I Want Skylights In My Dark Dining Room!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of VELUX Skylights. All opinions are 100% mine.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that one of my biggest struggles with living in this house has been how dark it is inside. It’s quaintly situated on a 1/4-acre lot in a well-established neighborhood lined with “mature” trees. (“Mature” just means they’ve grown tall enough that they block out much of the sunlight during the spring and summer).
We didn’t even notice the trees when we bought the house because it was in the start of winter after everything had fallen away. With no leaves, the branches blended into the landscape and the sun beamed through; it didn’t have that “must-turn-on-the-lights-at-2-pm” kinda darkness.
But then something devastating happened: spring came 3 months later.
Rooms that once seemed so sunny in the morning were quickly replaced with the feeling of living in a cave. Honestly, it was depressing. Home was supposed to be a place that I loved and felt relaxed when I was there. Instead, I disliked my home, felt regretful about our choice, and yearned for the top-level, vaulted ceiling, 2-bedroom condo we had left behind (which, by the way, had two amazing skylights that lit up the entire dining area!). Check out a photo of the condo dining area below.
Over the years, I have done many improvements to our single-family home (you can watch the home tour here on my YouTube channel), including cutting down a huge maple tree in the back yard. That’s not the most environmentally-sound option because trees are sacred, especially with the climate issues the world faces today. Let’s not to mention that it is expensive to remove a tree!
Right outside of my dining room, there’s another huge maple that blocks all of the sunlight from this part of the house. Last year I made over my dining room. The “BEFORE” picture is without any changes to the brightness of the photo. But you can see in the “AFTER” picture I had to increase the brightness in order for it to look great! I had to brighten it so much that the windows are over-exposed. The “BEFORE” picture more accurately depicts how dark my house generally is! It’s definitely not a “happy” room!
I have grown to love our home because of the updates I have done, despite the darkness, but I still want light.
That’s where VELUX Skylights comes in.
They recently reached out, asking me to share my story of living in a dark home and to share how VELUX skylights can be the solution to those dark spots that leave you wishing for a brighter home. From my research, what I have learned is that skylights then aren’t what skylights are now.
Skylights aren’t just holes you cut in a vaulted ceiling that bake your home in the mid-afternoon sun, followed by leaks when it rains. They’re far from that. Skylights today, like the VELUX No Leak Solar Powered “Fresh Air” Skylights, are engineered to promote the circulation of air in your home, bring natural light in (hello–no lamps needed during the day!), and can even be installed in flat ceilings instead of only in vaulted ceilings.
And they come with a 10-year no leak warranty on product and installation! Keep reading to learn how you can enter to win skylights and installation for your home!
I learned in my carpentry class that windows and doors are the two greatest losses of heat in the home during the cooler months. But with the VELUX skylights, they have energy efficient glass, which means there’s less heat loss in the winter and in the spring and summer, the sunlight doesn’t heat up the home. They also have solar-powered blinds that allow you to control the amount of light coming in through the skylights. Light-filtering blinds moderate the light, while room darkening blinds block it.
Everything in the home nowadays is “smart,” including skylights, which is insane (insanely good!). With these skylights, they can be automated with the VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO smartphone app and indoor climate control system. You can even add your Apple HomeKit or Google Home.
One thing I noticed in all of these homes featuring VELUX is that they’re all painted white. If you live in a space that doesn’t get much light, consider going lighter with the paint colors, and using a paint that has some sheen, such as eggshell or satin, which can help bounce reflective light from the windows to the walls and back.
The skylights in my condo didn’t open, unfortunately. I would have loved if they did! The VELUX skylights open using solar power to bring in fresh air (and a rain sensor closes them automatically at the first sign of bad weather). I didn’t know that 90% of our time is spent indoors, which means we’re exposed to all of the indoor air pollutants from things like carpet, paint, moisture (which can create mold).
Having the ability to vent your home, especially in bedrooms and bathrooms, keeps those areas smelling fresh, too.
Ahhh….this bedroom down below makes me happy. Minimalist, airy, with a hint of humor. 🙂
I haven’t ever gotten a quote on how much it would cost to get VELUX skylights, but when you consider the upgrade to the air quality, the brightness, the “happiness” quotient, it’s a home improvement I would love to consider. We have solar panels one side of our hip roof, and one side of our gabled side. But right over the dining room, where it’s dark, there are no solar panels. So perhaps one day I’ll be able to update you on how amazing our dining room looks after we get some VELUX skylights! 🙂
For more information about VELUX skylights, head over to WhySkylights.com! Enter your zip code and find an installer near you to provide a quote. You can also enter to win two free skylights with installation in the Daylight Renovation Sweepstakes. (Enter through 11:59 pm on Tuesday, February 4, 2020) It’s time to get rid of those dark areas in your home and start enjoying every room in your house!
Download the 5 freebies!
Thrift Diving inspires women to decorate, improve, and maintain their home themselves...using paint, power tools, and thrift stores! Use these 5 printables, checklists, and ebooks to get started!
