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Glass Houses
The Biggest Trends in Glass for Homes

Living in an all-glass house doesn’t have to mean investing in good drapes or being one with nature à la Philip Johnson (see September 2007 USGlass, page 86). Texture and color can lend warmth and vibrancy to materials that can offer plenty of privacy along with loads of style. Glass can be used all over the house in new and creative ways, as shown in the USGlass Idea House on the following pages.

Stairs
Talk about making an entrance—a glass staircase can be a showstopper. The unique use of laminated lighting creates a vibrant glow within these aqua blue glass treads from Nathan Allan Glass Studios Inc. in Richmond, British Columbia. The selection of low-iron glass helped to maintain the true color in this staircase, while glass sandpaper on the walking surface prevents slips or slides.
www.nathanallan.com

Front Door
The Belleville® smooth 2-panel door and sidelites with Mondrian™ Specialty™ Glass by Masonite® in Tampa, Fla., lets the light inside through a light etching in a balanced and symmetrical cubist pattern. It features SpectraWeld™ technology, which bonds glass with composite material to simulate caming. Specialty glass can be installed in a variety of 6-foot 8-inch or 8-foot entry door configurations.
www.masonite.com

Glass Floor
Using glass in flooring applications is an innovative way to bring natural light deeper into a living space, according to Goldray Industries in Calgary, Alberta. By using heat treated, laminated glass combined with a slip-resistant coating, this homeowner can be assured of both a safe and interesting element within their home.
www.goldrayindustries.com

Walls
Abersham Technology Group in Waukesha, Wis., includes glass in all of its Ambiente Housing—in the modular panels. The company uses waste glass material to create cenospheres, spherical glass beads with air pockets that are structurally strong, light and inexpensive. Ambiente’s “Ambi-Cells” glass beads are then mixed with resin to make Ambi-Core, the core material of the panels.
www.ambientehomes.com

Railing
This glass clamp mounting system from Morse Industries in Kent, Wash., installs to concrete, hardwood or structural steel and in most cases does not disrupt existing finishes, making it ideal for new and existing applications.
www.morseindustries.com

Glass Wall
These glass tiles make green even more stylish; in many of its products manufacturer Oceanside Glasstile in Carlsbad, Calif., incorporates post-consumer recycled bottle glass and/or glass recycled from the company’s manufacturing process.
www.glasstile.com

Insulation
The Swiss company Millcell AG is putting a new spin on glass’ thermal performance features. The company uses waste glass to create millcell®, a building material that can be used for, among other things, insulation. The manufacturer says the foam glass pieces offer excellent sound transmission and absorption properties and high load-bearing capacity.
www.millcell.eu

Mulch
Close the Loop LLC in Kunkletown, Pa., is adding a bit of sparkle to landscaping with a wide selection of colors and sizes of recycled glass for mulch and landscaping purposes. The company says its proprietary production process produces glass that has virtually no sharp edges. It’s a long-lasting alternative to traditional bark or gravel mulches, and never fades or needs replacing. An added bonus—glass is a natural deterrent to slugs when used around the garden.
www.closetheloop.com

Backsplash
A colorful backsplash can bring together a room. Here Anchor Ventana in Round Rock, Texas, supplied Gardner Glass Products’ Dreamwalls color glass for the backsplash and cabinetry. The back-painted glass uses ultra clear, low-iron Starphire glass to ensure the color specified is the color installed.
www.gardnerglass.com

Pantry Door
Homeowners can showcase the delightful things inside their pantry with an artistic door. Sans Soucie Art Glass Studios Inc. in Palm Desert, Calif., offers about 20 sandblasted designs, in one of three techniques, for glass pantry doors. Customers can choose the solid frost effect (the quickest and most economical method), dimensional (where only the surface of the glass effected) or 3D carved (sandblasting with both dimension and depth) designs.
www.sanssoucie.com

Countertop
Custom-made glass countertops from ThinkGlass in Boisbriand, Quebec, are a creative solution for homeowners seeking to add interest to a contemporary kitchen. The transparency of this 1 ½-inch-thick custom glass countertop countertops, illuminated by natural white LED’s, brightened the whole kitchen. The Crystal color of the countertops creates an open space while the Natura texture adds interest.
www.thinkglass.com

Glass Tile
Modono™ Glass in Rochester, N.Y., manufactures its Modono Glass Tile Collection using dichroic thin film technology to produce a prism of changing color. The result is a tile for numerous applications that appear to change to viewers as they pass by.
www.modonoglass.comlosure

Shower Enclosure
Looking to liven up the bathroom? Homeowners can transform this space into an island retreat or a kid-friendly space with imaged glass shower doors from Arizona Shower Door in Phoenix.
www.arizonashowerdoor.com

Sink
Gravity Glas in Scottsdale, Ariz., offers a wide range of kiln cast glass products. Its full line of glass vessel and traditional glass sinks, including its Mardi Gras sink from the Gravity Series, is created by a team of artisans with more than 20 years experience in the art of handmade glass.
www.gravityglas.com

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