Skylights: Create Directional Light

Lighting is one of the most important design elements to consider when building a house. Lighting adds ambience, it’s functional and the strategic use of lighting can completely change the way a room feels.

A much overlooked design tool is using skylights to create directional light. The point of this being to highlight design features by determining the shape and direction of light flow into a space.

Creating a ‘Lightbox’

Rather than just using a skylight in its given shape and light just flowing directly from the skylight as in a standard skylight installation, we create a ‘lightbox’ around the skylight using framing and gyprock between the ceiling and the false ceiling. 

This space between the skylight and false/dropped ceiling can be referred to as a ‘ceiling void for a skylight’ when discussing with your builder.

Light can then flow out from the skylight in the path determined by the lightbox. You can see the difference in the images we have here - by creating a ‘lightbox’ we are able to direct the light flow and highlight the complete shelving unit - all while using the same size skylight.

Standard skylight installation

Creating a lightbox for skylights

Skylights in Bathrooms

This technique is especially useful in bathrooms, highlighting the vanities or above showers/baths.

We also add extractors or ventilation in this section, hiding it from sight - another huge advantage of using this technique.

Lighting

It can also be used beautifully in bedrooms or living areas which have limited natural light where you want to create light over a particular feature for example, a built-in shelving unit or over the bedhead.

If you aren’t using skylights, you can add LED lighting in the same way.