Specialty Glass: Get Creative With a Patterned Glass Shower Enclosure
When you think of glass, a clear material is probably the first thing that comes to mind. However, one of the current trends in shower design is using textured or patterned glass. To make patterned glass, manufacturers roll a textured form onto the melted glass. One side cools smooth, as standard glass, while the other side conforms to the texture of the pattern.
Textured glass has many uses. However, designers are using it in home projects now, including for enclosing showers. Below are some creative ways you can incorporate patterned glass into your shower enclosure.
Glass Pattern to Catch the Sunlight
One of the main benefits of using glass in any home project is it lets the sun shine through. When you're talking about clear glass, the sun simply appears as a beam on the other side. However, the texture on patterned glass affects the opacity of the panel. Therefore, the sunlight appears as the pattern when it shines through the textured glass panel.
You can use that fact to good effect by designing the bathroom with a blank surface on the other side of the panel. Look for where the sun shines through. The sunbeams will probably hit both the floor and a wall, depending on the time of day. You can ensure there's at least a stretch of blank space to showcase the pattern from the glass enclosure to add subtle beauty to your décor.
Single Textured Glass Panel for Privacy
Patterned glass offers more privacy than clear glass. Indeed, historical homes utilized the forerunner of textured glass, figured glass, for privacy on lower windows.
Many homeowners choose glass shower enclosures specifically for their transparency so they can showcase tile work and maintain a seamless transition between spaces. However, consider replacing the panel in front of the showerhead with textured glass. That placement affords bathers privacy in case someone walks in.
Glass Pattern Matching the Wallpaper
Textured glass comes in many different patterns. You see standard patterns such as raindrop and reed lines. However, you also see more artistic patterns, such as those that feature flowers or that look like modern art. Therefore, you could use a textured glass shower enclosure to match other shapes in your bathroom, such as in wallpaper.
Hanging wallpaper in the bathroom is a bold design move. Many homeowners simply paper a single wall as a statement piece. However, you can make the overall look cohesive if you also echo shapes from the wallpaper pattern in the shower enclosure. Naturally, you could match flowers to flowers. However, imagine matching the arc of a flower to an Art Nouveau glass pattern for added beauty.
Custom Edging on Textured Glass Enclosure
Both framed and frameless shower enclosures can benefit from the addition of patterned glass. However, many homeowners choose to use textured glass in frameless enclosures to let the pattern take center stage. That style of closure lends visual importance to the top of the enclosure.
You can leave the top of the enclosure simple with just a little beveling for safety. However, glass cutters can also customize this edge. For instance, they can round the corners to add beautiful arcs to the enclosure. They can also cut a freeform shape at the top for an even more artistic touch.
Glass Pattern Matching the Theme
Designers often introduce a theme into their décor plan, which is another method of keeping a look cohesive. Naturally, bathroom themes are often water-based, such as coastal or lagoon. The theme comes through in the color scheme and material palette the designers use.
You can also promote the theme with the pattern in your textured glass. For example, one of the popular patterns is a bamboo texture, which features the silhouette of bamboo plants. Such a panel would be ideal for a jungle or even lagoon décor theme. The classic raindrop glass would look beautiful in a rainforest-inspired bathroom.
Utilize the beauty of patterned glass in your shower enclosure. At Nor Sac Glass Company, we have a wide variety of patterned glass to choose from.
