A climate-controlled space full of possibilities

Watch the story
Meet Stacey Odwell who lives in Leighton Buzzard, a market town in Bedfordshire, with her husband, two children, and their lovable dog Milo. When the Odwells moved into this property, it had a small conservatory with a footprint that would only allow for a dining space. However, they had big plans to extend and renovate the back of the house to create an idyllic area for entertaining friends and family, as well as a cozy space for quiet nights in and a comfortable climate on hot summer days. They found the perfect way to make that happen.

Making a dream, a reality

Stacey explains: "We toyed with the idea of replacing the conservatory and changing the roof. Whereas now, we’ve extended across the back of the house, making it so versatile."

"We’ve hosted birthday parties and Christmas where we can all sit around one big table and have dinner, or play a game of Monopoly together."

"I often use this room to have a bit of time out and peace and quiet. I might grab a book or a magazine, the kids might do a bit of gaming on the TV, or in the evenings, we use it as a cinema room – it really does give us so many different ways of getting the most out of the area that we have."  

The exterior anti-heat blinds keep your home cool and comfortable by blocking the heat before it hits your roof window.

Peace of mind in a climate-controlled environment

Whilst daylight was crucial to the Odwells, climate control was another factor on their minds. They wanted to ensure that their open kitchen and back of the house remained well-ventilated and a comfortable temperature throughout the seasons.  

"Taking into consideration the very hot summer we had last year, we really wanted to think about how we can regulate the temperature. So, we’ve gone ahead and installed VELUX external anti-heat blinds, which can keep our rooms to cooler, hope they will help us with that."

"Because our roof windows are high up and out of reach, we chose solar-powered options, which means I can open and close the roof windows and blinds all from a touch of an app in my phone."

Stacey concluded, “It really is just the centre, albeit on the back of the house!"

“Taking into consideration the very hot summer we had last year, we really wanted to think about how we can regulate the temperature. So, we’ve gone ahead and installed VELUX external blinds and hope it will help us with that.”

Maximum daylight under control

To ensure the room was adaptable, the Odwells installed blackout blinds so that no matter what time of day or night it is, they can change their surroundings to better cater to their needs. 

"The great thing about the roof windows is that we’ve put blackout blinds on, so when it’s really light, we can shut it out as and when we need to."

"When we were considering our extension, we really wanted to make sure that we had enough daylight in the existing kitchen, and by installing roof windows it’s definitely helped flood that natural daylight all the way back. It’s also allowed this area and the kitchen to be one big open-space, rather than two individual areas."

Seamless transitions from the indoors to the outdoors

Not only did the Odwells want to open up the property and bring the kitchen and the room at the back of the house together, but they wanted to extend their living space to the great outdoors.

“Having the extension that backed out onto our garden was really important to us because we wanted to bring in that open space feeling. Doing that with the roof lights as well really does bring the outside in.”

“The roof windows bring in daylight and fresh air that we needed in the extension but having it back out onto our garden as well just makes the extension seamlessly run into our open space.”

Featured products

Low pitch window
Bring twice the daylight to your house with the low pitch roof window, especially made for homes with low pitches (10°-20°).
Anti-heat blinds
Anti-heat blinds reduce overheating and maintain a cool, comfortable temperature in your room without affecting the view to the outside and letting in light.
VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO
VELUX ACTIVE is a smart home solution that monitors temperature, humidity and CO2 levels, and ventilates the room to keep your indoor climate nice and healthy.
Blackout roller blind
This blackout roller blind is ideal for bedrooms because it blocks out all the light. It's designed for a perfect fit and installation doesn't need any measuring, trimming or cutting. The roller blinds are available in a wide range of colours and patterns to fit your interior design.

Related articles

Transform your kitchen with these kitchen design tips
Looking for kitchen design tips? Make your kitchen a vibrant, functional and beautiful space by following these tips.
Read the full article
The kitchen is the heart of the home
Are you doing a kitchen renovation and trying to figure out how to plan it? The kitchen is where life happens. It's the heart of the home, where the family catches up after a long day, and where friends always end up hanging out. When doing a kitchen renovation, you need a good plan to give the space the boost it deserves. Need help figuring out where to start? No worries; we've got you covered.
Read the full article
A healthy home starts with a great environment
Are you looking for ideas to create a healthier home and indoor environment? Then you've come to the right place! There are many ways to improve indoor air and light quality. Here are our tips to help you get started.
Read the full article
External anti-heat blinds and shutters that cool your space
Roof windows can bring natural light and fresh air into your loft. When the temperature rises in the summer or falls in winter, creating a comfortable living environment under the roof is essential. Get the most out of your roof windows by adding exterior blinds and shutters. Here's how.
Read the full article
Which blinds are right for your home?
Adding blinds to roof windows is the perfect way to give you more flexibility and control over a room's light and warmth levels. Finding the right blinds for your home is essential. VELUX makes this easy with an extensive range of blinds that are designed to perfectly fit VELUX roof windows, both sloping and flat. They’re quick and easy to install, are built to last, and come in a variety of styles, fabrics and colours. So whether it's a light-dimming pleated blind to add style to a living room or a blackout blind to make your bedroom a deep sleep haven, there’s a blind to suit every space.
Read the full article