Stained glass windows are an ancient art form, but thanks to modern shapes, patterns and color palettes, the craft fits surprisingly well into modern spaces. What’s more, designers are increasingly embracing the splash of color, using large expanses of tinted glass to fill interiors with an invigorating glow.
A renewed interest in colorful glass accents makes new interpretations of stained glass all the more exciting: think experimental geometric patterns and brighter colors. Designers are also taking a more minimalist approach, enhancing interiors with continuous tinted or filtered glass elements, installed everywhere from room dividers to interior windows, changing the entire mood of your interior design.
“Tinted glass adds visual interest to spaces by diffusing light and creating an ethereal glow,” explains Fiona Stone, Design Development Director at Róisín Lafferty in Dublin. “Traditionally, glass has been used in windows and doors to let light through, but glass – whether tinted, textured or patterned – has become more versatile in its application.”
Ultimately, colorful glass accents can change the light and atmosphere – here are just a few ways to add more sparkle to your rooms.
1. Use jewel tones
Multidisciplinary Parisian studio Uchronia went multi-layered with this gem-inspired Haussmann-style apartment designed for a jewelry designer and her partner. While the entire apartment is infused with a playful palette of jewel tones, it shines brightest thanks to a rounded, rainbow-colored window on the way to the kitchen.
“If there’s one thing I really love about this apartment, it’s the sliding glass door that leads to the kitchen,” says founder Julien Sebban, noting how his studio customized the existing architectural feature with multi-colored glass. “It creates a passageway that’s quite timeless, like a little sanctuary.”
Get the look
And what’s the next best thing to this colorful window display? Line your windows with beautiful colored vases and jars to capture the light.
Striped Murano glass vase “Torre”
2. Add a modern shine
The central staircase of this Dublin home was always meant to be a focal point – it spans four floors, after all. But Róisín Lafferty went a step further and covered almost every surface (walls, floors, ceilings) in cobalt blue, even a glass banister that exudes electric colours on a whole other level.
“The use of tinted blue glass for the stair railings further enhances this effect, spreading out from the core to create the impression of a growing blue cube,” says Fiona Stone. “This installation serves as a dramatic visual centrepiece in each zone, permeating the space with its striking blue hue.”
3. Warm up your scheme
While tinted or colored glass is usually intentionally visible, this project by César Béjar Studio in Mexico takes a different approach: a thin layer of amber-colored paper tints a window at the top of the house. While the window is not visible, it adds warmth to the house by flooding the lower floors with yellow light.
For César’s studio, this enhanced color represents the mood of today’s design. “Today’s architecture is implicitly based on natural and less industrialized materials, resulting in a naturally warmer atmosphere for human life,” he says, pointing out how tinted glass helped his studio change the tone and atmosphere of the minimalist home.
4. Tell a story with color
It’s obvious, but perhaps easy to forget, that you can tint glass in a variety of modern shades to match the colour scheme of your interior. This was the case for YSG Studio, who had full control when designing a new living room extension for an original Victorian building in Melbourne.
“One of the homeowners is Egyptian, so the colored panes give the kitchen and dining area an aromatic scent of turmeric and saffron, which also reflects the colors of the tiled floor,” says Yasmine Ghoniem, director of YSG Studio.
5. Zone with colorful screen
To define a walk-in closet, architect and interior designer Maksym Dietkovskyi of Kyiv-based studio Modektura used textured glass to create an abstract wall and door behind the headboard. While colorful geometric shapes add plenty of visual interest, the visual heaviness remains light and airy.
“In our case, we needed to hide the wardrobe but still let in natural light and benefit from the additional lighting provided by the wardrobe in the evenings,” Maksym explains, noting that the stained glass windows in the modern bedroom look as retro as they do contemporary. “Fluted glass did the job perfectly.”
6. Install a warm filter in the bathroom
A yellow-tinted shower screen reflects the sun-drenched surroundings outside the front door, giving this amazing bathroom in Spain’s Balearic Islands a radiant atmosphere. “The yellow glass acts like a lens, adding a touch of modesty to the shower area but also interest to a minimalist interior,” explain Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy of Paris-based Studio Laplace, who call this house home. “It also reflects the golden light of Menorca, which softens the space and makes it pleasing to the eye – while effectively segmenting it.”
