ARCHITECTURAL GLASS ART OFFERS VERSATILE STYLE
These strong, colourful panels can replace a door, a backsplash or even a traditional partition or wall
It definitely adds a touch of glass.
Architectural glass art — a functional blend of glass and art used as a building and design material — is transforming how Edmonton homeowners are able to change up their home decor schemes.
For example, picture a kitchen backsplash made entirely of glass, as opposed to tiles. Or consider a decorative glass door with a pattern etched onto it to replace a traditional pre-hung door.
Perhaps in place of drywall you might still have a wall partition, but it’s now composed of colourful glass panels that achieve the same overall effect, yet they allow light into the room.
Local architectural glass artist Dana Price, owner of Flux Glass Studio Inc., says the design process is all about beauty, strength, and functionality.
“Architectural glass art incorporates light, colour and texture into a space, changing not only the look of that space but its entire atmosphere, and truly integrates art into architecture,” said Price. “It is quickly becoming an extremely versatile building and design material.”
When it comes to residential applications, there are multiple options.
Wall partitions are one of the more popular choices — prominently featured in The Winchester, the first grand prize from Kondro Homes during the 2017 edition of the Full House Lottery.
“If a lot of privacy is required we can use heavy textures, and frosting or etching for the wall partitions,” said Price. “If colour is needed we can add colour. If sound hindering is a requirement we can use a thicker glass. This is just a great way to divide a space and create privacy while providing an artistic touch, and at the same time keeping an open and light feeling in the space. It’s one of my favourite things to do, as it’s where arts meets function.”
Today’s open-concept floor plans have been driving the demand for these type of partitions, added Price.
“What people are finding now is that (the home) is a little bit too open,” she said. “We do a lot of partitions that separate the living room area from the dining room, and we also do a lot in the front of the home, so if someone comes to the door they’re not looking straight into the house. They’re also in demand for separating the toilet area, so that it is separated from a large soaker tub.”
But wall partitions are far from the only way architectural glass art can be incorporated into the home.
“In my opinion, one of the easiest ways to refresh and update the look of a kitchen is to remove the existing tile backsplash and replace it with a custom new glass backsplash,” said Price. “It really transforms the look of the whole kitchen.”
Once installed, custom glass backsplashes are incredibly strong and tempered for heat behind the stove. Created in large panels, with a small line of silicone where the panels need to butt up against each other, they’re easy to clean, in addition to being mildew- and stain-resistant.
Thick glass countertops are another possibility, though Price suggests they’re better suited as a feature piece in bathrooms or as a raised bar top. She notes that the glass can scratch much more easily than other countertop options like granite or Corian.
“Windows, sidelights and French doors are found in almost every home, yet the standard choices can be generic,” said Price. “With custom, kiln-formed glass the design options are unlimited for any style of space and it makes for a beautiful interior element, creating a unique and modern, stylish feel to the space.”
GLASS MENAGERIE
Mimi and Jason Chalupiak were looking for finishes that would work in their northwest Edmonton home. Courtesy of a Google search, they ended up with four pieces of architectural glass works from Flux Glass Studios.
“We built a really modern house, and I’ve always really loved glass and coloured glass,” said Mimi. “We were looking for a glass backsplash, so we Googled some local glass companies; we contacted Flux Glass, made an appointment to see Dana, and we really liked what we saw and appreciated that she really took pride in her work.”
The Chalupiaks initially went forward with three commissioned pieces: a full-height flat glass backsplash for their kitchen, a kilnformed textured sliding glass door with a sculpted edge leading from their bedroom to their ensuite, and a kiln-formed glass fireplace surround. The Chalupiaks were so happy with those three items that they became return customers, ordering a large, colourful piece of glass art for their living room.
Mimi also loves the teal-coloured glass kitchen backsplash, calling it clean and sleek. The fact that there are no grout lines and it is very easy to clean only makes her appreciate the backsplash even more.
“Our house is all modern and very contemporary,” said Mimi. “The backsplash, a teal colour, is what we were going for.”
Meanwhile, the sculpted sliding door allows light to shine through, but still provides privacy for the bathroom. “It is functional as well, so that is nice,” added Mimi.
“It is what we were going for with the sliding barn door, because we have so many straight lines I wanted something organic that looked more natural.”
To say the Chalupiaks are satisfied customers would be an understatement.
“I think Dana is just very open to ideas and listens to what the homeowner is looking for,” said Mimi. “She definitely got a sense of what we are all about. She definitely exceeded our expectations.”
And visitors to their home are always blown away by the glass pieces, adds Mini; they want to know who created them and where it was done.
PRICE IS RIGHT
Flux Glass Studio uses a combination of techniques to create its architectural glass art, and is considered as a warm glass studio.
“The top temperature we take our glass to is 1,600 degrees, as compared to hot glass studios, like glass blowing or casting, which takes the glass upwards of 2,000 degrees to get the glass into a molten liquid state,” said Price, adding that every warm glass artist has their own specialized programs or recipes for kiln-firing glass to achieve different effects, based on the thickness of the glass and the amount of texture required for the piece.
Price and fellow architectural glass artist Rostislav Rusev have taken Flux Glass Studio’s glass works even further with various artistic designs incorporated into the finished product.
“It seems like in Alberta we love the outdoors and we love bringing the outdoors in, so we bring in a lot of nature,” said Price, noting the demand for pieces focusing on landscapes, forests and florals. “But there is a shift. We’re starting to see a demand for a cleaner, fresher abstract — lots of textured glass with bold splashes of colour.”
Depending on the project, pricing starts at $35 per square foot. Colour, custom textures or artistic designs bring with them additional costs per square foot, and Price noted that she is happy to take on new challenges.
“Even though I do enjoy every project we taken on, my favourite type of project is when we get to create a one-of-a-kind, custom glass feature art piece for a client.”