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Glass Decorating Enjoys a Revival

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Glass Decorating Enjoys a Revival

Glass Decorating Enjoys a Revival

Glass is an exceptional decorating and design material, and you have to admit that it has a lot going for it. It’s inexpensive when compared to other decorating materials. It’s versatile. It’s generally a “local” product. It’s simple. It transmits light. It’s practical. It can be used in interiors or exteriors. It’s generally safe. It’s a great sound insulator. It’s elegant – the list goes on.

Despite these clear advantages, glass wasn’t heavily used in decoration until relatively recently. Fortunately, designers are rediscovering the long list of benefits that glass offers. Improvements in glass have made it possible to safely incorporate glass into virtually every area of a home or office space.

Laminated and tempered glasses offer protection from breakage and potential injury. That enables glass to be used safely in doors, room dividers, displays and even in furniture. Although the transparency of glass can make it a useful decorating material, you can enhance the glass by coating it with paint.

Ordinary paints won’t bond to glass because paint is designed to adhere to porous surfaces. Because the paint can’t adhere to non-porous glass, it is vulnerable to chipping, peeling and fading once the paint has dried. It also fares poorly in high humidity environments.

Glass paint is specially formulated, so it does more than coat glass. It creates a nanoscale bond with the surface of the glass, so once it is cured, the paint is bonded permanently. It will not chip or peel because it actually modifies the surface of the glass. Ordinary paint doesn’t do that. In addition, Glassprimer™ glass paint is designed to provide superior UV resistance, so it won’t fade, even when it’s exposed to direct sunlight. That makes it ideal for a variety of painting projects that incorporate glass.

Glass has a number of decorating advantages. If it isn’t currently on your list of go-to materials, it should be!

Photo Credit: Chuck Berridge, via Flickr.com

Decorating a small space? Think glass

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Decorating a small space? Think glass

Decorating a small space? Think glass

Each space, no matter how big or small, poses its own design challenges. The adept designer has tools in the toolbox for just about every occasion. Glass tends to be one of those tools that works in all spaces no matter their size.

Generally, the smaller the space you’re working with, the more practical a space needs to be. Larger spaces tend to invite clutter, and make it possible to avoid making decisions. Smaller spaces don’t tolerate clutter, but they may have limitations imposed on them by the structure of the space. One of the toughest challenges of working in a small space is the feeling of being cramped.

To open up a small space, you’ll need to put in a little effort to fool the eye. One of the best ways to expand a space is to make it as “visible” as possible. That means allowing the eye to see the walls, even through objects.

Furniture that rests on legs, for example, lets you “see through” it. Lifting objects up off the floor opens up a smaller space and helps to relieve even the most cramped or claustrophobic spaces. Avoid furniture that sits directly on the floor. That goes for end tables, chairs, cabinets and shelves. Look for furniture that allows the eye to make contact with the baseboards as much as possible.

Glass is another great way to allow someone to look through a space. Glass furniture – coffee tables, end tables, desks, glass cabinets – works to open the space. Glass can be used cleverly to create room dividers and other similar discrete divisions in small spaces.

Glass doors can also be superstars in small spaces, and you can find a wide range of interior doors that incorporate glass. Some interior doors are now taking their cues from commercial frameless doors. A frameless glass door in a residential space can add a touch of elegance. A glass pocket door can make the best use of limited floor space by eliminating the need for “swing space.”

You can also paint glass to create a uniquely designed, colorful space, or a protective surface in a kitchen or bathroom. Glassprimer™ glass paint provides exceptional, permanent coverage for about $1 per square foot, and can be tinted to match the paint palette of virtually any major paint manufacturer.

For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: hto2008, via Flickr.com

Simple ideas for decorating with glass

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Simple ideas for decorating with glass

Simple ideas for decorating with glass

Decorating in kitchens and baths can be challenging. The space is entirely necessary in a home, but they’re often small, especially in older homes. Their size limits what can be done, so without making major changes to the design of a home, it can be difficult to open up these spaces.

Glass is a versatile decorating material

Glass can play a major role in opening up space in small homes. Glass is an ideal decorating medium because it offers so many benefits. It’s sophisticated, inexpensive, plentiful , cost-effective and safe. It’s easy to clean, care for and replace. It stands up to even the harshest household cleaners. It’s impervious and easily sanitized. In addition, it permits the transmission of natural light and easily opens up the space in a room of any size.

Glass can be used effectively in kitchen surfaces, whether vertical or horizontal. It is easily cut, shaped, mounted, framed and painted. Ordinary paint doesn’t adhere to glass because it is designed to stick to porous surfaces. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially engineered to bond with glass surfaces by modifying the surface of the glass. Once cured, Glassprimer™ glass paint does not chip, fade or peel, and will stand up to high humidity, significant changes in temperature and exposure to direct sunlight.

Glass can be used effectively as a room divider. Glass transmits natural light, which has an unmatched ability to open spaces up. Being able to see through a divider makes a small room look larger. Glass can be incorporated into doors and walls without sacrificing privacy, largely because you can apply coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match virtually any paint palette. This allows you to incorporate painted glass into any decorating scheme.

Glass can be used effectively to reduce energy consumption when it is used with specialized coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint permits the transmission of visible light while rejecting invisible light frequencies that raise interior temperatures and requires additional energy consumption.

If you’d like more inspiration for decorating with glass, please visit the rest of our site. If you’re ready to start on your own glass painting project, If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Nick Garrod , via Flickr.com

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

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Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

If you’re looking for something interesting to do on vacation, consider planning a visit to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve in Alpena, MI. While you’re there, book yourself on a boat tour of Great Lakes shipwrecks. Given the nature of shipwrecks, you might wonder what you can see from a boat. The sanctuary offers tours using a glass bottomed boat, so you’ll be able to see plenty.

