Step into the light! I am absolutely thrilled to share a pivotal transformation in our home, achieved through an exciting partnership with our friends at VELUX. We’ve brought an incredible amount of natural light and fresh air into the space where we spend the most time – our kitchen! This article delves into all the delightful details of our new kitchen skylights, showcasing how VELUX can help you revitalize and elevate a space in your own home, making it brighter, more comfortable, and smarter.
Back in March of 2018, Mark and I embarked on our house-hunting journey with a clear vision: a spacious, bright kitchen, ideally integrated into an open-plan living concept. We scoured the Minneapolis area, encountering many promising homes. Finally, we found a property that ticked almost every box on our wish list, except for one crucial element: a truly bright, sun-drenched kitchen. While our new kitchen was certainly sizable and functional, its location at the back of the house, heavily shaded by towering trees, left it feeling dim and somewhat enclosed. Despite this, we moved forward with the purchase, confident that we could address this singular stipulation – the urgent need to infuse our kitchen with abundant natural light.
The absence of natural light profoundly impacted the atmosphere of our kitchen. It often felt dark and uninviting, requiring artificial lights even on clear days. This wasn’t just an aesthetic issue; it affected our mood and the overall functionality of the space, especially for someone like me who spends a significant amount of time cooking and creating content. The thought of adding windows meant complex structural changes or, worse, removing the beautiful mature trees that provided privacy and curb appeal. Neither option felt right. It became clear that a different solution was needed to unlock the full potential of our kitchen.
Discovering the Brilliance of VELUX Skylights
My quest for natural light led me immediately to research skylights. Given our inability to remove walls or fell trees, installing skylights seemed like the most logical and impactful solution. A bright kitchen is paramount to me, not just as the heart of our home, but also as my primary workspace. A significant portion of the food photography for Fit Foodie Finds happens right here, utilizing the convenience and functionality of my own kitchen. The quality of natural light is a non-negotiable for my work, and the existing conditions simply weren’t cutting it.
Initially, I harbored a lot of uncertainty about skylights. Common rumors about leaks, potential heat gain, and concerns about how they might visually integrate into our home made me hesitant. However, my apprehension quickly dissipated once I discovered VELUX skylights. They proved to be the absolute perfect fit for our space, exceeding all our expectations. It’s been several months since their installation, and I can unequivocally say that we are absolutely enamored with them.
The journey of choosing and installing skylights initially felt overwhelming, but the VELUX team made the entire process remarkably smooth and enjoyable. From the very first consultation, their expertise shone through. A VELUX representative visited our home, meticulously assessed our kitchen’s unique characteristics, and provided tailored recommendations for the most suitable products. They patiently explained every step of the installation process, alleviating any concerns we had. The best part? The installation was incredibly efficient, taking only a few days to complete! This minimal disruption to our daily routine was a huge bonus. Furthermore, I had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate directly with the build team to design custom shiplap around the skylight shafts. This thoughtful detail perfectly complements the shiplap over our fireplace, ensuring a cohesive and beautifully integrated design throughout our home.
Introducing VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights: A Smart Investment
Our kitchen now boasts three magnificent VELUX No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights, and our admiration for them grows daily. These aren’t just windows in the ceiling; they are sophisticated, smart home integrations that redefine comfort and convenience. Seamlessly connecting to my smartphone via a user-friendly app, I have complete control over every aspect, from precisely regulating the amount of natural light flooding the space to inviting in just the right amount of fresh air. This level of control is truly transformative. Some of my absolute favorite features include:
- Eco-Friendly Solar Power: These advanced skylights are entirely solar-powered, which means absolutely no electrical wiring is required during installation. This simplifies the process and reduces energy consumption. Even on overcast or cloudy days, the efficient solar panels continue to charge the battery, ensuring continuous functionality. As an incredible bonus, their solar-powered nature makes them eligible for a substantial 30% federal tax credit, making them an economically smart and environmentally conscious investment. Heck yes!
- Abundant Natural Light and Ventilation: The sheer volume of natural light admitted by our VELUX Skylights is astounding, completely changing the ambiance of our kitchen. Beyond just light, these are venting skylights, designed to effortlessly open and introduce fresh air into your home. This is particularly beneficial in a kitchen, helping to dissipate cooking odors and improve overall indoor air quality. And rest assured, each skylight comes equipped with an integrated screen, effectively keeping unwanted bugs and debris outside where they belong.
- Intuitive Smart Control: Managing the skylights and their integrated blinds is incredibly convenient. You can operate them using the included remote controllers or, even more impressively, through the VELUX Active System app directly on your smartphone. This means adjusting light and ventilation is always at your fingertips, whether you’re relaxing on the couch or preparing a meal.
- Magical Rain Sensor: This feature truly feels like magic! At the very first detection of rain, the skylights automatically close themselves. This ingenious rain sensor provides unparalleled peace of mind, ensuring that your home remains protected even if you accidentally leave them open or unexpected weather rolls in. No more rushing home or worrying about sudden downpours!
