How to Light a Room Like a Designer

Spring brings with it a multitude of joys: a new beginning, a spirit of rebirth. It’s also when the days grow longer and brighter, allowing us to enjoy more of the benefits of natural light.

It was precisely the importance of natural light in interiors that inspired ELLE Decor and its 25 international sister publications (collectively known as ELLE Decoration International) to partner with VELUX, a leading provider of skylights and daylight solutions, to host a global event in Amsterdam focused on this illuminating element in interior design. It brought together eight design experts from different countries, encompassing interior designers, architects, and design editors, all hosted by the editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration Netherlands, Monique van der Reijden. “Normally, people take daylight for granted,” she says, “but we really took the time to be aware of it. And the moment you focus on daylight, fresh air, and nature, they really trigger all the senses.”

ELLE Decoration Netherlands editor-in-chief Monique van der Reijden

From left: Anna Chwalińska, editor-in-chief, ELLE Decoration Poland; interior designer Tommaso Spinzi; Miminat Shodeinde, founder, Miminat Designs; Laetitia Renevier, journalist, ELLE Decoration France and founder, Billie Blanket Digital Media; Daphné Dorgelo, editor, ELLE Belgium; architect Katharina Buseinus

Van der Reijden began by welcoming the others to the Maison ELLE Amsterdram, a 32-room boutique hotel, located in an elegant 19th-century building close to Vondelpark, that not only brings an inimitable touch of French art de vivre to the city, but also offers a connection to nature through its lush, light-filled garden. She then accompanied her guests on the 30-minute journey to take in the allure of one of the Netherlands’ most striking residences: the Factory House, designed by Inez Kuiper on the site of a former gunpowder factory in Muiden. Surrounded by forest, it stands on a natural lake and also borders the seacoast.

Both sections of the house—the main body and a perpendicular barn-like structure—make great use of natural light thanks to their VELUX roof windows, which not only serve to heighten its architectural impact with their rhythmic placement, but also transform the ambience and quality of life inside. “Natural light from above gives a sense of fulfilment to any space,” notes Italian designer and art director Tommaso Spinzi. Belgian journalist Daphné Dorgelo concurs: “Daylight literally brings energy. It’s a natural mood booster, and a space enhancer as well, of course.”

The benefits of natural light are beyond doubt; study after study has demonstrated just how essential it is to a healthy lifestyle. A review published in December 2021 concluded that each additional hour spent in natural light was linked to a corresponding decrease in the risk of developing long-term depression. Natural light may also improve our energy levels, powers of concentration, creativity, and sleep patterns.

Also, as Germany-based architect Katharina Buseinus notes, “natural light makes a room more aesthetic, spacious, and inviting”—as is well evidenced by the VELUX roof windows at the Factory House, which help to flood the interior with dramatic and ever-evolving interplays of daylight and shadow, enhancing the design of each room. Radiant rays of sun shimmer on the black steel staircase. Textural fabrics and woods are brought alive, and the beauty of each architectural detail made clearly visible.

VELUX skylights also provide a constant connection with nature (Buseinus, for one, says she loves falling asleep underneath the stars) and draw the eye beyond the limits of a structure, inspiring moments of reverie. And they ensure a healthier indoor environment with cleaner air, thanks to the “stack effect” whereby stale air is drawn out through the skylights and replaced by fresh air entering on the lower floors.

At the Factory House, the roof windows are activated remotely via the VELUX Active app, which not only allows them to be opened and closed, but also for their anti-heat blackout shutters to be drawn like shades—an essential function as spring turns to summer. In this season, their durable aluminium design blocks out natural light, helping to reduce indoor temperatures by up to five degrees, allowing those indoors to remain cool no matter how much the sun sizzles.

And what did the group take away at the end of their visit? “That natural light is the healthiest thing you can have,” says Van der Reijden. “It isn’t just something we see. It’s something we feel. It inspires, connects, and transforms us.”

Explore further at VELUX.com.