A roof lantern in the extension of a 1930s house

Why a 1930s house needs light after an extension

Houses from the 1930s are often deep and narrow, with a front and back room one behind the other. The back room looks out onto the garden. Add an extension there and that back room barely gets any direct light. The kitchen or dining area in the extension is bright; the old room in between turns dark.

A roof lantern directly behind the old rear wall largely solves that. Daylight enters from above the extension and reaches into the middle room. Read more about this effect in a roof lantern in an extension.

Gable or lean-to on a 1930s house

1930s architecture is rich in detail: stained glass, bay windows, pitched tiled roofs. A gable roof lantern matches that well. Two glass surfaces with a ridge have a classic shape that, on an extension, recalls an old glasshouse or orangery.

If you want to keep it calm and clean, choose a lean-to roof lantern. It sits low in the roof, is less visible from the garden and has the lowest starting price, €1,532. A gable starts at €2,399. If the roof lantern meets the old rear wall directly, a wall-abutting lean-to is the matching type.

• Gable: classic, suits the original style
• Lean-to: calm, low and affordable
• Wall-abutting lean-to: directly against the old rear wall
• Everything made to measure for the extension

Frame colour and layout for a roof lantern in a 1930s house

Many 1930s houses have white or cream frames with dark accents. RAL 9016 traffic white matches white frames, while RAL 7016 anthracite or RAL 9005 jet black gives the look of a steel window. Bicolour is possible too: a different colour inside than outside. More help choosing is in choosing a frame colour for your roof lantern.

Bars in the glass create a divided look that suits the character of the period. If you want as little frame in view as possible, read with or without an intermediate bar.

• RAL 9016 with white frames
• RAL 7016 or 9005 for a steel look
• Bicolour: light inside, dark outside, or the reverse
• Bars in the glass for a classic layout

Frequently asked questions