted all we had to do was wait, it was a very easy process. The project took around 4 months on site in total, but the roof lights go in fairly near the end of the project, so once they’re in it’s all very exciting, as you are close to completion.  

Meet Sarah and Andy, who live with their three young girls, dog, budgie and chickens in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The family moved to the village twelve years ago, and while they love their home, they came to the realisation that the kitchen was a bit small and dark. This led them to build a kitchen and dining room extension and install roof windows to transform their house into a bigger and brighter family home

Our real life cases are meant to inspire you, so we always look for unique projects to follow and document. This case is unique in it’s own right thanks to the early adoption of bespoke blinds to fit the Vario by VELUX rooflights.Let us take you on a journey to a beautifully renovated 1930’s home in East-Sussex, where homeowner Graham Gray lives alongside his wife, children and dog. As much as they loved their house as it was, they finally made the decision to redevelop mostly the back of the house. This renovation included not only a bespoke rectangular rooflight, but also custom made blinds which perfectly fit the roof window.Brightening up a 1930’s home with natural lightingA house built in the ‘30’s isn’t usually the brightest of homes. These houses often come with few or small windows which don’t allow natural lighting to fully penetrate a room, causing dark spots and corners all around the house. This is why Graham and his family wanted natural daylight to be a focal point in the renovation of their mid-century home, saying “Light was really important to make an area spacious and airy.”. They sure lit up the place by choosing one of the biggest singular bespoke rooflights in the size 3000 mm by 1000 mm.The perks of a big custom Vario by Velux skylightBecause the Gray family opted for such a big rectangular skylight, it let in a bunch of light. We asked Graham what he loved the most about the rooflight; “During the day you are looking at the sunlight being brought in, and then during the night you are looking at the wondrous sky and the stars. And if I’m honest during the summer I can’t see us using any light other than the light coming from the VELUX rooflight.”. Another bright side to our rooflights is that they don’t require days or even weeks of work. The three by one meter skylight was practically placed in less than a morning!Creating an ambience with blinds for VELUX roof windowsWhile having a rooflight comes with a lot of perks, there is something to consider; sunlight can’t be dimmed down. Sometimes you want a room to feel warm and cosy, which you often do by turning off some lights or closing the curtains. Graham and his family understood the importance of creating an ambience, and thus opted for skylight blinds for VELUX roof windows. Graham’s daughter added; “The rooflight can do so much more than just be a feature. It has a lot of practicality like giving ambience for movies and makes the space feel more homey and lived in.”Why Graham and his builder chose Vario by Velux as their window supplierGraham’s builder had recommended VELUX because “it’s a well-known, high quality brand with excellent customer support”. But what played an exceptionally big part in the decision was the availability of Vario, mostly thanks to our unique feature to design your own custom made skylight! The Gray’s made a bold move to go very large and incorporated a big rooflight with a feature that allows them to open it remotely, allowing for natural ventilation. This meant that Graham and his family could choose the size that they wanted and needed, including custom fit blinds and a rain detector which automatically closes the window in case of bad weather.Welcome the beauty of daylight into your designsIf you are an architect involved in home renovation or construction projects, our customised rooflights offer an ideal solution to bring abundant natural light into your designs. By incorporating rooflights, you can transform any space into a vibrant and illuminated environment. Our team of experienced daylight specialists is available to assist you in selecting the perfect skylight that aligns with your specific requirements and preferences. Embrace the opportunity to enhance your architectural creations and experience the profound effects of natural lighting with Vario by VELUX.

