8 Useful and Innovative Ideas of Using Glass

Latest Update: Jan 19, 2021

Glass is looked upon by many of us as utilitarian than as a decorative item when using it in our homes. In all probability we have already used glass in our homes for various purposes.

In our last post we have explained about Stainted-glass (which was a great hit :) ) - where to use it and how to maintain it. In this post we would like to talk about the role of glass in home interiors.

Glass comes in various forms like glazed, frosted, stained and toughened. Here we will look at some innovative ways to use glass.

There are a lot ways to customize glass to suit your home décor.

 

The whole point of using glass is to play with light. There are rooms where there is either too much light or too little light. Using glass in such spaces will give you the exact amount of light as well as privacy, if using frosted glass.

Unique 8 applications of Glass:

1. Glass as kitchen countertop
2. Using glass in staircases
3. Glass bookshelves
4. Glass in doors
5. Glass tiles
6. Glass Artifacts
7. Glass ceilings
8. Switchable glasses

1. Ever thought of using glass as surface counter tops?

Kitchen platforms usually come in granite or similar stones in India. But using glass as kitchen counter top is steadily gaining popularity. Using heat resistant and toughened glass is recommended. Utility-wise, there are a lot of upsides to using glass.

Glass is largely non-porous, so it is extremely hygienic.  They don’t stain easily, are heat resistant and very easy to maintain. The glass can be translucent, transparent, with or without texture embedded in it, or even colored.

Thinking of adding more glamour to the kitchen?

Add lights underneath the glass to give it a back-lit feel. For an added artistic touch, have colored lights like aqua, turquoise and other shades of blue and green.

If you are still unsure, use this design in smaller sections of your kitchen like the island or a small breakfast table. The advantage of using glass here is that it gives the kitchen a light, bright, contemporary and airy feel as opposed to the same old stony look and feel.

2.  Using glass in staircases

It is another innovative way to bring in light as well as a contemporary look to your home. Glass staircases would have to be made with tempered or toughened glass with a minimum thickness of 32 mm or as prescribed by your designer.

Glass not only lets light into the stairway area but also gives it a stunning aspect. You have the option of using glass for stairs or in place of the railings. However, it is not advisable to use glass in both the places.

Try using a combination:

A combination of wood, leather or steel with glass. For example if the stairs are glass, use wood for the railings and vice-versa to get a textured look.

You can combine a range of glass finishes with wood for the look that you want. However, do give special attention to the fastening system used to pin the stairs to the wall.

3. Bookshelves:

Bookshelves are the most common piece of furniture in any house. Yet, we tend to think of bookshelves only in wood. Glass bookshelves can give your home a modern look.

Glass bookshelves look cleaner and add space to your room.

Books weigh a lot more than we think, so it is advisable to use tempered glass which can take the weight of your collection of books.

4. Glass used in doors are commonplace in any home.

But here we will give you some brilliant designs to combine glass with wood to give your home a sophisticated look.

Notice how brilliantly this door combines wooden frames and glass to give just enough privacy and yet let in light into the hallway.

You could use this design in any of the doors in your home, if not all. The front door could have a similar design with elaborate detailing inside the glass.

5.  Glass tiles

Glass tiles are back in vogue. After making a brief appearance only in industrial buildings for their toughness and resistance to heat, designers are incorporating this function in homes as well. Glass tiles offer ample light with complete opacity and full privacy.

You could install them full length, from floor to ceiling or as a part of your external balustrade. For a more dramatic effect, you could use colored glass tiles to set the mood.

Glass tiles can also be used as a partition in the shower area. They also come in colorful mosaic design and are expensive because they are not yet produced in India, so will have to be imported.

 

Also read: Gorgeous Stained-Glass Ideas

 

6.Glass Artifacts

They are perfect to give your home an eclectic mix of tradition and modernism.  Glass lamps, candle holders, sun-catchers, etc are all very easy to get hold of and are common these days.

What you really want to display is artifacts of vintage value. Try looking for special handcrafted variety. You could find paperweights, simple bottles, stirrers, etc.

7. Glass ceilings

Glass ceilings installed in bathrooms are a good source of natural light to penetrate areas where one hardly imagines the sun to ever shine.

8. Switchable glasses

They are able to turn from transparent to frosted by a flick of a switch. This technology allows the user to set the opacity/tint of the glass. This is a hi-end technology that isn’t available in India yet but you can get yours imported. This type can be installed as separators in a work-from-home office as well as bathrooms.

So it's time to flip on to the maintenance tips section of how to maintain the glass with spark and shine.

Maintaining your frosted glass

Granted that frosted glass is expensive, but the good news is that its terribly easy to maintain. The only things to watch out for is fingerprints on the glass (almost a daily affair), where only cleaning it with a moist soft cloth will suffice.

Some areas of frosted glass can trap dirt if it is textured. A newspaper is the most effective way to clean any glass. For normal stains, simply use an ammonia based spray on the a small section and wipe it dry with the newspaper. follow it up with a soft cloth wipe down.

For tougher stains glass:

• You will have to use an emery paper. What it effectively does is to abrade away the tougher stains. But beware it can also scratch the surface if used too vigorously.
• So rub the stain very gently with emery paper and an ammonia based spray and keep feeling the glass to check if it isn’t abrading the glass.

• Once the stain is out, spray any window cleaner and give it a final wipe down with a newspaper.

It is an effective way to control sunlight if you are installing them in windows. Say goodbye to curtains and blinds!

It is a great way to keep connected with outdoors when you need to and to flick your privacy on when needed.

Using glass in your home doesn’t have to be boring. You can actually do lots with it like we saw above. But installing glass is not easy so it takes an expert to make the base solid, so make sure you get a good one.

Go on ahead and increase the wow factor of your house using glass in its various amazing forms, colors, shapes and sizes!