Why not look at the world through rose-colored glasses? More precisely, through the multicolored prism of stained-glass windows. Stained-glass windows in the interior transform the space, make it festive, refined and perceived as an element of luxury. Stained glass windows, lamps, partitions - sources of incomprehensible magic. Colored reflections scatter along the walls, play on glass surfaces, give the interior a sublimity and originality.
Stained glass kitchen window
History of stained glass
The first stained glass windows were made from small pieces of glass held together with strips of metal, their remnants found in Egypt are over 5,000 years old. The reason for such an intricate technology is explained by the fact that mankind has not yet been able to produce glass of the required area.
In Italy, instead of glass, plates of translucent minerals were inserted into the windows: selenite, alabaster - this protected the rooms from the hot sun, creating a mysterious penumbra. Soon they learned to paint glass in blue and red, much later - in yellow. Stained-glass windows became an integral part of the architecture of Gothic cathedrals and for a long time were associated with majestic plot paintings made of colored glass. The bright rays of the sun broke into myriads of colored fragments, filling the sparse interior decoration of the cathedrals with an unearthly light.
Stained glass door in spirit
Since then, bursts of fashion for stained-glass windows in the interior have been replaced by oblivion, they have found new areas of application. Stained-glass windows began to decorate not only windows, but also furniture, doors, lamps, remaining an expensive decoration of palaces and church cathedrals.
Now there is a rise in interest in stained glass, and it is associated with at least two reasons:
- with a high degree of unification in the construction of buildings and interior decoration;
- with advances in stained glass technology.
Let's consider what traditional and new technologies are used by modern stained glass manufacturers, and what application they find in decorating modern interiors.
Stained glass front door
Types of stained-glass windows - from exclusive to democratic
Consider three groups of stained glass windows:
- typesetting;
- seamless;
- embossed;
- film.
typesetting
Two technologies are used in the manufacture of stacked stained-glass windows:
- classical
- Tiffany.
Classic stained-glass windows are made of colored glass, cut exactly according to the sketch, interconnected by an H-shaped lead profile. In modern production, brass, copper, aluminum and cupronickel are used instead of unhealthy lead.
Classic stained-glass windows are characterized by rather thick, bright contour lines that correspond to our ideas about stained-glass windows from ancient palace or church interiors.Such stained-glass windows are traditionally used in windows, but in a modern interior they are decorated with partitions, lanterns, wall panels with internal illumination.
Modern stained glass window in the style of minimalism
The Tiffany stained glass technology, invented in the 19th century in America, also belongs to the typesetting. In it, glasses are also cut out according to a sketch, but they are connected to each other in a different way. Each of the fragments is wrapped around the perimeter with a copper foil tape, then the contours are soldered together, and a single stained-glass canvas is formed. The creator of the technology, Louis Tiffany, also invented a new way of painting glass in the finest shades. In addition, this technique involves the use of special types of glass, textured surfaces, the presence of convex and concave elements, which expands the expressive possibilities.
The graceful golden outline and new glass coloring technologies allow you to create real works of art. Tiffany's stained glass windows illuminated by the sun are an exclusive decor for luxurious interiors. Tiffany technique is used to decorate windows, ceilings, lamps.
Stained glass window over interior door
Seamless
Seamless technologies include:
- fusing;
- casting;
- etching and sandblasting technology
An absolutely new technique for creating stained-glass windows - fusing - was invented quite recently, in Germany, in the 90s of the XX century. Fragments of a stained-glass window are not fastened with a contour frame, but are sintered at a high temperature. Colored parts are laid out on a flat sheet of glass and kept at a temperature until the colored glass softens and fuses with the substrate and with neighboring elements.
Fusing stained-glass windows are a fashionable element of the interior, they are distinguished by unique features: the absence of borders, smooth color transitions. They are readily used in damp rooms, bathrooms, where stacked stained-glass windows are subject to oxidation, and are incredibly effective in window decoration. But especially often in the technique of fusing, they are used to decorate interior elements - lamps, ceiling lamps, furniture.
Large composition of several windows
Casting is a technology very similar to fusing, but metal contours are used in the production process. They are laid out on a glass substrate, colored glass is placed in the cells, which, after softening, fills the mold and is firmly sintered with it and the substrate. The pattern on the stained-glass windows using the casting technique has a contour emphasized by metal, which is also appreciated by interior designers. In addition, the technology allows you to make some elements convex.
A special type of stained-glass windows is stained-glass windows made of transparent glass, ennobled by etching. Areas of glass are treated with hydrofluoric acid to create a matte pattern. Not everyone knows that in interior design you can use an interesting feature of a stained-glass window using the etching technique - when illuminated from the end, matte areas glow from the inside.
A safer technology for applying a matte pattern is sandblasting, although it cannot be compared with etching in terms of expressiveness and elegance of the pattern.