When you are renovating a home, you want the result to be exactly as you pictured it. Abigail and her husband Mark were able to do just that! They had plans to extend their home and renovate their kitchen & dining area with loads of natural light, curious what their experience was like? Be sure to keep reading! Natural daylight is a key component of Abigail’s homeNatural daylight is an essential part of the look and feel of a house. When Abigail and her husband were planning on renovating their home, which they started in 2019, they understood the importance of this concept. The couple told us: “We were always planning to have a rooflight to let in as much light as possible”. Their home was built in the 1930’s, so the small windows from the original build weren’t able to provide them with enough light.The family introduced as many windows as they could. The Vario Skylight was the perfect addition to their vision. It has really made sure that they can enjoy nature to the fullest every single day. “Without the rooflight, the space just wouldn’t be the same” is what the couple had told us.Bespoke rooflights; custom made to fit your needsThere’s a world full of skylights in many shapes and sizes, but not all of them will fit your wants and needs. Vario by VELUX acts as a bridge, linking your creative ideas with the perfect rooflight for your space. Abigail agreed with us and said “The importance of bespoke meant that we could get exactly the size that we wanted.” She and her husband opted with a single rectangular skylight in one piece, instead of it being dissected into different parts. This allowed the space to be in touch with nature and filled with daylight without casting shadows. While most custom designs can only be visualized after they’ve been installed, we offer a design tool in which you can plan out your vision and get an idea of what you can expect. Abigail actually used the configurator on our website and even called it ‘best practice’.Transform the feel of a home with a Vario rooflightVario by Velux wants you to also be in touch with the energy of a space. This vision matched with what Abigail was looking for. She told us that VELUX helped them create the feeling that they wanted, which was as much light as possible and the rooflight does that immensely. Since they had been renovating their home for quite some time, the couple felt loads of relief and excitement when the roof window was finally installed adding: “We had been staring at an open hole for weeks, and when it actually dropped in it was amazing.”A holiday feel with light and natureMark and Abigail have always had a dream to live in Ibiza, but aren’t able to do so now that they have three kids. That’s why they wanted to spice up their home with a holiday atmosphere as if they brought a little Ibiza with them. Their south facing property helps them do that as they can enjoy the sunlight from the early hours of the morning. Add in a big rooflight and some lovely plants, and they were able to create that holiday feeling in the comfort of their own home.Vario by VELUX as a trusted partner in custom skylightsA roof window isn’t a product you decide to buy on a whim. Having a reliable manufacturer by your side every step of the way is crucial, which is why we understand this need. Vario by VELUX will aid you every step of the way, from design to placement. Abigail was glad that our daylight experts were there to offer expertise and advice. She told us “We got a lot of help from VELUX and they were so helpful. There was always somebody on hand to help guide us through the process.”Invite the daylight by getting a bespoke roof windowWhether you're renovating an existing home or building a new one, our custom rooflights are an excellent addition that will bring natural light into a home, creating a brighter and more comfortable living environment. Trust our daylight experts to help you choose the right rooflight for your space, and see the difference that natural light can make in your home with Vario by VELUX.

Step into the sunlight-soaked transformation of Jasmin and Liam’s home, where sustainability meets bespoke design. Passionate about making their home as much of a “Passive House” as possible, the homeowners embarked on a renovation journey and, with help from Vario by VELUX, incorporated our well-loved products—the Rectangular rooflight and Unlimited rooflight in key spots in their home.Read on to discover how Vario rooflights have effortlessly transformed an Edwardian house filled with dark rooms into a spacious sanctuary flooded with natural light and a healthy, sustainable home for the family for many years to come.Brightening up an Edwardian home with Bespoke Flat Roof WindowsIn August 2020, the couple found their dream home and aimed to create a healthy, sustainable lifestyle as they were working from home more than ever. Craving extra space, a larger garden, and a seamless outdoor connection, they sought to transform their house into a haven for both living and thriving. Despite the challenge of an Edwardian layout, they collaborated with Vario by VELUX to infuse every corner with natural light. Using bespoke roof lights, the plan was to flood key spaces like the kitchenA Passive House with Bespoke SkylightsAs seen on UK TV, our couple's journey to revamp their Edwardian home isn't just a makeover—it's a dive into sustainable living to get as close to a "passive house" as possible, which speaks volumes about their commitment to the environment. "I think that maximising natural light in the home is really important," shares Jasmin, underscoring the importance of a bright, naturally illuminated space.Focus on Daylight and VentilationInvesting in natural light goes beyond mere aesthetics; it's a dedicated commitment to enhancing well-being, as expressed by the homeowners; “That kind of investment in natural light really does help with all facets of our life and for our creativity and mental health.” The double-height space benefits from a roof window directly above the staircase, enabling natural light to reach the floor below. We firmly believe that the staircase wouldn't have that impressive "wow factor" without this addition!In a world where spending more time indoors has become the norm, Jasmin and Liam recognised the value of a home that embraces maximum light while retaining energy and warmth, ensuring nothing is lost to the outside atmosphere, and keeping the home energy-efficient.And in line with the idea of a passive house, the rooflight and glazing help to retain heat during winter, keeping heating bills lower.In their home cinema, they have a VELUX window and a made-to-fit VELUX blackout blind; this is a great example of how Vario rooflights can integrate with standard pitched roof windows. Get a complete VELUX solution for your home today.Elevate your home with Vario by VELUXCollaborating with Vario by VELUX means getting a completely personalised and curated flat rooflight solution. With this partnership, Jasmin and Liam have forged a newfound connection to the outdoors and will significantly improve their family's long-term well-being. Their story serves as a roadmap for those looking to infuse a touch of modern technology, bespoke design, and thoughtful interior design into their homes.Ask our daylight expertsFeeling inspired? See how Vario by VELUX can transform any space with our Design A Rooflight tool, or Book a Call with our daylight experts today to discover how we can help you.Please note: Our installation service is currently only available in selected southern areas of the UK.

