Glass as a Design Feature in the Home

Glass design is rapidly becoming more and more popular. With many designers, architects and artists specializing in glass as not only a functional structure, but also for aesthetic features.
These days many people are opting to commission glass artists to design unique windows for their homes. These designs not only provide an altered outside view, but also alter the colour of the incoming light - thus changing the atmosphere of the interior.

Using Light Effectively in Your Home

Light and glass have the potential to work hand-in-hand to create a feeling of warmth, atmosphere and space. The simple addition of a window, small or large, can change the properties of just about any room.

Light is an important element in your home, and is best harnessed through strategic glass design. Areas such as kitchens and bathrooms can never get too much light, and one needs to pay special attention to these areas when thinking about adding glass design features to your home.

It's important to think about the orientation of a window when deciding on using glass as a design element. Not only does one need to think about the direction of the sun, but also how it will affect the room at different times of the day. Perhaps you'd prefer more direct sunlight in the morning, and less in the afternoon or vice versa.

Skylights and Sun Tubes

Skylights are a fantastic way to let light into your home. Most homes have at least one room with could do with more light, and skylights are the cheapest and easiest way of doing so. Available in thousands of shapes and sizes, skylights can be installed within a matter of hours and avoid the hassle of installing a whole new window.

Sun tubes and sun tunnels are a handy alternative to skylights. They require a lot less space, but bring in a considerable amount of light. Sun tubes are particularly effective in places like corridors and entrance halls, when only a small amount of space in available. A sun tube is a great way to let light into this kind of area.

The Glass Potential of Doors

Inside or out, glass sliding doors provide a large surface area and let in a considerable amount of light. As an alternative to sliding doors, French doors also allow for a lot of light. French doors which connect two rooms allow for much more light exposure, and make the area seem more spacious than traditional solid doors.

Glass as a Design Element in Your Bathroom

The bathroom is a great room to utilize the power of glass to its fullest potential. Shower doors definitely have more physical beauty than traditional shower curtains. A full glass shower (perhaps with some frosting if you feel the need for that little bit of extra privacy) could be the exactly what your bathroom needs for a new lease on life.

The bathroom is obviously the kind of place you'd prefer your privacy, but this doesn't mean it has to look drab. The bathroom can be a marvelous place to use glass as a design feature in your home. Frosted or sandblasted glass not only allows you your privacy, but also lets in a considerable amount of light - translucent patterns and designs give you the best of both worlds.

Temperature and Climate Control

Traditional windows used to be renowned for a large percentage of heat loss, from a building. Although this is still partly true, there are products on the market that can actually help to retain heat. If you are considering a large glass surface area in your home, it may be wise to invest in thermal glass. Alternatively, if you live in a warm climate, it may be wise to invest in solar control glass.