Glass wine cellars are trending

Glass wine cellars are trending

/in ,

Glass wine cellars are trending

Glass wine cellars are trending

If you’re looking for a way to incorporate glass into your home and you happen to be a wine aficionado, think about installing a glass wine cellar. Traditionally, wine cellars are built on a home’s lower level to counter the negative effects of ultraviolet light. They also take advantage of more stable, wine-friendly temperatures and humidity found below ground. Traditional wine cellars are also usually made of mahogany, and if glass is used at all, you’ll find it in the door.

A new approach to wine cellars elevates the area to the home’s ground floor, usually around the kitchen or dining room. Glass wine cellars are often small. That’s because the wine doesn’t stay in a glass cellar very long! UV light does, in fact, age the wine more quickly. Also, when wine is stored on the main floor of a home, the corks tend to dry out as the result of lower humidity.

Glass wine cellars are meant to be conspicuous, and conspicuous they are! Special coated glass and filtered lights can help slow the natural aging process, but they won’t preserve wine indefinitely. That being said, the aboveground wine cellar is meant for wines that will be consumed. Experts recommend that in the absence of temperature-, humidity- and light-controlled storage, wine should be consumed within two years.

What does a glass wine cellar look like? You might find glass walls and a glass door, with special LED lighting in the room. The walls and doors help conserve some of the humidity needed to preserve the corks. These small wine cellars often look more like a display case than a traditional, below-grade wine storage area. While a glass wine cellar may take up residence in a corner or along a wall, some cases are free-standing and serve as a room divider, or even the focal point of a room.

Rather than resting the bottle in a traditional little wine cellar cubbyhole, bottles are displayed lengthwise in open racks to keep the label visible. This approach is certainly less efficient, but the purpose of a glass wine cellar is visibility.

If you’re considering a glass wine cellar for your home, but you’re unsure of how to protect the wine from the damaging effects of UV light, consider protecting the inside of the cellar with a UV-resistant glass paint like Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint offers excellent UV resistance, and comes in virtually any color.

If you’d like 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: Joe Ross, via Flickr.com

Tesla Announces Glass Solar Panels

Tesla Announces Glass Solar Panels

/in ,

Tesla Announces Glass Solar Panels

Tesla Announces Glass Solar Panels

Whether you’re energy-conscious, interested in sustainability, or just looking for a way to improve the aesthetics of your home, Tesla might have something that captures your interest. Last week, Tesla (yes, the same company that makes electric cars), introduced a new approach to solar panels. Solar panels are typically made of specialized glass, and their design definitely puts function over form.

Many people are interested in incorporating solar energy into their homes, but solar panels weren’t really designed with aesthetics in mind. Until now. The company borrowed the homes on “Wisteria Lane” from the old Desperate Housewives set and re-roofed each abode with the company’s new solar tiles.

The tiles mimic the look of traditional roofing materials, including slate and terra cotta. There is a bit of trickery going on. Solar collectors are transparent; they need to be in order to admit sunlight. But the viewing angle is key to the visual ruse. A person standing on the ground is looking at a roof from a pretty shallow angle. As the viewing angle becomes more perpendicular, the transparency of the tile increases. At a 90° viewing angle, the Tesla solar tile is completely transparent, but frankly, no one looks at their roof from that angle, unless they’re walking around on it. From the ground, the roof tile looks completely opaque, and offers an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The tile is made of quartz and is exceptionally strong. It’s actually stronger than typical traditional roofing materials, and can tolerate being dropped, as well as impacts from objects that might naturally encounter a roof.

Tesla’s goal is to make solar energy beautiful and affordable, even for modest homes. At the unveiling of the ccompany’s Solar Roof, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also unveiled the Powerwall 2 battery system designed to work with the tiles. His goal is to make a 14 KWh system available for under $6,000. A fully-charged system of that size could power an average sized home for a day.

The plan isn’t quite ready for takeoff, yet. The company’s Board of Directors has to approve a merger with Solar City, a solar panel installer that’s run by Musk’s cousins. Assuming he receives the green light on the plan, you could soon be buying a new, elegantly designed solar roof for your home. While roofing doesn’t have the same appeal as a Roadster in the driveway might, your home may get some curb appeal of its own.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. 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: Tesla

Glass: Classic or Futuristic?

Glass: Classic or Futuristic?

/in ,

Glass: Classic or Futuristic?

Glass: Classic or Futuristic?

Interior design can be expensive, so a major remodel isn’t something that most people undertake regularly. That always raises the question of whether an interior design should take a classic or modern approach. A classic design offers the advantage of being “timeless.” A truly classic design will stand the test of time, and over time, that approach is very cost effective.

