A flat roof Nordic villa with four bespoke roof windows

3 min read

What was once a dated 1960s villa is now a bright, modern family home. Marlene and Allan’s thoughtful renovation celebrates daylight, space and timeless Nordic style.

Transforming a mid-century flat roof house into a bright family home

We visited Marlene and Allan from Copenhagen, Denmark, who recently completed a life-changing renovation of their family home. Their Nordic villa is living proof that you can do magical things with innovative solutions living under a flat roof. Marlene and Allan utilised the many benefits of their flat roof home while staying true to the mid-century character.

After purchasing the property two years ago, they decided to renovate, taking their time to create a breathtaking home that is now entirely illuminated by daylight. We spoke with Marlene, who shared the renovation process and how delighted the family are with the result.

A view to a new built house painted white

An outside of the new built house with terrace and a swimming pool.

Marlene, tell us a little bit about the origins of your home and why you decided to renovate.

The house was built in the 1960s and had never been renovated, so it didn’t meet our requirements for a home. But we could see the potential! We decided to invest in daylight and the right windows, because that creates the atmosphere of a home. Being in a house full of natural daylight just makes you happier.

A view of bright living room with a man and a woman sitting on the sofa.

We’re always very close to nature, as we can always see the sun and the skies. I think the roof windows have made the house special; having the extra daylight is a vital part of the whole project.

Marlene

How important was the positioning of your new roof windows to maximise the daylight in your home? What difference has it made? 

It’s not a matter of putting daylight everywhere, as that wouldn’t give the right effect. It’s finding the right spots for the best impact. We put two windows in the long hallway on the first floor and if you go upstairs there’s a window at each end. If we didn’t have light, it would be very dark so the design gave us what we were looking for.

Bright hallway with VELUX roof windows positioned above, creating a tunnel effect that fills the space with natural daylight.

A child playing in a bright hallway illuminated by VELUX roof windows, showing how daylight transforms the space.

It was important for us to create a tunnel effect, so in the summer days when it’s hot, we can open the windows in the hallway and get some of the hot air out. You can actually feel it down in the kitchen area when you get the fresh air inside.

Why was it important to have a Vario by VELUX skylight and how did you feel during the installation process?

The day the Vario by VELUX roof windows were installed was very exciting. Straight away, we could see the effect of the windows even though the walls were bare and it wasn’t painted yet; it gave us totally different light inside the house.

Modern bathroom with a freestanding bathtub illuminated by natural light coming from a Vario by VELUX roof window

Close-up of a Vario by VELUX roof window bringing daylight onto dark marble walls in a modern bathroom.

The first thing I see every morning when I go into the bathroom is the light coming through and onto the walls. The other day we had a full moon shining through the window. The kids were in the bath playing and watching the full moon and that was very special.