Why Glass?
Glass is sleek, elegant, and a versatile material that can be used in many different formats. Glass doesn’t dull or lose it’s luster, but many of us still hesitate when it comes to using it in our homes. Glass is a wonderful medium that can be used as a creative and unique substitute for other materials in home design, and sometimes even serves better than traditional materials.
Backsplashes
Typically, backsplashes are made from ceramic tiles and grout. Ceramic tiles that aren’t cared for properly can fade and they stain easily. Grout is a PAIN to clean, so basically, go easy on the tomato sauce – unless you have a glass backsplash. Glass backsplashes are super easy to clean, and there are so many options in regards to style and design. When it comes to back painted glass, there is literally no limit on the color options. Pick any color paint from any brand and get the exact color that you want! And because of the glass, the color will NEVER fade. Your backsplash will always be bright and shiny, and with the swipe of a rag, you will always be able to say, “what mess?” Back painted glass doesn’t have to be plain either, back painted tiles are a perfect solution for those who still like tile but don’t want to deal with ceramic or grout! These tiles can be arranged as Subway Tiles, Herringbone, or in more artistic designs such as Coronado or Top Sail.
Another great option for glass on your backsplash is mirror. Mirroring your backsplash can help to expand your space and give the illusion that your kitchen is bigger than it really is. Mirror also helps to bring in light and brighten your surroundings. Antique mirror is a great option too to help bring in some subtle color or to break up reflections a little bit. Antique mirror tiles are a great design idea and you can install them yourself!
Cabinet Glass and Glass Shelves
Inserting Glass into your cabinet doors allows your dish sets to be visible both for show and for easy access. Aside from clear glass, we also have patterned glasses in various textures and opacity. If your cabinets are lit from inside, help that light illuminate and spread with glass shelving! Glass shelves are perfect for making sure that your cabinets don’t look too dark inside and look great with your glass and porcelain dish sets. Glass with grate inserts is also an option to consider, as well as back painted glass cabinet doors that can be matched to any color!
Clear, Smoked, and Painted Tops
Placing a protective layer of glass over your desk or table top is the most effective way of keeping the wood from getting scratched, stained, or damaged in any way. But sometimes we don’t get that glass there fast enough and time and use has already had their way with your wood work. For older pieces, smoked glass in either bronze or grey is more forgiving when it comes to protecting a wood surface and making scratches from beneath disappear. For desk tops, back painted glass becomes really handy by protecting and creating a dry erase surface! All of us have glass desk tops in our showroom, and it is perfect for when we are configuring numbers or taking quick notes without wasting paper. For kids, a draw erase glass desk top or even a wall of painted glass is a perfect way for them to be creative over and over again.
Dining room tables made of glass is also a fantastic option. Whether protecting the surface or creating an entire table top out of glass, there are yet again so many options. Edge types such as bevels, ogee, and pencil give your table tops a little flare rather than just placing a glass top on a base. Crackle glass tops are beautiful works of art that, due to their nature, easily hides finger prints and other smudges that would typically show up on glass. Glass tops are a breeze to clean and don’t stain like most other surfaces. Another option for your dining room table that is uniquely different from any other top you’ve seen – you almost guessed it. Back painted glass with a boarder! We have a gorgeous piece of this home grown creation in our showroom and now that we know what’s possible, we want to see more back painted glass table tops! This two toned piece adds interest and is a true work of art.
Counter Tops
Hand crafted artisan glass counter tops are stunning to say the least. We partner with an artist that makes these wonderful pieces from scratch and the final product is an immaculate work of one of a kind art that is bound to capture everyone’s attention. Lighting these counter tops illuminates the designs in the glass creating an extravagant display. Putting these glowing pieces of glass up on stand offs for a bar top is a great serving surface sure to impress your guests. Marble stains, so you have to be cautious when pouring your wine, but any spills on your glass counter tops is an easy clean – see the pattern here?
Glass Enclosed Wine Cellars
All glass wine cellars are a Builders Glass staple that we are proud of. We are the leaders in glass wine enclosures and we love working with our clients to design them! Traditional wine cellars are made of wood or stone and are hidden away from view. Put your wine collection on display for everyone to see! We have mastered how to construct these gorgeous, climate controlled cellars that really stand out in a home. We use ultra clear low iron glass in our wine cellars which really sets your wine collection on display instead of the glass. We also handle the racking because nothing is more impressive than a wall of floating wine bottles. To keep true to the roots of wine cellars, we are a supplier of Stikwood, a peel a stick wood plank product made from real wood that comes in different styles and patterns that is perfect for the back wall of your enclosure.
Glass Partitions and Interior Doors
A home office is a great place to work, but often that space becomes a cave in which we get lost and isolated from the world in. Bring yourself back into the world while still creating a designated work space with a glass enclosed room! These work areas allow light to come in and ideas to flow as you aren’t locking yourself in what feels like a closed off space. Glass partitions between rooms is also a great idea for smaller homes or apartments as they section off your home without making it feel smaller. Interior glass doors are a great addition to any home, and can even have a decorative or frosted film put over the surface of it for added privacy. Sliding glass barn doors are a sleek way of closing off a room or office. Large wooden doors can sometimes feel cumbersome or imposing. Lightening up your space with some easy sliding glass barn doors can help lift some of the tension and intensity.
Mirror Outlet Cover Plates
It seems as though anywhere we need mirrors, we need outlets. Bathroom vanities and kitchen backsplashes have necessary outlets for all of our kitchen and bathroom appliances, but those cheap, white plastic, outlet covers are plain, boring, and disruptive to the flow of your mirrors. You may have seen acrylic or plastic mirror cover plates, but those are almost just as bad. In a place that takes a lot of contact, plastic and acrylic cover plates will scratch, dull, discolor, and look terrible against your mirrors. We believe that everyone should know about authentic, glass mirror plug plates. They are made of the exact same glass material as your bathroom mirrors and kitchen backsplashes and blend in almost seamlessly. They keep the reflection of your mirrors continuous and don’t draw attention to themselves.
Hurricane Impact Sliders
Living in Florida, we know what it is to have to prepare for severe weather and how difficult it can be. Putting up shutters is a huge process; making sure that each panel has gone over the right windows and sliders and that they are secure – but there is an easier way. Hurricane Impact windows and sliders are built to withstand wind speeds par with a category six storm, and the debris that comes flying with it. While hurricanes are charted well in advance, severe weather can come out of no where, and keeping your shutters up year round is impractical. Hurricane impact glass allows you to see out while keeping your home protected year round from all sorts of weather, and it deters burglars. There are so many things to worry about when heavy weather is headed our way, and putting up shutters or wood boards on your sliders and windows should NOT be one of them.
If you have any questions on where glass can be used in your home, please feel free to come into our showroom and get inspired!
