5 glass shelving ideas for interior designers
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Are you an interior designer looking for glass shelving inspiration? Explore 5 ideas from our glass experts.
In English idioms, shelves tend to get a bad rep. An off-the-shelf product is functional but ordinary. To be on the shelf is to be overlooked. And so on and so on.
Interior designers know, however, that shelves have lots of aesthetic and functional potential. Like all furniture, in fact, they exist on a spectrum. At one end is the purely functional and at the other is the purely beautiful.
At the functional end, shelves are there to maximise space by providing vertical storage. At the beautiful end, they're like a glass case in a museum: a way of showcasing your pictures, books, records, flowers, ornaments or souvenirs.
And what better way to showcase your belongings than with glass shelving? Wood and iron are all very well and good. But there's something undeniably minimalistic and cool about glass.
Here, then, are five glass shelving ideas to bring a touch of class to your next project.
1. Harness that futuristic floating look
Want it to look as though those books and houseplants are floating in mid-air? Glass shelving is the way to go.
Of course, levitating shelves are still in the realm of science fiction. But you can achieve that floating look with discreet wall mountings.
Floating glass shelves are a great way to be economical with space. Because they're installed singly, rather than as part of a cabinet or unit, they can be tastefully arranged around the room.
And they'll look fantastic in any part of a home, whether that's the bathroom, kitchen or bedroom. The only limit is your imagination.
2. Bring the outdoors in
How do you create a warm, light environment indoors? It's partly a case of maximising windows and reducing clutter. It's partly a case of colour schemes, as Patrick Grant discusses on the Chromologist podcast.
But it's also about your choice of materials. Glass shelves maximise sunlight as well as space. This is especially true if they're mounted near a window and filled with herbs, flowers, succulents or houseplants.
For a real rustic look, you could even combine the glass shelves with a wooden frame, iron frame or a combination of the two.
You can also get your glass
coloured. This involves sandwiching a coloured interlayer between two panes of glass. It's a great way to complement and build on your project's colour palette.
Whatever you choose, glass shelves can help bring the outdoors in – something that will make the space simultaneously more open and more homely.
3. Add a burst of colour
Glass shelving often has an austere, minimalist look. Depending on how it's applied, it can conjure up a spa, an industrial unit or an upend store in the financial district.
But glass is nothing if not versatile. It can be coloured and patterned in a remarkable number of ways.
There are coloured interlayers, of course. These can turn your glass shelves any colour on the spectrum. Glass can be
sandblasted, adding a gritty texture to the shelves or their backings. You can have a design of your choice
printed on it in photorealistic detail.
You can even have your glass shelves illuminated from above, beneath or behind by
strips of LEDs. At ToughGlaze, we call this WOL ("World of Light"). The difference it can make to a room is something else.
So, if you're looking for a splash of panache for your next project, decorative glass shelving could be just what you're after.
4. Maximise space
For most homeowners and interior designers, space is the biggest opportunity – and the biggest obstacle.
When space is limited, creativity is called for. Glass shelves are a fantastic (and versatile) way of maximising space in any room and in any property.
Put simply, glass can make a room feel bigger – and glass shelves are no exception. You just need to mentally picture an oak cabinet versus floating-style glass shelves to see what we mean.
Mirrors are a tried and tested way of making a room feel bigger. Combine glass shelving with mirrored backings and you might be surprised at the difference it makes.
5. Play with shapes
Shelves don't have to be flat. You can get glass shelving in a wide range of shapes, from staircase-like designs to curved, even bowl-like applications and from single shelves to complex units.
How to clean glass shelves
Glass shelves are a doddle to clean. Simply spray a commercial glass cleaner or a solution of water and vinegar onto the shelves and wipe them down with a microfibre cloth. You'll need to wipe in vertical strokes and buff after to ensure a streak-free finish.
What are glass shelves made of?
Glass shelves are typically made from toughened glass, also known as tempered glass. This is a type of safety glass used for its durability and safe breakage pattern.
But toughened glass isn't the only material used for glass shelving. Some manufacturers also use low-iron glass and frosted satin glass.
Toughened glass, however, has a lot going for it. There's a reason why it's used for applications where safety is a must. It's up to five times stronger than standard annealed glass. And when it breaks, it breaks safely.
This is a consequence of the manufacturing process. Toughened glass is heated at around 650°C (1,200°F) and then rapidly cooled with blasts of air. This excites the molecules in such a way that the glass breaks into small, relatively harmless, pebble-like pieces – not a shard in sight.
It's strong. It's safe. It's durable. And it's also customisable. If you're an interior designer looking for inspiration or a way to realise your vision, toughened glass is a great place to start.
Looking for high-quality toughened glass for shelving? ToughGlaze has been in the business for more than 30 years and has become one of the UK's most trusted
toughened glass suppliers. Please don't hesitate to
get in touch for a quick quote or to discuss your requirements.
