Handmade Glass

Glass is a subject you could be forgiven for not thinking much about: it's just glass, right?  Well, no – there are different types of glass available, and whether you are thinking about re-glazing your whole house, or just making a small piece of furniture with glass incorporated into it, it's worth taking the trouble to get it right.

Almost all glass sheet produced at the moment is 'float glass', which is made by literally floating the glass on a bed of molten tin.  It's a fast and practical way to produce glass which is cheap, convenient — and soulless.  It's amazing the extent to which re-glazing an old building with modern glass will spoil its character.  Float glass has none of the subtle waviness which is a natural feature of handmade glass.  Proper glass has a sense of life to it – it has a friendly quality which is lacking in the cold perfection of float glass.  Windows made from handmade glass add character to the exterior of a home – and gently modulate the light which passes through them making for a more restful feeling indoors.

I love to use Cylinder Glass, which is still made using traditional methods and helps to give my furniture the living, soulful feel I value.  I'm not stuck in the pastl; I just believe that 'contemporary' doesn't have to mean 'soulless'!