Circular Skylights

From tubular to statement: upgrading a small skylight to a circular feature dome in NZ

1. The moment a tube stops feeling like enoughA lot of New Zealand skylight stories start with a simple tubular unit:a dark hallway brought to lifea small internal bathroom finally usable without a light switcha kitchen corner that feels less like a cave.Years later, the home has evolved:walls have moveda renovation has opened up spacesthe family spends more time in one particular room.Illustrative Example Only: A couple in coastal Taranaki had a tubular skylight over their original kitchen bench. After extending and opening the kitchen into the living area, the tube still worked – but the new room begged for […]

Circular skylights as centrepieces in living rooms, entries and stair voids

Hamilton Skylights, Christchurch Skylights, Circular Skylights, Kapiti Coast Skylights, Nelson skylights, Skylight Auckland

1. When the skylight becomes the focal point of the roomNot every skylight wants to disappear into the ceiling.In many New Zealand homes, a circular feature skylight is treated like a pendant light, artwork or piece of furniture – something the room is quietly organised around.In a living room, it might draw people towards a cosy seating area.In an entry, it can turn a simple hall into a memorable arrival space.Above a stair, it can help a circulation zone feel generous and uplifting.This article looks at circular feature skylight NZ homes through three lenses:Living rooms and family spaces.Entries and thresholds.Stairs […]

Circular dome on square base vs circular base: which is better for your NZ roof?

Skylights Wellington, Canterbury Skylights, Circular Skylights, Dunedin Skylights, Hamilton Skylights, Skylight Auckland, Skylights Waikato

A homeowner in Hamilton and an installer stand on a scaffold, looking at the roof.The homeowner points to the marked opening.“We know we want a circular dome. But I’ve been told it can sit on a square base or a circular base. Does that really make a difference?”From the street, both options can look like “a round skylight”. Up close, the base is where the skylight and the roof learn to work together.For New Zealand homes, choosing a circular dome skylight square base NZ configuration, or a circular dome with a circular base, affects:how easily the skylight can be flashed […]

Circular skylight design basics: size, placement and light behaviour in NZ homes

Wanaka Skylights, Christchurch Skylights, Circular Skylights, Skylight Auckland

Picture this: it’s a still afternoon in an Auckland townhouse. The lights are on in the middle of the day. Someone stands in the living room, looks up, and traces a circle on the ceiling with their finger.”If we put a circular skylight here,” they say, “would it actually fix the light? Or just look interesting?”That moment – finger on the plasterboard, sketching possibilities – is where circular skylight design really begins.Good circular skylight design in NZ is not just about picking a diameter from a catalogue. It is about how:size relates to the room and the furnitureplacement works with […]

3 mm vs 4.5 mm acrylic circular skylight domes in NZ: what really matters?

Circular Skylights, Canterbury Skylights, Central Otago Skylights, Nelson skylights, Queenstown Skylights, Skylight Auckland, Skylights Wellington, Tauranga Skylights

Many New Zealand homeowners reach a familiar point in their circular skylight journey.They have:decided on a circular dome rather than a tubepicked a general size rangetalked through where it will sit in the room.Then the installer or supplier asks a short question that can feel surprisingly technical:”Do you want 3 mm or 4.5 mm acrylic for the dome?”On paper, it sounds like a small change. In reality, thickness touches on:how robust the skylight feelswhat wind and exposure conditions it is suited tohow practical larger diameters becomehow the cost line moves.This guide looks at 3mm vs 4.5mm acrylic skylight NZ decisions […]

When a circular skylight becomes the hero: designing 2 m+ feature domes in NZ

Circular Skylights, Canterbury Skylights, Central Otago Skylights, Christchurch Skylights, Kapiti Coast Skylights, Queenstown Skylights, Wanaka Skylights

1. The moment a skylight stops being “just practical”Most skylights begin as problem-solvers: a dark hallway, a gloomy kitchen, an internal bathroom.Every so often, the brief sounds different:“We’re thinking about a 2.4 metre circular skylight over the main living space. We want it to be a masterpiece.”At that size, it is no longer simply a way to bring in light. It is a large circular skylight that will define the room, shape the roofline, and change how the space feels in every season.In New Zealand, where homes sit in coastal, alpine and windy landscapes, these feature domes need to balance:visual […]

Acrylic, polycarbonate or glass? Choosing materials for circular skylights in NZ

Circular Skylights, Skylights Wellington

When people ask about circular skylights, the first questions are often about size and location.Very quickly, another question appears: “What should the dome be made from?”In New Zealand, most circular domes for homes fall into three broad material families:acrylicpolycarbonateglass.From the street, they may all look like a simple circle of light. Behind that circle, each material tells a different story about:cost and valueclarity and light qualityweight, strength and impact behaviourhow well it suits coastal, inland or alpine climates.This article focuses on acrylic vs polycarbonate circular skylight NZ choices and where glass fits into the picture. The aim is not to […]

Circular dome skylights vs tubular skylights: what’s the real difference in NZ homes?

Circular Skylights

From below, both a circular dome skylight and a tubular skylight can look like a round source of light in the ceiling.

The complete guide to circular skylights in New Zealand homes

Circular Skylights, Canterbury Skylights, Central Otago Skylights, Northland Skylights, Queenstown Skylights, Wanaka Skylights

Rectangular plans, square corners, longrun roofs running in neat ribs. Then someone stands in the middle of a room and says, “What if the light came from a circle?