Glass

Glass though one of he most elemental material and used for some of the most taken for granted functions of a fenestration , the beauty and elegance of the material cant be ignored . Apart from windows there is a whole space where glass has been explored to add a chic sense of aesthetics in interior design.

A large myth that commonly surrounds glass is its strength and thus safety . With technology glass can be tempered to increase its strength to unimaginable proportions , u may have seen an add where a glass being struck by a metal ball stands safe and sound . It is the sheer reflective nature of the material which brings in a feeling of seamlessness in interiors.

Glass is a totally factory finished material and is available in large sheets to smallest module desired . Glass can also be made sound proof and can be treated to cut down heat.

Some of the processes which refer to strength or more functional aspect of glass which you must get aware of before using glass are – toughened glass and laminated glass refer to the strength and safety .Safety films are also available for post production applications. Toughening though increases the strength is a process primarily to enhance safety incase of accidents as the glass shatters into small cubicle pieces which do not injure the victim. While laminated glass is used for areas of security .

Double glazing is used for sound and heat insulation, a combination of laminated glass and double glazing is a more effective solution for sound proofing.

Some of the processes which aesthetically impact glass are frosting , back painting, , etching , acid treatments, sand blasting and coloured films for post production application .

While designing when you open up a space using transparent glass to visually make the space look larger it is critical to analyze if its adding aesthetical value to the space or you would rather cut off the area by an opaque glass to bring in lightness and shield off unwanted zones. A total antithesis to the idea glass partitions is used to open up spaces glass can also be used to create private spaces depending on the way its treated.

Similarly while using mirrors to reflect and visually enlarge a space give the space around a thought as its going to capture the story you have built around it and replicate the décor .Mirror is an effective tool but need s to be used with keen design sensibilities and not loosely.

The tile industry has explored glass to its optimum , there are a range of glass tiles available in the form of mosaics and smaller tile sizes . Glass has even been used for flooring , staircase and furniture . Walls clad with back painted glass panels bring in a minimal style to the décor , you can also work around with back pained glass in bathrooms and kitchens .

A brand called Salvorani has an exclusive range of kitchens using glass for the entire décor using a wide range of colours .