How to Use Glass to Create Personalized Design in Your Home

Glass has become increasingly popular in interior and exterior home design projects over the years. It’s an inexpensive material that effortlessly changes the tone, color temperature and perceived size of spaces. Glass is also more environmentally friendly than other popular home-customization materials, such as natural ones that require high fossil fuel usage for extraction and processing and man-made ones like plastics and resins that often leach toxic gases and break down into smaller pieces without deteriorating. Homeowners and renters can find a multitude of glass design ideas online. Consider these top three ways to use glass so that your home reflects your personality and tastes:

Update Existing Pieces

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your home feel more personalized with glass objects. In fact, you can mostly work with what you already own by using a variety of crafting tools. For example, you might alter glass door panels, if applicable, by applying window decals or film designed to look textured. You might update a hall mirror by using an etching device to add a decorative design like vines, leaves and flowers or make your windows look like they’ve been replaced with stained glass panels using specially-formulated glass paint. You might also use thin- and box-style picture frames to showcase postcards and maps from a recent vacation, music sheets and ticket stubs from a much-loved musical or specific quotes from your favorite authors and books.

Photo by Brad Ford ID

Install Decorative Glass

If you don’t have a lot of glass in your home or feel like more glass would match your chosen theme, consider adding decorative glass objects. For example, you might invest in hand-blown glass figurines and balls; glass globes filled or painted to look like seasonal landscapes; clear, tinted or mirrored glass garden gazing balls; or stained glass lamps. You might install twinkle and fairy lights inside of glass wine bottles and place them in the center of your dining room or outdoor patio table. If you have a green thumb, you might set up hanging and tabletop terrariums using clear glass bowls, jars, fish tanks or glass panels and metal frame Victorian-style cases. Another option for crafty individuals: Affix old glass dishware, glass beads and other decorations to room windows or old, unattached farmhouse windows with clear silicone adhesive.

Photo by Kami Gray Interior Design

Remodel Each Room

Of course, if your budget allows, you can customize your home in a functional fashion by remodeling each room with updated glass pieces. For example, you might replace old wood or fibreboard kitchen cabinet doors with clear or frosted glass ones to give your kitchen a modern update that can also make the room feel larger. You might replace glass door panels with frosted or textured ones. Contact an experienced glazier for ideas and installation assistance. An expert glass installer can update your home with glass splashbacks, shower screens and even glass counter and table tops. They can also provide advice about how to use tinted glass to change a room’s visual or actual temperature.

Photo by Jones Design Build

To start personalizing your home, take stock of the glass items that you already own and can upcycle to match your tastes. When you’re finished, review your finances. Once you know the type and amount of resources available, you can begin the planning stage and decide the scope of your project. Afterward, you merely need to purchase the additional glass items and tools you need for do-it-yourself tasks and/or hire a glass expert to guarantee a high quality customized end result.