Decorative Ceiling Panels with Stained & Leaded Glass

Stained glass ceilings have been around for over a hundred years and gained popularity in the 1920s and 30s due to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. His style, often referred to as Prairie style, uses geometric shapes and colors that have a wonderful glow as light passes through them. Frank Lloyd Wright used this method to enhance the overall interior design of his homes.

Stained Glass ceilings fall into 2 basic categories, those with a natural light source and those using artificial light.

Generally speaking a natural light stained glass ceiling needs to be designed during construction to allow for skylights to be placed on the roof and provide the light which then illuminates the stained glass below. A great example of this would be the Boulderado Hotel in Boulder, Colorado where the magnificent 600 square foot ceiling dominates the view from the lobby. In 2005 Scottish Stained Glass had the privilege of completely restoring the old ceiling, built many years ago but without proper reinforcing and in danger of falling onto the patrons below. Each of the hundred or so panels was removed and completely rebuilt using the existing glass before being returned. To prevent the hotel guests from noticing the renovation work only a few panels were removed at a time and these were replaced temporarily by new panels which were built to look like the originals.

Most domestic ceilings fall into the artificial light category and these can be created in almost any home. A light box is constructed as a support structure for the glass and to house the lights. The stained glass pieces will then be added and the lights will create a warm glow through the glass when switched on. To avoid hot spots, when possible the lights should not be directly over the glass.

The glass used to create a stained glass ceiling design is quite a bit different from a normal stained glass panel and the proximity of the light source to the panel is of paramount importance.

The most popular areas of the home to incorporate a stained glass ceiling are the kitchen, dining room and common areas such as a hallway or above a staircase.

Scottish Stained Glass has designed ceilings for around 100 homes around the US with some stunning results as you can see from these photos.