Her Home Magazine

Designers know natural light is one of the most important elements of home design because daylight dramatically affects our perceptions of size and color. While the light bulb is a wonderful thing, electric lighting cannot offer even illumination throughout a room and different light bulbs produce very different hues which change the appearance of your home.

We are drawn to natural light. Public areas in your home bathed in sunlight are perceived to be “welcoming” and “cheery”, private spaces “ safe” and “serene”. Being a yoga enthusiast, I whole-heartedly agree—daylight just makes us feel good! Sunlight’s health benefits are well documented: from Vitamin D production, lower blood pressure, and improved calcium absorption; to improved concentration, reduced irritability and headaches.

Our lifestyles have become increasingly sedentary and with the rise of the digital age, we spend many hours indoors. Clearly, our environment greatly impacts our well being and quality of life. As we age, our eyes’ lenses yellow and harden, less light gets through and rooms appear darker, hindering the room’s vitality and piercing your spirit. If you are tired, sluggish, depressed and simply unsatisfied with your home, perhaps it’s due to a lack of natural light.

One home design solution has been to increase the number and size of windows in our homes. Of course, the direction these windows face and shading from other structures, trees and window coverings can reduce light passing through windows. Skylights mostly avoid such shading and due to their roof placement and angled orientation to the sun, the same size skylight passes about three times as much light as an identically-sized vertical window.

Which is why we’re excited about publishing this special collection of home plans which celebrate natural light…and wonderful views! Added sunlight can make a difference every day in the way you live and how you feel about your home. Her Home Magazine and award winning residential designer Design Basics have teamed up with VELUX, the world’s largest manufacturer of skylights, to showcase some of the possibilities for brightening your home. Along with the home plans, we’ve included thoughts about specific ways skylights can enhance our homes…and our lives. So, “light up your life” and home. Achieve harmony. Namaste!