A modern design offers the advantage of being fresh and interesting. A modern design can invigorate a space and make it more attractive, functional and fun to look at or work in.

Glass has the distinct advantage of working well in both classic and modern designs. Glass is a timeless material that is exceptionally functional, cost-effective and elegant. Whether you’re working with it in furniture, walls, doors or windows, glass can work effectively in any design plan.

As an added benefit, glass is a practical material. It’s widely available, environmentally safe, infinitely recyclable and easy to work with. It’s impervious, so it won’t absorb bacteria, stains or odors, and it can be sanitized easily with ordinary household cleaners.

Glass can be used safely to laminate walls and horizontal surfaces. Backpainting the glass – which is easy – creates working surfaces that are colorful, elegant and practical. Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specially designed glass coating that bonds permanently to the surface of glass. Once cured, the paint will not chip, fade or peel and offers superior UV protection for areas that receive direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint can also be used to control sunlight in areas that receive direct exposure. It can also be used to create privacy where desired. A gallon of Glassprimer™ glass paint will cover more than 250 square feet of surface area for about $1 per square foot. That’s actually more cost-effective than using traditional frosted glass.

As an added benefit, Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color, so it can be matched perfectly to any color scheme. If you’d like 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: Ericka dot net , via Flickr.com

Using glass in interior design

Using glass in interior design

/in ,

Using glass in interior design

Using glass in interior design

Glass is an ideal material for decorating. When you want to open a space, glass allows light to flow through the space, and naturally makes it look larger. Even though glass is the “go-to” material for this kind of application, glass has many other desirable decorating characteristics.

Transparency is insanely attractive, but you can do a lot with opaque glass. Glass has a tactile quality that other materials don’t have. It’s cool, smooth and solid. It can be heavy, and it’s elegant in a way that no other material is. When you want opacity, there’s no better way to achieve it than with Glassprimer™ glass paint.

Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color, and you can create opaque and frosted glass looks for about $1 per square foot. That’s actually less expensive than traditional frosted glass. Traditional frosted glass is created using either a chemical process or sandblasting the surface of the glass.

If you’re not going for opaque, you can also achieve a dramatic translucent effect using Glassprimer™ glass paint. Translucence allows light to shine through a non-transparent surface.

From a decorating standpoint, you can do a lot with translucent and opaque architectural glass within an interior space. Walls, furniture and doors can all be made of or incorporate glass. Glass walls in a conference room can be augmented with Glassprimer™ glass paint or UV-inkjet printing to ensure privacy while still allowing the distribution of natural light.

Other features, including reception areas, walls, partitions and other similar structures can also be augmented with Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glass is a highly cost effective and versatile material, and can be used virtually anywhere – walls, floors, ceilings, doors, walkways, staircases and more.

If you’d like more information about decorating with glass and glass paint in interior spaces, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk, via Flickr.com

Recycled Glass Kitchen Countertops

Recycled Glass Kitchen Countertops

/in ,

Recycled Glass Kitchen Countertops

Recycled Glass Kitchen Countertops

Some people want to incorporate sustainability into their lifestyles and homes. One new, highly sustainable material that’s’ emerged as a favorite is recycled glass. Recycled glass countertops are incredibly strong. They’re scratch-resistant, UV-resistant, acid-resistant and they come in a wide variety of colors.

Recycled glass countertops are made primarily from recycled glass and pigments. The mixture is bonded together Portland cement to form a tough, durable and beautiful surface that’s suitable for use in the bathroom or kitchen. A recycled glass countertop looks similar to terrazzo tile.

Recycled glass countertops are heat-resistant. The counter surface is exceptionally smooth and can be dyed to match any décor. Better still, the surface requires very little maintenance, and unlike some stone materials, a glass countertop does not need to be sealed or waxed for protection.

Being able to keep a surface clean is important to health and safety, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Recycled glass countertops are impervious, so they will not absorb liquids, bacteria or viruses. They’re also rated for both commercial and residential use and cut to any shape or size.

Recycled glass countertops paired with glass surfaces like glass backsplashes create an amazing classic look in a kitchen. Glass backsplashes are easy to create, and can be painted in any color using Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially engineered to bond permanently with glass.

Backpainted glass is safe for use in the kitchen. You can use ordinary flat glass or tempered glass. If you intend to create a backpainted splash for use around the stove, you’ll want to use tempered glass. If your backsplash won’t come into contact with a source of significant heat, you can use ordinary flat glass.

Backpainted glass is easy to make, and you can get excellent coverage for about $1 per square foot. If you don’t want to use glass, you can also create a glass effect using Plexiglas™. Glassprimer™ glass paint will bond with Plexiglas™ and weighs significantly less than glass. Plexiglas™ is an ideal covering for cabinet fronts, where the extra weight of glass may not be easily supportable.