- VELUX No-Leak Promise: One of my initial concerns about skylights was the potential for leaks. VELUX directly addresses this with their “No Leak” promise. These skylights are engineered for superior water protection and come backed by an impressive 10-year warranty on both the product and its installation. This comprehensive guarantee offers invaluable confidence and long-term assurance for homeowners.
- Professional and Swift Installation: The entire installation process was a breeze, handled expertly by a certified VELUX skylight installer. They meticulously completed all the work in just a few days, ensuring a professional finish with minimal disruption to our home life. If you’re inspired to bring VELUX skylights into your own home, finding a qualified installer in your area is simple and convenient. You can locate one directly through the VELUX website here.
The VELUX ACTIVE System: Intelligent Home Climate Control
Among the multitude of impressive features, the VELUX ACTIVE System stands out as a true game-changer. This intelligent climate control system acts as our home’s personal atmosphere manager. Strategically placed sensors within our kitchen continuously monitor crucial environmental parameters: temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels. Using this real-time data, the system intelligently decides when to automatically open and close the skylights and blinds, actively working to optimize the indoor air quality within our home. I genuinely refer to it as magic!
This sensor-based ventilation system operates with impressive autonomy, maintaining an ideal internal climate without constant manual adjustments. However, what I truly appreciate is still having complete manual control. I can effortlessly open or close the skylights and blinds directly from my smartphone whenever I desire. This blend of smart automation and personalized control is incredibly powerful. And for those moments of forgetfulness, the ingenious rain sensor works in tandem with the VELUX ACTIVE system: if I happen to leave the skylights open and a sudden shower begins, they will automatically close. This provides an unparalleled level of peace of mind, allowing us to relax knowing our home is proactively managed.
You might be wondering why we opted for blinds in the kitchen, a space typically associated with maximizing light. Well, keep on scrolling, and I’ll reveal how these blinds became an indispensable tool for both comfort and my professional pursuits.
Natural Light & Food Photography: A Studio in the Kitchen
My philosophy for food photography has always centered around the use of natural light. It creates a soft, inviting, and authentic aesthetic that artificial lighting struggles to replicate. When Mark and I transitioned from our condo, which boasted magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows, I knew that replicating such an ideal natural lighting situation in our new house for photography would be a significant challenge. We had one sizable south-facing window that offered a decent amount of light onto our kitchen counter – our primary shooting spot. However, we consistently struggled to find a secondary natural light source to balance the light, eliminate harsh shadows, and achieve the nuanced, professional look I aimed for.
The installation of the VELUX skylights has, quite frankly, revolutionized my food photography. I cannot adequately express how dramatically they have enhanced the lighting conditions for my shoots. The ability to open and close the integrated blinds to any desired degree allows me to precisely control the amount and quality of light entering the space. On those intensely bright, sunny days, especially when shooting midday, the blinds become an indispensable tool. They beautifully diffuse the harsh sunlight, transforming it into a soft, even glow that is perfect for food photography. It’s truly like having our very own professional photography studio right within our kitchen. Huzzah!
Beyond the professional benefits, the impact on our daily lives has been profound. Did I mention that the weather in Minnesota is notoriously unpredictable, not to mention the significantly shortened daylight hours during winter? Our VELUX Skylights have been an absolute game-changer for my business, ensuring consistent, high-quality light regardless of external conditions. More importantly, they literally brighten our mood! There’s an undeniable joy in waking up and making coffee in a kitchen flooded with natural light. Before the skylights, our kitchen only truly experienced direct sunlight during the evening hours as the sun began to set, leaving much of the day feeling subdued.
The transformation goes beyond just photography and mood. The added natural light has made our kitchen feel significantly larger and more inviting, creating a space where everyone loves to gather. The fresh air ventilation also contributes to a healthier living environment, reducing indoor pollutants and maintaining comfortable humidity levels. This comprehensive upgrade has not only elevated our daily living experience but also undoubtedly added significant value to our home.
I know many of you have expressed keen interest in installing skylights in your own homes, and after our experience, I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore this possibility further! If you reside in an older home, like ours, it’s highly probable that expansive windows weren’t a priority during its initial construction. Skylights offer an elegant and incredibly effective solution without the need for extensive structural changes, such as knocking down walls or removing cherished trees. They are a practical, aesthetic, and energy-efficient upgrade that can dramatically enhance any space.
Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions about our VELUX skylight journey in the comments section below – I’m happy to share more insights! And keep a close watch for more exciting VELUX Skylight action on Fit Foodie Finds because we have another captivating project in the pipeline that is sure to brighten your day even further. Let VELUX illuminate your world!
This post is sponsored by VELUX, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. We sincerely appreciate your continued support of Fit Foodie Finds!