We travelled to London and sat with Sebastian and his wife Miriam who have just rejuvenated their kitchen area, so that it connects their home with the outdoors in a wonderful way by simply replacing and upgrading their rooflights.The old rooflights simply didn’t have the versatility that the family was looking for, so when it came to finding a set that offered them exactly what they needed, Sebastian and Miriam chose Vario by VELUX.Due to the position and functionality of the existing rooflights in the kitchen, the family quickly realised that it didn’t fit their needs, discovering that the room became hot during the summer months and because of nearby foxes, they couldn’t safely leave their façade windows open without worrying about inviting unwanted visitors into the home.“We moved here in the middle of winter,” Miriam explained, “So we didn’t understand how hot it became inside over the summer months. What we needed was ventilation to cool it down over the summer. We chose to replace the rooflights, as the ones that we had were static and didn’t allow ventilation and these are amazing for that.”Sebastian discussed how working closely with Vario by VELUX allowed the family to get exactly what they wanted and how they were able to create a home that truly met their needs. “Vario by VELUX were the only ones that offered bespoke windows that could open, and when you’re away, if it rains, they close.”“I did everything online. I went to the website where they have this Build Your Own 3D configurator and I chose the window I wanted, the colour I wanted and the size I needed. I would definitely recommend everyone to use Vario by VELUX for installation, delivery and to receive support and warranty, which is very important.”An incomparable differenceThe impact that the new rooflights have had on the family has been remarkable and really had a positive impact, as Miriam explains. “The contrast between a fixed rooflight and one that opens is incomparable really - cooking smells are out very quickly, you can cool the room down and it never gets too hot in here, it’s not just a bit of glass in the roof, it’s a bit of tech that you can use and integrate into your life.”“The two Unlimited Rooflights have really impacted the room with the amount of fresh air we get in there.”“I get up for work very early, about 6am,” Sebastian adds, “And before having these windows, the room was just hot and you could feel the lack of air, now, when I come down the window has been open and it makes a difference.”“It’s made the whole house cool. We now have a movement of air through the house that we didn’t have before. I think it’s a really lovely way to be connected to the outside - you see the seasons change, you can watch the roof splatter with raindrops - my daughter loves watching that when it happens - and the bifold doors plus rooflights really make this an integrated room with the garden. You have a bit of the outdoors inside here.”

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.”