If you’d like 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: GEOS

Glass headlines interior design trends

Glass headlines interior design trends

/in ,

Glass headlines interior design trends

Glass headlines interior design trends

Updating your existing space can be a challenge, but these new interior design trends may help you get started on your grand plans. The great news for fans of the classic look is that it’s always welcome! Interior designers are falling back on the tried and true in a big way. Glass is being used to bridge the gap between classic and contemporary.

If you’re looking at new windows, the word is, “Go big!” Floor-to-ceiling glass windows are at the top of the designers’ wish lists. In addition to flooding an area with natural light, they lend an open, airy and contemporary feeling to just about any space. They’re a great way to smudge the line between interior and exterior. When nestled in a door-wall, they can also turn an indoor room into an outdoor room in a snap.

Great glass walls are easy to dress, too! Floor to ceiling curtains, shades and portable room dividers can give privacy when desired. They can also be stored when it’s time to let the sun shine in.

Great glass without the windows

If new windows aren’t in the budget, you can incorporate glass in other ways. Glass panel surfaces and tabletops accentuate simple, yet sophisticated designs. Paired with neutral colors on the walls and natural flooring, you can pull together an outstanding look for one room or the whole house!

Worried about losing out on color by adding too much glass? Don’t! Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specially formulated paint that comes in virtually any color. You can use Glassprimer™ glass paint to add a splash of color to a room. Backpaint backsplashes, countertops or cabinet faces to update a kitchen easily. Glassprimer™ glass paint is easy to apply and cleans up like ordinary paint. Once cured, Glassprimer™ glass paint won’t fade, chip or peel and can stand up to direct sunlight.

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: Jeremy Levine, via Flickr.com

Glass entryway designs can perk up a home

Glass entryway designs can perk up a home

/in ,

Glass entryway designs can perk up a home

Glass entryway designs can perk up a home

You’ve no doubt heard the old saw about first impressions, and if that’s true of people, it’s also true of homes. Your entryways give visitors a first impression of your home. It’s important to get them right. Incorporating glass into your entryway is one way to expand a small space, and give an open, airy and welcoming feeling to your home. Let’s look at some glass entryway designs and ideas that can help make a grand first impression.

Ideas for glass entryway designs

The first and most obvious improvement you can make to your entryway starts with the door. Glass doors, or doors that incorporate glass in and around them are ideal candidates for a glass entryway design. By including glass lights in a door, or around a doorway, you can not only increase the amount of light coming into your home, but also give your visitors a glimpse into what lies inside.

Some people don’t want to show off – and that’s entirely understandable. In that case, frosted glass, pebbled glass or even painted glass can help preserve the privacy of your home while still allowing light to stream into your space. Glass around entryways may be covered by housing codes. Typically, glass around an entryway must be tempered or fire-rated, so if you intend to reframe a doorway to include non-operable glass, consult with the local building inspector to determine your local requirements.

In addition to adding windows around doors, you can also consider adding a non-operable lite above the door. Windows above doorways work best in high-ceiling designs. Again, building codes may limit what you can do with a lite or window above a doorway, so consult with the building inspector during the planning stages.

You can also incorporate glass furniture in an entryway. Glass tables and shelving units give visitors a place to set keys, purses and packages. They’re easy to clean and they look great.
Glass room dividers can also be a welcome addition to an open entryway. Whether you use frameless glass, glass block or even a sliding glass panel, adding glass in your entryway can create a visual definition to the space, while preserving the distribution of natural light around the space.

You can easily decorate glass using Glassprimer™ glass paint in virtually any color under the sun. And speaking of sun, Glassprimer™ glass paint won’t chip, fade or peel, even in direct sunlight. It’s ideal for decorating glass entryway designs.

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

Photo Credit: Deco Design Center, via Flickr.com

Incorporating Glass Decorations Inexpensively

Inexpensive Glass Design Ideas

/in ,

Inexpensive Glass Design Ideas

Inexpensive Glass Design Ideas

Glass is an exceptionally versatile decorating material, and it can be incorporated into your home in some very creative and cost effective ways. Glass evokes a luxurious feeling, but that doesn’t mean it has to put a big dent in your wallet.

Working with glass interiors

Glass always seems to work best in large spaces, but here’s the trick: glass tends to make any space look bigger. It works its magic, even in small spaces! Introducing a glass table into your dining room, for example can really make a small room look larger. Because you can see through it, it tends to extend a space. Solid objects, on the other hand, form discrete barriers, and tend to close off more space than they should.

Using this notion, you can expand a small room by using glass tables or room dividers. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also reframe a window to encourage more daylight. If the idea of reframing windows sounds expensive, don’t panic. It’s actually less expensive than you think. Consult with a remodeling specialist about reworking your windows, or adding windows to a room.

