Textured Glass Enclosure Considerations
Many homeowners turn to glass when it’s time to enclose their shower or bathtub. Glass has many benefits. However, not everyone wants the full transparency of clear glass — the shower is a space many people want to keep private. A good alternative to perfectly transparent glass is textured glass.
Manufacturers make textured glass by cooling the silica on a mold. The mold transfers a texture that creates bas-relief patterning on one side of the glass. The patterning makes the glass semi-opaque. Therefore, you get the reflection benefits of glass while securing a little privacy. Yet you don’t completely sacrifice your sightline in the bathroom.
If you’re ready to install textured glass for your shower enclosure, you’ll need to make the following considerations.
Choose the Textured Glass
The first consideration for designing a patterned glass shower enclosure is choosing the glass itself. Textured glass is crafted primarily for use in bathroom design. Therefore, it’s typically tempered. What’s more, most textured glass is heavy-duty, so it’s ideal for either frameless or framed shower enclosure construction.
Your main choice, then, is in the pattern. Generally speaking, you can choose between textural patterns such as rain, geometric patterns such as squares, and pictorial patterns such as flowers. The chosen pattern does affect the opacity, with textural patterns generally being more opaque. However, most of your choice will likely be based on preference.
Keep in mind your shower enclosure will be a focal point of your bathroom not least because of the patterned glass. Keep in mind how the pattern will work with the rest of your décor. For example, geometric patterns might look better with a modern bathroom than a flowery pattern.
Design the Shape of the Enclosure
Your glass shower enclosure is going to have angles because of the flat nature of glass. However, you’re not relegated to some version of a rectangle. In fact, you can have the contractors design a freeform enclosure that features “cubbies” for shower features such as a bench or soaking tub. To that end, perhaps you might choose transparent glass from some of the panels.
Corner showers are gaining in popularity. They’re easier to tuck into a given space if the bathroom is small. With a corner shower, you might choose a diamond or hexagonal shape for your enclosure. Keep these shapes in mind when you’re choosing the glass pattern — geometric or textural patterns might be especially attractive complements to the shape.
Finally, even if your enclosure is some version of rectangular, you can add a little shape with the edging of your glass. For example, say you want classical arches to complement your décor. You can choose a glass pattern with arcs and echo them with a custom-cut arch at the top of your main glass panel.
Consider Other Design Complements
As noted above, a patterned glass enclosure will draw the eye in your bathroom décor. Therefore, you’ll want to choose other design elements carefully.
For instance, if you’ve opted for a framed construction, you’ll want to ensure the frame complements the glass pattern as well as the rest of the décor. You may want a relatively unassuming frame, or you may choose to emphasize geometry within the pattern with a bold frame. The same goes for the handles and other hardware.
Likewise, you may want a raised base for the shower enclosure. Choosing a raised base further draws attention to the enclosure because it essentially places the shower on a pedestal. If you’re opting for a lot of customization, such as custom-cut edging, such attention is ideal.
Finally, shower enclosures are often integrated with pony walls. These half walls help better delineate the space both of the interior and exterior of the shower. A pony wall can also work as a design element if you’re considering a freeform shower enclosure.
Reap the benefits of glass while maintaining some privacy with a customized textured glass shower enclosure. Contact Central Glass Company for all your custom glass needs.