If there’s one person who is particularly well-placed to appreciate the value that a bespoke rooflight can have – not only for maximising views or feeling closer to nature in one’s home, but also for all-round health and wellbeing– it is Reena Simon.
The award-winning interiors writer and stylist and her husband turned to the bespoke flat roof windows of the Vario by VELUX range when they were looking to transform their single-storey bungalow into a contemporary, Scandinavian-inspired family home.
The Hygge ethos and Vario VELUX windows proved a winning combination
Reena, like us, is passionate about daylight and fresh air, and this is certainly apparent throughout her home. However, the Danish concept of Hygge also served as a huge inspiration for her renovation.
The term “Hygge” refers to comfort, pleasure and warmth within simple and soothing things, such as a cosy atmosphere. And we think Reena has managed to achieve exactly that, with the use of natural light reflecting and shifting against beautiful raw materials throughout her abode.
“The greatest joy has been seeing my end vision unfold”
We went to meet Reena in the property where she lives with her husband, three girls, and their dog, Simba – and it was clear that she was immensely thankful for the results achieved with the help of some well-chosen Vario skylights.
“The greatest joy with this house,” she reflected, “has been having the end vision in my mind and then just seeing it all unfold and seeing the reality come to life.
“We bought the house in 2018 and we fell in love with the plots and the land that surrounded it. It was a single-storey bungalow, and we needed it to be bigger and to provide more space for our family as we’ve got our three young girls.
“The whole idea of this house and renovation was to maximise views out because we are surrounded by trees all the way around and we’re northeast facing. So, we wanted as many walls, ceilings with an opportunity to have a view out and an opportunity to have that natural daylight.”
What drew Reena towards our custom-made roof windows?
The Grand Designs magazine columnist and so-author of the bestselling book on interior design, Scandi Rustic, was unequivocal in her answer: “I was really attracted to VELUX for the rooflights because you can have a bespoke size. That was really important for the spaces in our home.
“So, for example, with our en suite, we wanted a rooflight that covered the entire width of the shower. It’s really quite big. And so when you have a clear night, you can see all the stars.
“The girls have got a snug area and the snug room is an internal room. So, it’s a room that doesn’t have any windows. So, to have a rooflight and natural daylight was really important for that space.
“We had the rooflights installed when we weren’t living in the house. So, when we moved into the house and we got to open them for the first time, that was really special. Seeing the rooflights open and then experiencing that for the first time, the views out to the skies and the trees, it’s just incredible.
“People might question why we chose to have so many? It actually makes our house feel bigger.
“I love walking around the house from room to room and experiencing the different views out, and that really starts me off for the day and just gives you a positive feeling. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s sunny or it’s raining. Whatever season it is, it’s just a nice way to wake up with natural daylight.
“You know, what’s better than having a shower in the morning and looking up to the sky?”
Reena has an emphatic verdict on the role that Vario by VELUX’s bespoke flat roof windows played in the grander scheme of her family home’s renovation.
“Investing time and money into rooflight design was definitely worth it. We don’t ever underestimate how important our home being flooded with natural light is to us as a family, and how much joy we get from that.”
Maximise your views at home, with a little help from our Daylight Experts
Are you inspired by the story of Reena and her family, and how they made Vario rooflights work in their home renovation? If so, now might just be the time to reach out to our Daylight Experts for your own consultation.
