Small Space Design Hero: Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights
ANNOUNCEMENT: Now through Feb. 28, enter the VELUX Sunlight Lovers' Sweepstakes for a chance to win two VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights with solar-powered shades and installation.
We’re current building a ~900 square foot cottage in the woods for our small family and business. (This is in tandem with our restoration of the shared, Tiny French Farmhouse, as our permanent move to France won’t happen for years.)
When I set about designing the space with our sustainable architect, I had a few firm requirements for the space:
Green practices and materials where possible
Just four rooms, no hallways
Space-saving interior pocket doors
Abundant natural light via window placement and ample skylights
We had skylights in our Venice Tiny Canal Cottage, and they made ALL the difference in visually expanding and lifting the <400 sqft space, but they lacked several features we desired. For example, there was no way to vent them, nor filter the sunlight when desired. So, when planning for our new cottage, I knew exactly how to get the look we love, along with the quality and functionality we were lacking before. It can all be achieved through the use of VELUX skylights.
On a side note, we also used VELUX skylights for the roof restoration and ceiling renovation in our Tiny French Farmhouse, but that’s a post for another day…
We selected VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights. Since they’re solar powered, so no wiring is required during installation, despite the myriad of functions these skylights can perform.
Not only will the VELUX skylights provide the natural, mood-enhancing light we crave, but they’ll usher in the incredible natural surroundings, from the towering oak tree canopy to the stars at night. Plus they can be opened / closed via a remote control or smartphone for airflow. Fresh air ventilation has wellness benefits, since interior air is often more polluted than outdoor air. And in case we accidentally leave the skylights open, they have am acoustic sensor that automatically closes the skylight at the first sign of rain.
We also know just how impactful skylights are at visually enhancing the interiors of small spaces. The overhead natural light eliminates dark corners, amplifies the mindfully selected decor, and visually enlarges the space.
We opted for 3 slimmer skylights in our main room, which is the living + dining + entry + kitchen space, one skylight for the main bedroom, and one for the kids’ room.
When using skylights in a bedroom, it’s nice to have the option of blinds. (We learned this the hard way in our old cottage.) Our new skylights have solar powered blinds (controlled via remote or smartphone). For the bedrooms, we picked room darkening shades. For the main room, we used light filtering shades to diffuse but not block the sun.
We’re nearing the end of the framing stages of the new cottage build, and as of today ALL of the skylights are framed in. I’ll share updates on the installation and reveal of our VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights.
In the meantime, there are still a handful of days to entire the VELUX Sunlight Lovers' Sweepstakes, which is open from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28 at 11:59:59 pm EST. The grand prize is two VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights with solar-powered shades and installation. CLICK HERE TO ENTER.