Glass bottomed boat eliminates distortion

There are thousands of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hosts about 200 of them. More than half of the wrecks in the TBNMS are historically significant. The sanctuary received its designation in 2000, and has since been expanded to cover 4,300 square miles of Lake Huron. The TBNMS is one of 13 areas designated as underwater preserves in the State of Michigan. On shore, visitors can learn about the lakes and shipwrecks in the preserve at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

Water in the area is very clear and in many spots in the sanctuary the water is shallow, so the glass bottomed boat allows visitors to see the wrecks clearly. Glass bottomed boats give visitors a better, more clear view of the shipwrecks because they eliminate the distortion that occurs when looking directly into the water from the surface.

Shipping was and is a major mode of transportation for both raw materials and finished goods in the Great Lakes region, so the majority of shipwrecks involve commercial liners and transports. Although many of the wrecks in the sanctuary are documented, the area still holds a number of undiscovered wrecks. These ships were known to have been lost in the vicinity, but have not yet been rediscovered.

Many of the wrecks in the sanctuary date to the 18th and 19th centuries, although there are some 20th century wrecks. One of the most recent wrecks, the Nordmeer, was lost in shallow water in 1966 after the pilot made a navigational error. Although the owners intended to refloat the boat, a storm destroyed the hull, so the boat was abandoned as-is in the sanctuary.

A glass bottomed boat tour may not be in your future, but you can still take advantage of glass as a decorating surface in a residential or commercial space. If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory , via Flickr.com

Glass recycling strategies emerge

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Glass recycling strategies emerge

Glass recycling strategies emerge

Glass recycling is shaping up to be one of the great environmental dilemmas of our time. On one hand, people like to recycle glass. It makes them feel good to know that their glass isn’t going to end up in the landfill. Glass manufacturers and producers like recycling glass. The process reduces their energy consumption, and makes the manufacturing process simpler. The process to make “new” glass from recycled stock can consume about 30% less energy, so there’s real incentive to incorporate recycled glass.

Glass recycling is strategically important but unprofitable

On the other hand, recycling glass is easier said than done. The logistics involved in recycling glass are complicated, often because glass is hard to handle, store and transport. Materials reclamation facilities (MRF) are the first stop for recyclables after they’re picked up at the curb. The glass and other materials are sorted and stored, and therein lies the problem. Glass comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s also not homogenous, so it needs to be sorted. Plate glass (float glass) is different than container glass, and the two materials have to be recycled separately.

And then there’s the issue of breakage. Breakage itself isn’t really a problem, since ultimately, recycled glass does get broken into smaller pieces known as “cullet.” But broken glass is hard to handle when you’re not at the cullet stage.

Recyclers don’t want to devote storage space to glass, or handle the volume of glass that gets broken while in their custody. Complicating the equation is the cost of recycled glass. It’s dropped to the point of being more expensive than new glass, and transportation of glass for recycling is expensive. From an economic standpoint, there’s not much incentive to recycle glass.

Industry groups such as the Glass Recycling Coalition are working to establish best practices for municipal glass recycling programs, partially in an effort to make sure they don’t disappear. One reason that getting the glass recycling question right is important is because people are watching. If the glass they put at the curb for recycling ends up in the landfill, they’re less likely to recycle other materials.

One potential option for glass is reusing it, rather than recycling it. Glass can potentially be incorporated into concrete mixtures, fiberglass and aggregate used in road paving. The future of glass recycling isn’t clear, at this point, but glass is becoming a popular and economical surface for decorating.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently to glass. It offers superior UV resistance and when applied according to manufacturer guidelines, is guaranteed to perform for at least 10 years.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jon Callow, via Flickr.com

More glass decorating ideas

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More glass decorating ideas

More glass decorating ideas

In yesterday’s post, we discussed decorating with glass. Glass can certainly open up a room, and if you have the budget, creating glass walls, installing skylights and glass room dividers will do just that. When you don’t have a big budget, you can still take advantage of glass decorating to expand your space.

Glass furniture is the natural go-to glass decorating idea, and you can really accomplish a lot with glass. Here are a few thought-starters.

Glass decorating throughout the house

Turn the tables. You can incorporate glass tables into a number of rooms in your house. Put a glass table in your dining room and create a whole new look. A glass table makes a elegant statement. You can find glass dining tables in several sizes, and with a wide array of bases. To create the illusion of space, pair your glass table with light colored walls, floor coverings and upholstering on the dining chairs. Use soft lighting and avoid dark-colored woods whenever possible. If you have the room, add a glass china cabinet in the dining space. If not, consider some well-placed wall-mounted or free-standing glass shelves.

In the living room, a glass coffee table and glass end tables can give you more “visual” space. Glass furniture in the living room can also serve another purpose. Since glass doesn’t hide anything, having it around tends to reduce clutter, which also helps to sustain the illusion of space.

Express your shelf. Glass shelving can create a more open feel wherever you set it in the house. Freestanding shelves can add a dramatic flair. Wall mounted glass shelves can create interesting visuals. Glass shelves in the bathroom will require additional housekeeping, but they can add much needed “small storage” in a tiny space. Choose your shelf items carefully to avoid knickknack overload.

You may want to use tempered glass in the bathroom (and the kitchen) to improve strength and safety.You can also decorate glass to add a personal touch, using specialty coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint. If glass isn’t in the budget for decorating the kitchen, consider using Plexiglas to cover cabinet doors and base cabinet fronts. It can recreate the look of glass at a fraction of the cost. You can also paint Plexiglas using Glassprimer™ glass paint. It’s a great way to add color and texture to your kitchen.

If you’d like to know more about Glassprimer™ glass paint, check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Tonelli Design