By Scottish Stained Glass Designer, Aimee Workman
I have designed thousands of different custom stained glass windows over the years, but one amazing project was for a couple building a home just outside Houston in Magnolia, TX and were interested in a unique custom stained glass design for their front entry.
Stained Glass Vision
I first met with the homeowner, Carmen to discuss the vision she had in mind. She was inspired by a photo she found in Architectural Digest of a front entry showing large double doors with an arched transom and sidelights highlighting an organic stained glass design reminiscent of fall foliage.
She was in the process of building her dream home and wanted the stained glass to be the bold focal point for the front elevation. The front entry led into the family room, so she also wanted a classic color palette to complement the interior of the home, as well as provide privacy. We decided to use an opaque clear textured stained glass for the field (or the background) to provide privacy without sacrificing the natural light and four to five different waterglass colors for the leaves to provide contrast and color. One of my favorite elements of this design is the color palette. Choosing stained glass samples with the same frequency of color creates a harmonious color palette which is what really makes the stained glass design work as a whole.
Stained Glass Transformation
It’s always exciting to see a two-dimensional design be transformed into a three-dimensional stained glass work of art, and no matter how many times I experience the same thing I am always in awe when we finally see the end result. I think it’s the beauty inherent within stained glass that cannot be captured in a sketch that really makes a stained glass project interesting and beautiful. Carmen’s custom stained glass design turned into a beautiful (and functional) work of art that will last a lifetime.
Martin Faith is a celebrated stained glass artisan from Glasgow, Scotland. In 1991, Martin moved from Scotland to the United States and brought with him his personal collection of antique glass. After opening his own studio, he began selling items from his collection and also creating new custom stained and leaded glass windows for customers in the Houston area.
Today, Custom Stained Glass Houston is one of the largest and most successful studios of its kind, specializing in stained glass repair, church stained glass restoration, and residential privacy glass. Over the past thirty years, over 50,000 windows have been produced and sold for over 12,000 customers. The company has been highlighted on top media outlets such as HGTV, the DIY Network, CBS, and NBC and has earned national recognition.
