For a touch of glass

When it comes to decorating our dream homes, most of us come up with ideas that spell creativity. While some of these ideas are turned into reality, the rest remain on the clip board. However, most creative ideas include glass as it is one of the most powerful elements to define and decorate homes, both indoor and outdoor. The brilliant use of glass not only enhances the décor of the house but lends it a classy appeal too.

The growing trend in most modern homes is to go in for room dividers in glass. With space being a major constraint in most homes, the living room doubles up as a living-dining-prayer room.

In such cases, room dividers in glass are not only practical but make even smaller rooms appear bigger and more spacious. Further, glass partitions prove to be economical as they are cheaper than concrete walls and illuminate the place better. Savvy homeowners with an eye for creativity increasingly use glass in all rooms possible.

If the living room is central to the house, then it is sure to sport glass decorative items including vases, etched wall mirrors, key racks, glass top coffee tables, and the like.
Ditto for kitchens as the cabinets in decorative glass sure take drudgery out of cooking, making the kitchen gleam. When it comes to bedrooms, dressing tables in glass add pizzazz to the place while glass shelves in the study display your treasure trove of books in an artistic manner, mirroring your love for all things beautiful.

Varieties in glass

Reading the pulse of imaginative homemakers, no wonder, the market has responded with exquisite varieties of glass - etched, stained, leaded, iridescent, beveled, art, and so on - to suit every need and every occasion. These glasses, custom made and completely original, meet the customers’ size and colour needs and can be fixed on the interior or exterior of homes in a variety of places.

Such is their versatility. Be it on front doors, sidelights, room dividers, kitchen cabinet inserts or furniture, all that is required of you is to choose the colour or technique to be applied and you have it.

Your imagination is the limit. While etched glass with its grainy texture gives a frosted look to the glass, stained glass which allows multicolours to be used serves well for decorative pieces and room dividers, especially when privacy is an issue.

Beveled glasses, on the other hand, is a single pane of glass with a beveled edge where a cut made at an angle adds a decorative style to the glass. According to glass designers, beveled glass captures light in a unique way and is used whenever a simple design has to be improved upon.

Traditionally, though beveled glass is plain cut glass, the same technique is now applied on coloured textured glass too for visual  impact. Another variety of glass that is fast gaining popularity is iridescent, which has a permanent coating that is visible only from certain angles. Such glasses are a clever way of lending the décor a touch of subtle colour.

Art on glass is a class apart. It is a huge canvas where you can let your imagination run wild. The many glass paints available in a multitude of colours allow you to unleash your creative talents.

A nice piece of art glass, captured within a decorative frame, makes for a great wall piece. If not, try your hand at making an artwork out of glass room dividers. They give lasting beauty to interiors, lending them a unique identity. The creative use of art glass sure creates an image of sophistication and style.

Glasses in mindboggling varieties and captivating designs often make it difficult for customers to make a choice. Such people can always opt for a combination of various techniques and get the best of designs with just one choice. A fine combination of stained, etched and frosted look just does the trick.

Stained glass films

A trend that is fast catching up, more for its functional value than its aesthetic appeal, is to go in for stained glass decorative films. These films not only assure privacy, as they are not see-through, but also reflect the sun’s light, thereby keeping the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation away from our treasured furniture. Such films also keep the home much cooler during the summer months. They are affordable and allow to be used on any glass in the house.

The rising culture of apartment living in cities also necessitates the use of glass. Living room furniture with glass tops, fine art glasses on walls and room dividers in glass, when used intelligently, can create an illusion of space and transform the look of an apartment beyond imagination.  Wherever it is used, however it is used, glass sure rocks. Think glass, dream glass, experiment boldly and make your dream home look trendy and stylish.