HAVE YOU CONSIDERED ADDING SKYLIGHTS ? | THE POSSIBILITIES OF LIGHT

This is an excerpt from VELUX - PROJECT DAYLIGHT

"Natural light is fundamental to the quality of our lives and living environments.

More than any other element, it's many moods and variations can help you make a house a real home.

Not only does it create an atmosphere, it can actually alter the way we feel about our living spaces."

"VELUX believe everyone should be able to enjoy the benefits of natural light and fresh air. We’ve given this belief a name. Project Daylight. Its aims are simple.

To give people the tools they need to turn their rooms into light-flooded areas for inspirational living. And ultimately, bring light to life." 

"The concept of space and natural light having positive psychological, health, and energy-saving benefits is well documented. However, light in all its forms plays a vital role in the design of our homes.  

How much light a room receives, and its direction and quality, can affect many aspects of interior design. From the colours we choose for our walls to how we arrange our furniture.

Borrowed or reflected light? Dappled or filtered? There’s a lot to consider. Even passing clouds, for instance, can change the whole tone and ambience of a room.

 

It’s what makes it such a wonderfully creative element. Loved by architects and designers alike" 

I can speak from personal experience now and can fully appreciate the absolute truth in the above statements.  Last year we began the reno of our kitchen, new cabinets, new stainless steel appliances, new counters.  We converted our home from an oil furnace to a high efficiency gas furnace. 

Since both my husband and I love to cook and always wanted a gas range, a gas line was added for our new gas range. (So happy that we did, cooking with gas is spectacular). 

At first I was so undecided about the ceiling.  Initially, I wanted to add pot lights and remove the centre light fixture to modernize the lighting.  Then I realized that what I truly wanted was to remove the ceiling all together and convert it to a cathedral ceiling with skylights and pot lights.  All possible since our house is a bungalow.  It is a fairly small bungalow and adding height to the ceilings in the kitchen has certainly helped our small home live large.  Smaller rooms appear even larger just by adding light and are so much more inviting.  Being a designer specializing in Eco Design, I knew that adding the skylights would also reduce our overall energy consumption.

STATISTIC

27% of carbon emissions come from your home. But by supplying it with natural light instead of artificial light you can help change this statistic.

In the beginning when I first ran the idea by Joe my husband he thought I was out of my mind (in his mind, being married to a designer means mucho $$$$$$$$$$$$$).  When I explained how this reno would increase the value of our home, increase the pleasure and feeling in our home and save us many $$$$ in hydro, he came around real fast.


Prior to the renovation, our kitchen had 8ft ceilings and now post reno are 14ft at one end of the kitchen sloping down to 8ft at the other end.  Three skylights were installed, two fixed (21" x 55") and the third which is the center skylight (30" x 55") opens by remote control, has an insect screen and a rain sensor. In the event that we are not home and it begins to storm, the skylight if open it will automatically close.  (Gotta love that). For our lighting we choose 6 halogen, swivel pot lights installed with dimmer switch of course. 

We also had a Sun Tunnel installed in the Utility/Butler's Pantry/Laundry Room as well.  Although this room has two entrances/exits there are no windows and typically a light is required. Since the Sun Tunnel has been installed, we rarely require any lights.  It is so bright now that we often think that the light has been left on.

Our home has been completely transformed and feels so wonderful sitting at the kitchen table basking in the sunlight.  I am certain that our next hydro bill will reflect huge energy savings considering that we hardly need to switch on the lights.  This reno will finally be complete once the taping, plastering, priming and painting are finished.  Can't wait!

Here are a few images of homes that have also had skylights installed and the various applications possible. 

Enjoy!

  

Throughout the years, VELUX has been highly committed to reducing the environmental impact of the manufacture, use and disposal of their products.

They use wood from sustainable forests and produce an innovative range of glazing with excellent energy saving properties. They also strongly believe that the more natural light we have in our homes, the better for our health and the environment.  For more information, please visit http://www.velux.ca.

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability and Eco Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle http://www.soulierdesignstudio.com