Recently, I came across this really sophisticated , yet fun desk in one of my shopping adventures and started thinking about the use of glass in design mostly as it relates to glass furniture.  I feel like people are either really open to having glass furniture or a little skeptical.   I think the skepticism comes from the thought of  cleaning it (fingerprints) or perhaps the use of glass in a home is not thought as decorative and is thought to be more utilitarian or maybe people think it’s only for contemporary or modern style homes (I assure you this is not the case!).  At any rate,  I’m not really sure why I sense skepticism, but I sometimes do.

Surely, glass can make it’s way into home in so many ways….here are just a few examples.

{Glass Tile}

Here’s a picture of one of my recent projects.  We opted for a tile backsplash in the kitchen to open the space up and add some sparkle.

Here are some other glass tile examples that I’m admiring today.

 

This picture not only has glass tiles, but also a glass basin!  Stunning!

 

{Glass Staircases}

How smart is this? Using glass on the stairs leading the third floor allowing the light from the roof skylight to filter down to the first floor. Love!

Or having an entire wall be glass windows and glass stair railings to allow for the light to filter in.   Love! Love!

{Glass Counter Tops}

Or look how glass door fronts can add so much drama to a kitchen.

Love (again!), but they really need to add glassware and white plates and/or serving pieces.

As you can tell I’m a fan of incorporating glass in home decor for so many reasons, but the biggest reason is it’s reflectivity and light quality it gives to a room.  One of the biggest design flaws in a space is forgetting about the presence of light (both natural and artificial).  Think about how you feel on bright, sunny day and now translate this feeling  into a space in your home.  Yes! It’s the same feeling.  Light makes a room feel better, ‘lighter’,  often times more comfortable and more organic.  Glass helps brighten a room with it’s translucent and reflective qualities.  It can enhance views and visually expand a room.

I’m not so sure how many of us are able to install a glass staircase into our space, but adding in glass furniture in an existing space is VERY doable.   The remaining part of this post I’m going to focus on how we can incorporate glass furniture to help brighten our home.  My focus will be on something most of us all want or need in our home…desk space and coffee tables.

Starting with office space.  How many of you wish they had a proper home office (Me! Me! Me!)? Have a home office, but it’s very small and/or have a work space that you want to keep open, clean and uncluttered?   Well, if you have small office space or want a work space to have an open feeling have you thought about a glass desk?  Especially if you have storage space with a nearby cadenza  and/or bookshelves to store things…a glass desk might be the perfect fit for you!   Also, glass desks often can seamlessly be incorporated into a room that is NOT formally an office.   Here are some of my favorite spaces that illustrates some of these ideas.

{Glass Desks}

Here are some examples of work spaces incorporated into another room.  A glass desk helps make the work space fit seamlessly into the room and in the second picture almost creates a sculptural artist feel to the room.

The glass allows for the table to take on more height with a darker finish for the legs in a

monochromatic room without over crowding the space.  The table actually anchors the space.

The glass table allows this room to take on an oversized coffee table and other side tables are not needed.

The glass table with it’s large wagon-like wheels is one of the room’s statement pieces.

Glass tables in this room allow for TWO oversized coffee tables.  This is an unexpected, bold

and functional feature of the room.  No need for side tables keeps things clean and streamlined.

A round glass coffee table balances and compliments the curves of the large black grand piano on the

other side of the room.

  

Well, I hope this post gives you some ideas how you can brighten your space using glass.  Tell me…what ways have you incorporated glass in your home?  Any unique ways that you can share with me and our fellow blog readers?

May your ‘glass’ always be half full.

Until next time…

~M