Incorporating architectural glass into the outdoor living space of your Virginia or Maryland home can elevate the entire design. Glass is sleek, modern, and versatile, and when it comes to customization, it’s incredibly compatible. If your glass manufacturer has the technical expertise and experience, the sky is really the limit with this material.
4 Common Glass Customization Options
Because glass is so compatible with alteration and manipulation—read here for a discussion of why glass is ideal for customization—this list is, by no means, comprehensive. It covers the highlights of some of your most common options, though.
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Colors
Photo provided courtesy of Jockimo.
One misconception about utilizing glass in a private residence is that the material has to be clear. While fully transparent and frosted glass both have their advantages in certain installations, there are many options for coloring your glass.
To achieve a custom color, glass can be painted, or a colored film can be applied to the glass itself. Jockimo, a purveyor of decorative architectural glass, has also developed a technology known as TRUE colors. This process actually infuses color directly into the glass product, meaning that color runs throughout the entire piece of glass. They currently offer seven color options.
While it has many exterior applications, colored glass is used most often outdoors in glass countertops.
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Textures
Photo provided courtesy of Jockimo.
When using cast glass in your outdoor living space, you open up options for adding texture to your glass panels. Cast glass is created by adding molten glass into a mold and allowing it to solidify. The options for those molds are essentially limitless.
Glass manufacturers will typically have some standard mold options available to use, or you can work with that company to create an entirely customizable mold.
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Designs
Photo provided courtesy of Jockimo.
Also under the umbrella of cast glass, you can create designs within the glass panels themselves. As with texture, your glass manufacturer will likely have molds available to choose from, or you can submit the specific image you’d like created in the glass.
This works equally well for businesses that are looking to incorporate their logos and homeowners who want to add a truly custom touch to their architectural glass centerpiece.
In many ways, incorporating designs into the glass is a lot like adding a custom inlay into your wood or composite deck. It visually breaks up large spans of space, while also providing personalization, design interest, and differentiation from otherwise similar projects.
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Shapes
One of the biggest benefits of designing with glass is that it can be cut or molded into just about any shape imaginable. Say, for example, you live on or near the Potomac River, and you want to subtly incorporate a nautical theme into your design. If you’re installing exterior glass countertops, the edge of that countertop can be made sinuous rather than straight, which calls to mind the fluidity of water.
This is one specific example among a nearly limitless span of options.
Have Questions? We’ve Got Answers
Want to know more about custom architectural glass? Ready to talk through how glass can play a design role in your outdoor living space? Contact us today. We’re always happy to answer questions!