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Adding value to glass creatively
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With the advancement of surface processing technology, glass has emerged as a favoured material in interior design
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— Photo: S. Mahinsha
Stains of fashion: Stained glass adds a touch of class to the ceiling.
Until now glass was just glass. As a brittle and fragile material with a plain, understated appearance, it had limited application in architecture and interior decoration. Perhaps the only functional application of glass was in mirrors and windows.
With the advancement of surface processing technology, glass has emerged as a favoured material in interior design. Today, it is widely used by architects and decorators as a decorative material that can enhance the aesthetic appearance of a house, office or commercial institution.
There are processes and techniques to improve the texture and appearance of glass panels used in doors and windows, partitions, cabinet and wardrobe panels, furniture, balustrades, skylights, atrium ceilings and conservatories. These include sandblasting, etching, staining, bevelling, grooving and acid texture work. By merging its aesthetic and functional utilities, glass has become as versatile a material as any other, notwithstanding its fragile nature.
Changing look
Plain glass can be given an animated look by etching or staining designs or patterns on the backside. The stained surface is sandwiched by providing a protective glass coating.
“The growing demand for designed glass has opened up a whole new market. Designing imparts an exciting look to clear glass. Most designing works, like staining and etching, involve skilled labour by trained artists”, says George Antony, proprietor of Zion Glass Land, a processing unit located at Veli, Thiruvananthapuram.
“While some clients prefer standard traditional designs, others insist on customised artwork.”
Computer-generated images are used for accurate reproduction of the same design on multiple panels. Most designers will do the work based on a design or model submitted by the client.
While cartoon characters look well on glass in a kids’ room, images of nature and flora and fauna are mostly used in the living room or in an office. Modern artwork featuring graphic and stylistic images and complicated patterns is preferred by trendy clients.
Stained glass panels are used not only to adorn doors, windows and partitions; they also add a touch of class to a ceiling in many houses. Special stainer colours are used. Imported etching tapes are used to print logos, designs and images on glass.
Decorative etching
Decorative etching is the process by which a glass surface is roughened in selected areas to produce a design. There are various types of etching: plain, deep and multi- level.
Designed glass is also used in kitchen cupboards and for table tops in houses. In some cases, acid work as well as staining is done on the same glass.
While bevelling is the technique by which glass is provided with a tapered edge, sandblasting imparts a frosted look by grinding the polished surface of glass to reduce heat and glare and provide privacy in toilets and cubicles. V-grooving involves the creation of v- shaped channels to split incoming light into a full spectrum and add elegance.
Premium design glass is also available off the shelf in various finishes like lacquered, geometric textured, clear patterned, matt finished, translucent and silvered versions to suit different applications.
T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram
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