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Your home is your pride and joy. Not only is it where you sleep at night, but it’s also the beautiful place where you make memories with your loved ones and your most valuable investment. So of course you wouldn’t make changes to your home without thinking carefully about your decision. You want to make sure that any upgrades or changes to your home are for the best.
At Scottish Stained Glass, your Salt Lake City home is our first priority. We work hard to ensure that the stained glass window you receive adds value to your home and your life. Our signature process helps us make sure that every detail is absolutely perfect, from using the highest quality glass to taking accurate measurements. Below, we’ve explained a little bit about what makes our process so special.
Salt Lake City is home to some of the most gorgeous stained glass. These stained glass windows can be found throughout churches, schools, businesses, and even homes. For homeowners who possess an incredible historic, antique stained glass feature in their residential property, it is in your best interest to preserve it. Antique stained glass value can drastically improve your home’s equity while providing one-of-a-kind beauty. Antique stained glass restoration is a crucial process that’s required if you’d like to preserve your residential stained glass.
When you start noticing signs of deterioration or damage, it is pertinent to find a restoration studio for your stained glass. Don’t wait until replacement is the cheaper option– restoration needs to be completed in a timely manner in order to avoid high costs and permanent damage. The restoration process should begin with an in-home assessment of your stained glass. This assessment will provide an appraisal, report on the underlying causes of damage, project timeline, and estimate. Once you decide to restore your stained glass, we carefully remove it from your home and transport it back to our studio for comprehensive repair and restoration. This process can take up to a month for one window, but we guarantee to bring your stained glass back to its original condition and to add another century to its lifespan.
Scottish Stained Glass is honored to be the trusted stained glass studio for restoring residential antique stained glass. Work with our stained glass artisans to properly restore your beloved stained glass and preserve the antique value for your home. We’re here to provide all the resources you need.
For more information regarding the stained glass restoration process, please contact us!
Have you noticed a change in the appearance of your Austin antique residential stained glass? Restoration may be in your future.
When a church here in Kansas City calls us to talk about their stained glass, they almost always have an issue already at hand. It could be their stained glass is dull and lifeless or they have a small missing piece of glass that they would like replaced. It is almost always the case that we will want to come to inspect the stained glass ourselves to see what the problem is and what other problems there might be. This is because when stained glass windows begin to deteriorate, it is almost always a cascade effect. Meaning, one issue is almost always tied to another and the issues progressively get worse. This allows us to not only tell you what is happening with your stained glass windows but what is likely to happen next. Below are few things we will look for during an inspection, some innocuous, some indicative of a larger issue.
Dull or Dirty Stained Glass: Most stained glass windows in the KC area and across the US are in need of a good cleaning. You will be shocked when you see your glass with life and lust when it was new. We can clean the glass in place of as part of a full restoration
Broken Stained Glass: Stain glass, like regular glass breaks from accidents and even bad weather. This type of damage is normal and not usually cause for concern unless linked to a bigger issue like lead degradation or sagging frames.
Gaps In Stained Glass: This is usually a sign that the structure of your stained glass is starting to fail and the lead is probably the culprit. Most of the time this is one of the first signs that restoration is needed or will be needed soon.
Cracks In Stained Glass: Cracks in stained glass come with the weight shifting over time, an object hitting the glass or the framing beginning to give way. The issue with cracks is–they only get worse over time as the glass pieces rub against one another. Meaning it is time to start thinking restoration.
Bowing or Sagging Of Glass: This is a fairly telltale sign that you need a full church stained glass restoration because it means the structural elements of the window are failing under the weight of the glass. The window will fail sooner rather than later in this case and needs to be reinforced.
Missing or cracked leading: Over time leads stretches and/or cracks. We are at a point now where the lead on stained glass made 80 years ago is no longer secure. If you are having lead caming issues, it is time to get your stained glass restored. The good news is, the new lead formula we use for stained glass restoration will last another 200 years before needing to be replaced.
Don’t’ wait to have your church stained glass inspected so you can formulate a plan for possible future restoration. Contact Scottish Stained Glass today to schedule a visit from us.
Having the stained glass on your Salt Lake City church repaired is not something most congregations look forward to doing, primarily because of the expense. However, it is something that, once finished, every congregation we have dealt with has been overwhelmingly pleased they did. Beyond the new look of their restored stained glass windows, is the fact that they know their hard work, giving of time and money and efforts mean these amazing works of art will last another 5 generations. So, how long should your church wait before getting your church’s stained glass restored? Well, if your glass is over 80 years old, the answer is not very long.
Small repairs like chipped glass or cleanings are not pressing but actually an easy fix if done sooner rather than later. We can tell you if we need to do small repairs with simple drop-in work– which entails cutting the came flange around the broken piece of glass at the solder joints then folding it back together. We can also inspect your window at that time to see if you need a larger restoration.
For very badly cracked stained glass–the time for restoration is close at hand and replacing these pieces is really your only choice. In these cases, we usually will remove and restore the window and the glass. We can do spot fixes on some smaller cracks but it is important to note: cracks in stained glass will enlarge over time as the edges grind against one another. Also, cracks are usually a symptom of structural damage–which means you window may no longer be stable.
If you have a failing structure on the stained glass of your Salt Lake City church, it is not only time to have it restored–but past time. This is because the structural supports like leading, frames and steel beams are critical to the window not collapsing. You simply cannot wait if you see bowing, sagging or prolific leading loss. It is best to call a professional like us at Scottish and come up with a fundraising plan of attack to get those windows secured asap.
