Skip to content

Shopping cart

Your shopping cart is empty

Article: Skylights, the feel-good and health booster

Skylights, the feel-good and health booster

Skylights, the feel-good and health booster

We no longer spend a large part of our lives outdoors, where the sun provides us with vital light during the day. Instead, life takes place indoors. Especially in the warmer regions of the world, where it can get very hot during the day, people often spend their work and leisure time in cooled homes and buildings. But the problem is obvious!

If we only spend our time indoors and away from natural sunlight, we are missing out on something essential:

The body cannot produce vitamin D and the regulation of the biological circadian rhythm is disrupted! 

Imitating natural light as closely as possible has been the main task of many lamp manufacturers in recent decades. This is why lighting engineers have revolutionized the entire lighting industry in order to produce natural light indoors in the future so that the human body can control its energy balance and the indoor climate remains pleasant. A summary of these developments awaits you in this blog post.

 

Skylights with natural lighting

Nowadays, there are fantastic ways to use natural light as a wonderful design element in your home and create a real feel-good atmosphere, even if you don't have large windows that let in natural light.

One of these options is, for example, ingenious skylights, which can be used primarily in rooms that are used for daily activities such as cooking, eating, reading and for conversations. Skylights are openings in the roof that allow natural daylight into interior rooms either through glass surfaces such as skylight domes or individual glass surfaces. This is a great way to illuminate most rooms or to ventilate them through these openings.

Fanlights do not require artificial light sources and are therefore particularly energy-efficient. Today, modern skylights can be opened and closed automatically. They are often equipped with smart sensors so that the hatches close when it rains. Skylights create great additional natural lighting when there are too few windows and not enough daylight enters the room. 

Lights facing west provide intense sunlight in the afternoon, while a skylight facing east lets the rising sun into the rooms in the morning. If you set your skylight to face south, you can benefit from daylight almost all day long and if you like it more cozy, you can set it to face north. 

Skylights come in a variety of shapes. Inspiring models from the past, such as the dome of the Pantheon in Rome or beautiful stained glass windows in churches, show how differently you can align and use skylights. Even with filtered light, these natural lights create a beautiful cone of light and become the central eye-catcher in a room. 

 

Areas of application for fanlights

Skylights are creative design elements that look great and naturally improve the indoor climate. There are a few important points to bear in mind when installing skylights. Above all, you need to consider the size and purpose of the room.

In rooms where you don't want so much light, such as the bedroom, skylights can be more of a nuisance than a benefit. However, in entrance areas, the kitchen or the living room, they are sophisticated and elegant lighting options that you can design in the form of circles, squares or organic shapes. The eye-catching design undoubtedly enhances the aesthetics of the room and is a dreamlike connection to nature.

Skylights are windows to the sky and offer a fantastic view with a bridge to nature. They must always be well sealed and protected against overheating. Chic and modern skylights filter sunlight very effectively, provide thermal comfort and offer natural ventilation. Sturdy glass that is weatherproof and shatterproof is used for many top openings. Frosted glass, which lets the light in gently, or clear panes that act like an eye to the outside are particularly popular. Colored accents are also in vogue. Of course, the choice must match the furnishing style and function of the room. 

 

Great effects thanks to lighting with skylights

Breathtaking effects can be created with skylights. If you know which lights work for you, you can get very creative. For example, use wooden panels and exposed beams to create a rhythmic sequence of light and shadow patterns.

The repeating openings regulate the daylight and at the same time project striking and clearly defined shapes. As a result, they act as effect lighting because the light and shadows are emphasized, creating a kind of theatrical atmosphere. This lighting becomes three-dimensional and is a real eye-catcher. Simple surfaces are decorated in a unique way and a sense of movement is created in the light. A simple room ceiling suddenly becomes a great design element. 

You can also use skylights to create a warm, diffuse effect. If you want to reduce the intensity of daylight and create a pleasant atmosphere, uniform light filtering over the entire surface is the ideal solution - especially in buildings where visual transparency is not important. The dim incidence of light has a calming and pleasant effect. From milky glass panels to a variety of exclusive fabrics, you can create this look with different materials.

However, before you make a choice, you need to precisely determine the orientation and use of the building or room, the design of the interior areas and the desired style. For example, the combination of structured glass surfaces with transparent interruptions is suitable for visually separating rooms with different quiet private areas.

Fabric partitions are great for regulating light while integrating the use of one space into the other area of the room. Sometimes complemented by artificial light, both materials can create a subtle diffused lighting effect across walls and skylights. Therefore, using these filters as façade cladding can be a unique and elegant way to transform abundant direct sunlight into a visually appealing diffused glow.

In contrast to harsh light, this creates a relaxing environment that is perfect for exhibitions or spa areas, for example. Depending on the degree of translucency, the effect can also create movement and appear dynamic, as shadows and light envelop individual objects and illuminate them from several sides. In this way, you can effectively control the light and create great effects.

 

Biophilic lighting

This refers to a lighting concept that aims to imitate the natural lighting conditions and light cycles of nature indoors. The aim is to create a harmonious and healthy environment that connects people with nature and promotes a sense of well-being.

With this type of lighting, the intensity, color temperature and distribution of the light are usually coordinated with each other in the same rhythm. This supports the human 24-hour biological rhythm that regulates our sleeping and waking phases. Biophilic lighting can be achieved by various means, such as

  • Dynamic control of light intensity, color temperature and light distribution to imitate daylight.
  • The use of controllable white LED lamps whose color temperature is automatically adjusted during the course of the day.
  • The combination of natural elements such as plants, water features and materials made of stone, wood and glass in the lighting concept.
  • Patterns modeled on nature in the lighting.

Biophilic lighting is now in high demand, particularly in the fields of architecture, interior design and lighting design. With increasing awareness of the effects of light on health and well-being, more and more designers and building owners are taking advantage of biophilic lighting options.

In addition, advances in lighting technology have made the implementation of biophilic lighting concepts much simpler and more cost-effective. LED luminaires now offer high energy efficiency, a long service life and the ability to automatically control color temperatures and light intensity. They are great for imitating daylight almost one-to-one.

The trend towards biophilic lighting inspired by nature is gaining momentum. In many office interiors, natural elements and lights are part of the interior design to promote employee motivation and well-being. A natural environment has a positive effect on us and the longing for peace and quiet is shaping the design concept like never before.

Modern technology makes it possible to create an atmosphere with natural light that connects a room with nature. Many architects and lighting designers have specialized in these lighting concepts.

 

Our offers

In the BUYnBLUE range you will also find extraordinary lamp creations based on nature and for every living area. Use the repertoire of modernity and the creativity of unique designs to beautify your home and other rooms with natural lights.

Depending on the size and function of your rooms, you will find extravagant, elegant and unique lamps in our online lamp store that are designed in floral patterns or cast a natural light. There are also great pendant lights in our lamp categories to complement skylights, Floor lamps or LED lights that can be the perfect addition to your lighting concept.

Lights for the dark season: how to create the perfect lighting for fall

Lights for the dark season: how to create the perfect lighting for fall

The sun is already disappearing faster behind the horizon and the cool wind is sending a cold shiver down your spine. Now the balmy summer nights are numbered...

Read more