We visited David and his family in Essex, UK, who recently completed a rear kitchen and dining extension that began in June 2021 and was completed in October.   One of their main goals was to include natural light and ventilation in the design by using opening rooflights.  Tell us more about your home and why you decided to renovate. The family fell in love with the house because at the time they thought it had all of the space they needed.  'It was really obvious when we first moved into the house that we didn't have a joint space where all of us could be together, cooking and eating, playing or watching TV. That's when we said; 'okay, we need to do this project.' Before the family completed the renovation, a lot of their time was spent in individual rooms. Therefore, they made a decision to create a joined-together family space, they felt essential for creating memories and bonding with one another.  'We wanted to make sure we had a rooflight over the kitchen to create light in that space and make sure we had enough light to the existing part of the house.'  Adding a rooflight to your kitchen can be a great way to bring in more natural light and improve the overall ambiance of your home. Positioning and size of the rooflight, are important for including light in harder-to-reach areas, such as an existing part of your home. Make sure to take the necessary precautions and consider all the factors involved in such a project. Check out our top tips on what to consider when renovating or extending.  How important was the option of having bespoke rooflight design for you? 'The importance of bespoke design was really around size, and what size we needed for the space. When we first started looking around for skylights, they were often a lot smaller than we needed. What we found with Vario by VELUX is essentially, they took that problem away.' We had options, we could have chosen different colours, and different styles of glass, but we were able to choose something that matched the rest of the living space, as well as being functional.' 'The reason we went for two rectangular rooflights was really to fit in with the design of the rest of the extension. What I like about the VELUX Windows is that internally we really do just see that flat glass at the top and it finishes it off really nicely.' It's great that you had the option to choose different colours and styles of glass for your rooflights. By matching the rooflights with the rest of your living space, you have created a cohesive and harmonious design that enhances your home’s overall look and feel.   Why opening rooflights? 'The coolest thing about these rooflights is that they can open.' 'We decided to invest in large windows, one of the things we wanted to do is get the most out of them. Having the automatic opening, meant that we can open and close the windows to keep the air quality.' VELUX Active can add a modern touch to your home and can increase its energy efficiency by reducing the need for air conditioning or heating. We are glad to hear that the decision was made to optimise your indoor climate and invest in Vario by VELUX rooflights.  'One of my favourite moments to do with the rooflights, was when we first brought the children into the property, my son pointed out the rooflights and when we opened them, he was astounded!' 'Traditionally, this back part of the house was quite dark. So by coming out with an extension and having the rooflights put in above, it means we get more natural light earlier – quite often from very early in the morning.' The rectangular rooflights you chose to install sound like they fit perfectly with the design of the extension and provide a modern and clean look whilst making your space the place where family comes together. Natural light and ventilation is not only essential for our physical health, but also our emotional well-being. By having more natural light earlier in the morning, you can start your day in a better mood and with positive energy. How do you use your new extension now? 'I would say actually we spend 80 to 90% of our time now just in this room. The joy for us is sitting together and eating, whether that's at the breakfast bar or the dining table, having the kids playing along the side of the kitchen. We are delighted with the end result.' 'We are now seeing the benefits of what this means to us as a family and the wider family. Being able to host and have parties and social gatherings.’ 'Everything happens in this space now.' It's wonderful to hear that your home renovation project has transformed your living space and has made it a central gathering place for your family and friends. Hosting social gatherings and spending time with loved ones is an important aspect of life and it's great that your home now provides a comfortable and welcoming environment for those special moments. It's always a great feeling when a home renovation project meets or exceeds expectations, and it sounds like that is exactly what has happened in this case. Congratulations on your beautiful new space and we wish you very happy memories there! 

Our case study video featuring our customer, Interior Writer and Stylist Reena. The case showcases a single storey Bungalow, transformed into a contemporary, Scandinavian inspired family home, with the use of Vario by VELUX Rooflights. Reena, like us, is passionate about Daylight and Fresh Air and whilst this is evident throughout her home, the Danish concept of Hygge was also a huge inspiration for her renovation. Hygge = Referring to comfort, pleasure and warmth within simple soothing things such as a cosy atmosphere. We think Reena has managed to achieve exactly that, with the use of Natural Light reflecting and shifting against beautiful raw materials inside her home. 