Such stained-glass windows are widely used for doors, partitions, in windows and in any elements of interior decor, including in wet rooms.
Classic stained glass in the bathroom
Embossed
This group includes, first of all, faceted stained-glass windows. They are made of thick transparent glass, less often - colored, using a special cut.
Facet - in fact, glass carving, chamfering. This is a complex technique that requires a lot of experience from the master. When the bevel is removed along the perimeter of the glass fragment, the sun's rays are refracted in the edges, scattered by the fireworks of bright highlights. Faceted cells are united by a thin metal frame.
Stained-glass windows in the facet technique are unique with a special inner glow, the play of light on the edges; in the interior, they magically transform windows in an especially magical way. Faceted stained-glass windows are also used to decorate doors, mirrors, and accessories.
Classic stained glass in the kitchen
Film
A very democratic way to create stained-glass windows is film technology. It originated in the 1970s. A thin transparent film with a printed color pattern is glued onto the glass. The self-adhesive lead contour is fixed in the same way.
Film technology has turned stained glass windows from a luxury element into an affordable interior decor. The film stained-glass window gives the glass additional strength - even if it breaks, the film does not allow the fragments to scatter. Modern manufacturers recommend this spectacular, inexpensive technology for self-decorating furniture doors, windows, interior doors, and small decorative details.
Stained glass window in retro style
Stained glass windows in a modern interior
Stained-glass windows are able to decorate the interiors of both classical and modern styles. Exquisite faceted stained-glass windows and breathtakingly expensive tiffany, as well as elements made using the etching technique, organically look in the classics and baroque.
Interiors with antique English or Spanish furniture are nobly complemented by classic stained-glass windows. Artistic, airy art deco will be enriched by the sonorous texture of stained-glass windows casting or facet. Delicate color transitions of fusing glass mosaics and thin contours of cast stained glass windows will add a touch of sentimentality to Empire style interiors.
Small stained glass window in the bathroom
An interior in a bohemian boho style or in an ornate oriental style will “accept” stacked stained-glass windows in classic technique and with a modern brass or copper frame profile. A loft, inconceivable without bright elements of luxury, can be effectively decorated with both an old stained glass window in classical technique and a film one, in the spirit of Andy Warhol's paintings.
Democratic versions of stained glass windows in sandblasting or film technique are common in interiors following Scandinavian or Japanese minimalism.
Stained glass on the ceiling with lighting
Accessories that define the mood
Stained-glass windows are associated, first of all, with the high windows of Gothic cathedrals, but what place do they occupy in a modern interior?
Manufacturers have put a lot of effort into developing new stained glass techniques, so diverse that it is difficult to name rooms in the interior of which it would be impossible to use stained glass elements.
Consider the most common areas of their application.
The most advantageous stained glass technique in the design of windows. They look especially impressive in windows facing south. Exactly illuminated by the sun and casting mysterious colored reflections, they become a key decorative element of the interior, creating a unique sublime atmosphere.
Photo: stained glass in the bathroom
However, in modern interiors, designers are not limited to established traditions and find new areas of application for stained glass. They offer plafonds and ceilings illuminated from the inside, completely made in the technique of classical stained glass, partitions in different techniques - sandblasting, classical, fusing.
For partitions and other decorative elements in the bathroom, the fusing technique is ideal, which does not have metal parts and is very durable. Film stained-glass windows can be considered a democratic alternative for placement in wet rooms.
Decorative stained glass in the bathroom
In modern interiors, stained-glass windows are often used in an unconventional way - to decorate lamps, mirrors, or act as paintings illuminated from the inside. Furniture doors are decorated with stained-glass windows - strict ornaments in sandblasting technique or luxurious exclusive drawings applied by etching are in the lead here.
It is desirable that the stained glass motif is repeated three times: in the dominant element, for example, a window or partition, and in one or two more, smaller ones - a lamp, a picture or a mirror frame.
Stained glass windows in kitchen cabinets
Magic atmosphere of happiness
Stained-glass windows have the ability to unrecognizably transform any room.
Stained-glass windows bring a sense of celebration to the living room, emphasizing at the same time its solidity and originality, and in the bedroom they will create a mysterious intimate atmosphere.
Splashes of colored highlights will fill the children's room with the magic of a good fairy tale. In the bathroom, the light, passing through the stained-glass partitions and reflecting from the water, evokes the wonderful weeks spent on the ocean coast.
And the hallway? It is worth placing curved lamps here, or an illuminated stained-glass panel, and, having crossed the threshold of the house, you can safely discard everything routine, everyday and enjoy meeting with loved ones.
Stained glass windows in the interior
Conclusion
Stained-glass windows in modern interior design remind of the enduring charm of the classics, give it lightness, airiness and unique chic, create a particularly warm, creative atmosphere in the house.
Photo gallery - stained-glass windows in the interior:
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