A vision for natural light

When Sarah and Rich Donegan bought The Ramblers, they weren’t looking for a finished home. The 1960s property in the Oxfordshire village of Roke was dark, enclosed and typical of its era, but they could see the opportunity to create something exceptional.

Working with architect Sophie Horton of Centipede Construction, the brief was simple: create a home filled with natural light, where every space felt bright, open and connected to the outdoors.

Designed around daylight

Rather than relying solely on larger windows, the design centred around carefully positioned conservation rooflights, bringing daylight deep into the heart of the home while creating clean, contemporary interiors.

“Bringing natural light into the house was really important to us because it’s well documented how light affects how you wake up in the morning and how you feel for the rest of the day,” explains homeowner Sarah Donegan.

The result is immediately evident. What was once a dark entrance now welcomes visitors beneath a dramatic feature rooflight, while the kitchen, gym, bedroom and ensuite all benefit from carefully considered natural light and ventilation.

Sarah says the transformation has changed not only the appearance of the house, but how it feels to live there.

“The first thing people say is, ‘This house feels so much bigger than I thought it was going to be.’ The second thing they ask is, ‘Where did you get the rooflights?’”

Why Stella?

For architect Sophie Horton, selecting the right manufacturer was fundamental to achieving the design vision.

“Stella were the only company that could fulfil our requirements for aesthetics and function, but really importantly the marine-grade stainless steel.”

Every Stella conservation rooflight was manufactured to bespoke dimensions, ensuring each room received the optimum balance of daylight, ventilation and architectural simplicity.

Manufactured from 316L marine-grade stainless steel, the rooflights combine exceptional durability with the refined appearance demanded by a contemporary family home.

Common Specification

Every rooflight was individually manufactured from 316L marine-grade stainless steel with a textured black powder-coated finish and painted American Ash internal liners.

The opening rooflights feature concealed electric actuation for a clean internal appearance, while every unit was manufactured entirely to bespoke dimensions to complement the architecture of the property.