We've met Nick & Vicky Architects at Holloway & Holloway, when they’d just finished their rear and side extension. As their family is now bigger, they decided to create a brand new loft extension.You’ve just finished remodelling your home. Congratulations! Tell us what was the timeline from buying the house to now?Well, it’s been quite the journey! We bought the house over 4 years ago now. We always bought it as a project, so we knew that it was going to be something that would take a number of years to complete.The house needed a lot of work from day 1. In fact, I have a photo, taken at 9 am the morning after we moved in with my wife sledgehammer in hand, knocking a wall down. I quit work shortly after we moved in and I spent the next few months working on the house, mostly getting the first floor fit for us to live in, but also fixing the kitchen and other areas.We basically took the first floor back to brick work and joists. We fitted new plumbing and electrics, installed a new bathroom, new floors and so on. I managed to get a new kitchen from free-cycle which so we could replace our one, which wasn’t really in a working state.Once that was done, we had a home that we could live in and work from and that was around the time that we started our practice, Holloway and Holloway.As we got busier with work, we started to get a bit more hands off with the actual building work and allow people who were more qualified than I was to start helping us out, and we focused more on the design work.The next stage was the side and rear extension which we did a couple of years later, finishing in early 2021. The idea being that we would have a nice entertaining space for us to spend time in with friends and family before we had children! A couple of weeks after we finished, Covid hit, and that dream didn’t become a reality. It was amazing to have a really lovely space for us to spend lockdown in though.The loft conversion was timed with us wanting to start a family. When Vicky fell pregnant, we started more serious arrangements to start this final stage of the works. It was finished (or mostly finished at least) the same week that our son was born, so we did manage to come home to a quiet house at least.Why did you choose to do the renovation in staged phases?It was mostly to do with money really. There were certain elements that we needed to do straight away to live comfortably in the property, but after we were settled, it was a question of saving up to be able to do the works. As we weren’t in need of extra bedrooms at the time, it seemed that we would get more immediate benefit out of the works to the ground floor so that is why we started there.Even if there wasn’t a need to save up we would likely have tried to do the work in phases so that we could stay in the house during the works. Moving out adds even more to the cost of the works, and as it was just us two in the house at the time, it was easy enough for us to adapt to moving around the house and living through the noise and dust of building works. It would have been a very different story with little ones to take care of as well.Why did you choose to add a loft extension to your home? And what are the most important things to keep in mind when designing a loft extension?For us we needed to build the loft extension to move our office space to the top of the house so that we had somewhere quiet to work. But regardless of our working situation, it is a great thing to do to maximise the space in your home.Converting a loft space or adding a dormer extension, is generally the most cost-effective way to add space to your home, especially in tight urban settings. For us, we were able to add two bedrooms and a bathroom to our home, which is vital for our growing family to expand into. By doing this work, it extends the life of our home for us, now we have a great sized family home, where otherwise we would likely have had to move in the future to get extra space as our family grows.We’ve designed and built lots of loft extensions as architects, so it was really interesting for us to try and take out what we thought were the most important lessons from the experiences we have had and put them all into our own project.Firstly, it is worth noting that our council will override planning policy in some circumstances, in favour of good design, so by using high quality materials, in our case the dark metal cladding, we were able to get permission for a larger extension than would have been allowable otherwise. So, though the cladding material was more expensive, we gained more space, and hence more saleable floor area.The next was insulation, this was a gamble for us as we know the theory about its benefits, but when you are having to balance costs on your building project it seems an easy place to cut back on and save money.Building regulations require a certain level of insulation, but you can go far beyond this, and more insulation means that your home will take on less heat in summer, keeping it cooler, and will let out less heat in winter, keeping it warmer. We decided to go well above the basic requirements, and we have found that just as the theory states, our loft is a much more comfortable space throughout the year than our neighbours, which we know gets uncomfortably hot in summer, to the extent that they struggle to work in the loft in mid-summer.The last lesson would be good ventilation. Though the additional insulation helps keep temperatures steady, when temperatures soar in the UK, it can still get very hot in your loft. This is compounded by the fact that all the warm air in your home will rise up to the top of the house. Adding an openable rooflight over the stairs is an incredible tool for thermally controlling your entire home. Opening it acts as a chimney letting all of the hot air out of the roof and pulling new fresh cooler air in at low level, creating a really nice through breeze in the home. The added benefit is that you also get loads of natural light over the stairs, which trickles down all the way to the ground floor.You’ve chosen to introduce both Vario by VELUX bespoke rooflights, regular VELUX windows, and VELUX curved glass rooflights. Why?There is method to the madness. Over the stairs, we wanted to have a rooflight that was sized to evenly fit the shape of the room, with an even offset from all the walls, so for that we needed the bespoke sizing of a Vario by VELUX flat rooflight.For the bedroom, we wanted to have some light come in from above, and although it would have been visually amazing to have a large rooflight here, we felt the VELUX Curved Glass roof window was more appropriate, as it had integrated blinds that would easily make the window blackout at the touch of a button, which Vario be VELUX will start offering as of December 2021.The VELUX windows are necessary to get light in from the front façade of the property via the pitched roof. These were the only way we could get light into the bathroom, and for our office, it enables the room to be dual aspect, which gives constant direct daylight and also fantastic through ventilation.We love the new studio roof window that VELUX has launched recently, but I just love the way the top hung light open, I think it looks so impressive. Also, as I’m fairly tall, the Top hung windows are great as I can walk underneath them when they are open easily. What impact do the rooflights and roof windows have on your everyday life at home and especially in relation to the thing you do at home?To be honest, we worked from home pre-pandemic, and so we spent a lot of time in our home even before the lockdowns came along and working practices began to change. We are firm believers that you need to make your home work for you rather than be set up for others and that really came to the forefront over the pandemic to a lot of our client’s minds, as they were suddenly not hosting people as much or at all and they had less spaces in the wider world they were able to visit. So, they started to think more about how their home could meet all of their needs.In practice, this could be as simple as putting a sofa bed into the spare room instead of a fixed bed that limits the space and is only used infrequently. This then allows you to turn the rest of the space into an arts and crafts room, or a cinema room for family movie nights. It's about trying to get the most use out of the space that you have.As far as the rooflights go, I’ve already mentioned the practical benefits of ventilation and natural light, but in many ways, I suppose the biggest impact they have is how they change spaces from what could be quite standard spaces into light, bright, modern spaces, they make you feel like you’re living in some sort of architectural magazine, and it is a lovely feeling that doesn’t really dampen over time.