Is stained glass making a comeback?
In the 90’s and 00’ we had a couple of intense craft and DIY crazes. There was Scrapbooking, fabric painting, modge-podging and then there was stained glass. This trend ranged from housewifely levels of glass paint with silver or bronze puffy paint dividing lines that people would hang up as suncatchers, to traditional cut glass and copper soldering artworks. For a while there, it was all the rage and many a craft market had stalls with people selling everything from Tiffany inspired lamps to planters, wall hangings and jewellery boxes.
As all trends do, the stained glass craze seemed to fade away and we moved on to chalk paint and mason jar salads.
But…Is stained glass making a comeback?
According to Home and Garden, more and more contemporary designers are rediscovering how elegantly a stained glass pane can enhance a space.
‘It’s such a nice way to bring art into the architecture. Instead of leaving all of the decorative and playful elements to the textiles and accessories, I use stained glass to make the foundation as fun as it can be’.
Gemma McCloskey of Cuplà design studio
The true magic of contemporary stained glass features is that it makes art out of your architecture. You can stick to a more basic structural build (easier to budget for and build) but bring it to life by strategically using stained glass windowpanes.
Whether you go for minimalist design or choose something with a bit of whimsy, is up to you.
Stained glass windows also play into the shift towards more custom lighting in residential and commercial spaces. There is nothing as beautiful as sunlight slanting through a brilliant window artwork. (Just think about the magnificent rose windows of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris…)
