Glass trends: what’s new in glass?

Glass is an insanely versatile material. The growing popularity of glass has given rise to some new interior decorating and design trends worth mentioning. If you think of glass primarily in the context of windows, you’re not thinking correctly about glass! Here are a few glass trends to keep your eye on.

Colored glass is trending

From Milan: If you missed last month’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the premiere furniture show in Milan, you missed a lot of creative uses for glass. Chromatic glass made a big splash, and for good reason! It’s fun to look at; it’s versatile and it has the potential to be a decorating superstar.

At a basic level, chromatic glass is just colored glass. But chromatic glass can be so much more! Smart glass takes color to a whole new level. Smart glass (or the glazing on “smart” glass) takes on different light transmission properties when heat, light or voltage is applied to the glass. In layman’s terms, the glass can change color! The decorating potential of color-alterable glass is obvious, but “smart glass” is more than just a pretty face.

Smart glass can be used as a building material that changes on-demand. Think electronic shades, custom glare controls, and UV-protection at the touch of a button! As a decorating material, “smart” glass can change color and opacity on –demand, creating a raft of options for practical and artistic applications.

From the US Glass is making a big splash in home decorating in the form of glass doors. Glass doors with frosted insets are a growing trend in American homes. Frameless doors, which have been popular in commercial installations, are growing in popularity for residential decorating. Also popular are interior sliding glass doors, glass pocket doors and wood-frame doors with glass insets.

From Spain: Glass tiles have not lost their luster in Spain. Glass tiles are versatile decorating materials, and can be used effectively as “working” surfaces in the kitchen and bath, and as decorative surfaces in entryways and other rooms in the house. The use of glass tile doesn’t show signs of slowing down in Europe, and isn’t likely to slow down in the US.

Colored glass and color-coated glass are trending upward and are expected to be strong for the foreseeable future. If you’d like more information about decorating with glass, please check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: John Spencer , via FreeImages.com