The same principle that applies to glass tables applies to doors. A wooden door seals off a space. Sometimes that’s what you want, but a glass door can improve light transmission and provide privacy at the same time. Whether you choose a frameless glass door or a wood-framed door with glass lites, you can really expand your space – if only visually by letting light move around it more easily.

Stairways can benefit from a glass and steel railing system. Glass panels can allow light to flow and really open up a space. A steel toprail will give a staircase a very contemporary look, and the glass panels are actually less expensive than you might think. You’ll want to use tempered glass on stairs, to avoid injuries in case of an accident.

Glass backsplashes and counter surfaces can really amp up your kitchen. As an added benefit, they’re exceptionally easy to clean and durable. You can easily decorate glass using Glassprimer™ glass paint in virtually any color under the sun. And speaking of sun, Glassprimer™ glass paint won’t chip, fade or peel, even in direct sunlight.

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

Photo Credit: Jeld-Wen

Working with laminated glass

Working with laminated glass

/in ,

Working with laminated glass

Working with laminated glass

Laminated glass is an industry standard for interior and exterior design. Laminated glass is a safety glass product, and consists of at least two layers of glass with a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between the glass panels. The PVB layer is applied to the glass using pressure and heat during the manufacturing process. Multiple layers of glass and PVB can be laminated together.

Laminated glass has been used in the auto industry since the 1950’s, and has been used in architecture for about 30-40 years. In terms of design, laminated glass is very flexible, in that the glass layers can be tinted, coated and textured. Laminated glass can also accommodate colored interlayers, and special insulating layers that improve sound dampening. Typically, the thickness of the finished product ranges between 1/8th of an inch and 1/4th of an inch, but thicker glass can be made. Laminated glass can also be cut if the glass layers have been annealed.

Annealing is a cooling technique that strengthens the glass during the manufacturing process. Annealed glass is not tempered, but it is cooled slowly to relieve internal stress. Annealed glass is about 4 to 5 times stronger than untreated glass, but it will break into shards, just like untreated glass. Tempered glass, on the other hand, is heated then quickly cooled. The resulting product is stronger than glass, and breaks into small cubes, rather than shards.

Laminated glass can be used in insulating glass products, like windows and doors. It can also be coated with low-emissivity coatings to help reflect UV and infrared lightwaves. Laminated glass can be made in sheets as big as 16×8 ft. The panel size depends upon the limits of the manufacturing equipment, but the weight of the finished piece is also a consideration.

Laminated glass is used where safety is a consideration. In exterior applications, laminated glass is used in windows and doors, and in structural elements, such as side panels for buildings. It can also be used in display windows, floors and safety barriers.

Laminated glass can be painted or coated, just like any other glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used with laminated glass to coat, frost or decorate glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint permanently bonds with the glass layer to resist chipping, fading and peeling. It can be used in both interior and exterior applications.

If you would like more information about decorating with 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: Hugh Dutton Associés, via Flickr.com

Why we're so attracted to glass

Why we’re so attracted to glass

/in ,

Why we're so attracted to glass

Why we’re so attracted to glass

There’s something about glass that just lends an air of elegance to a room. Whether it’s large windows, a glass room divider, a sweeping glass staircase, or a glass table top, glass just gets our attention.

Visually, glass is appealing because you can see through it. It transmits light, which allows it to open up a space. The openness of a space has a direct impact on the way we feel, and that works well – especially in a home.

For all of its power, glass is also delicate. Everyone’s broken glass. Without a doubt, glass has its limits, which makes its presence in staircases, room dividers and large windows all that much more magical.

Design is evolving to incorporate much more glass. Commercial and residential spaces can both take advantage of glass, and incorporating glass in remodeling is becoming more common.

Outdoor rooms often rely on glass to bridge the distance between a home’s interior and its exterior. Commercial interiors rely on glass to transmit natural light. Studies have shown that exposure to natural light makes employees more productive and happier at work, and helps to better regulate the body’s internal “clock” and a variety of metabolic processes.

Using glass definitely has its upsides, but it also brings concerns about temperature, increased energy consumption and energy losses. One way to combat this is by using specialized coatings on glass like Glassprimer™ glass paint.

Glassprimer™ glass paint allows the transmission of natural, visible light, while rejecting UV radiation, which tends to heat up a space and the objects in it. Controlling light is very important in controlling heat gain and reducing energy consumption. Proper engineering can also help reduce energy losses at night.

Glassprimer™ glass paint makes a permanent bond with glass surfaces. Once cured, the paint will not chip, fade or peel, even in direct sunlight. It’s suitable for both interior and exterior use, too! If you’d like 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: Phil Manker, via Flickr.com