For more information on a restoration for the stained glass windows in your Salt Lake City church, synagogue or mosque, contact Scottish Stained Glass to schedule an inspection today!
The truth is a stained glass is durable to a point. As you may have noticed a lot of stained glass in the world is very old–proof that when stained glass is properly cared for it will last a very long time. However, most of the world’s stained glass is on churches and therefore has likely had constant tending from clergy and.or protective glazing. Your Fort Worth home’s stained glass has likely not had the same treatment and therefore has been subjected to a constant onslaught of harmful aging factors: UV light from sunlight, extreme weather conditions, indoor and outdoor man-made pollution, and biological damage caused by pests. This results in the panels becoming deeply encrusted with thick layers of dirt Therefore, at the very least, your stained glass window needs cleaning. But it could need a deeper restoration depending on a few easy to spot tell-tale signs of its conditions.
While dirt and grime build-up is, by far, the most common service we perform on home stained glass here at Scottish Stained Glass, a fair amount of home stained glass needs more thorough restoration. This is true, especially with very old windows (which tend to also be very valuable) or very large windows.
When there is a perceived bow on a stained glass window, it means one or more of the following is happening
In all these cases the window needs to be removed, re-leaded and the frame possibly rebuilt.
Gaps in the glass panels is another symptom of the leading being stretched or an issue with the support system. Since we know the glass did not shrink or change size, the logical place for an issue is with wood or lead which over time move, stretch and need to be replaced.
Lead is the main part of stained glass windows that fail throughout the year. The formula for leading today is a little different so, the lead on stained glass windows from this century could last 200 years. However, lead from the 20th century will only last about 80 years before needing to be replaced.
All of these issues are ones we handle here at Scottish Stained Glass. We would be happy to come to your Fort Worth home and inspect your stained glass windows for the things above and a few others to see if it is time to restore them. Contact us today for more information on home stained glass restoration in Fort Worth.
We get a lot of questions about antique stained glass here at Scottish. And we couldn’t be happier! The more people know and understand about the beginnings and nature of their stained glass windows, the more likely they are to keep it in good repair. Since stained glass is an irreplaceable treasure to society–that is a great thing. While it is difficult for us to give you all the information you need to determine whether your Dallas home’s stained glass is antique and/or valuable, below we have listed a few of the things we look for in to determine it’s age and value.
Stained glass, as it were, went through some pretty specific stylistic changes in its time here in The Americas. So, the style of your Dallas home’s stained glass window (if it is original) is a pretty good indicator. From Victorian style in the late 1800s to the Prairie Style of the early 1900s the look of your glass is a great clue to its origin
Just like the artistic style of your glass is a good way to figure out when it was built, so too is the style and age of your home. If, for instance, you live in a late 1920s bungalow, the stained glass in your home, if original, is likely the same age. It would make sense then that this stained glass is Craftsman style, Green and Green Style or Art Noveau and is probably an antique
While not all stained glass in homes here in Dallas come with any sort of marks or signatures on or around the glass–many do. In fact, you may not have noticed them or looked for them before. However, many studios and artists in older times affixed signature plates to their work. It would be in the lower right-hand corner. Not only will this give you clues as to who made it but, its age and value as well!
The best way to know more about the stained glass in your Dallas home that you have come to love is to have a professional, like us here at Scottish Stained Glass, come do an inspection. We can help you figure out more about your glass’s rich history and how to keep something so full of Americana value looking good and intact for future generations. Contact us today for more information.
Texas is a young state but not too young to have a slew of antique stained glass windows on homes here. The fact of the matter is, this state was really coming into its own at the end of the 19th century and was thriving in the early 20th century. With so much money and population pouring into Texas in the early 1900s, it is no wonder there are so many antique stained glass windows in homes here. We get questions about the age of stained glass all the time. We love answering these questions because it means the homeowner is usually taking the first step toward preserving a piece of American history that is their stained glass windows. How exactly do you tell how old your stained glass is? Below are a few easy ways to begin to figure out when ti was made. We, at Scottish, can help you further figure it out by doing a thorough inspection of things like the structure and glass materials that may not be as obvious to the untrained eye. So, Start with the guide below and then give us a call for more info!
Stained glass went through some pretty specific eras here in the US, so the style of your San Antonio home’s stained glass window is a fairly good indicator of when it was made. If it is over 100 years of age it is an antique–so knowing the age is key to preservation. Something from the Victorian style is likely well over 100 years old while if it is in the Prairie Style of the early 1900s it is likely right around 100. If it looks Craftsmen style it is probably closer to 85-90 years old. However, even if your stained glass is not technically an antique–Tiffany stained glass or Frank Lloyd Wright Stained Glass could still be very valuable.
Just like the style of your stained glass is a great way to determine age, so too is the style and age of your San Antonio home. For instance, if you live in a bungalow, the stained glass in your home (if original) is likely the same age. This means if your home was built before 1919 it is antique. As mentioned above, any of the following styles would likely put your stained glass age at about 85+ years: Victorian Style, Prairie Style or Craftsman style.
While not all stained glass in homes here in San Antonio have marks or signatures at all–some do. Sure, you may not have noticed them because they are often small but many studios and artists in vintage times affixed signature plates to their work or signed them. These inscriptions not only tell you which stained glass studio made them (which would be a clue to their age) but also, a date very well could be inscribed there too. Take a look in the lower right-hand corner of your stained glass window where these inscriptions usually live.
For a detailed assessment of your San Antonio home’s stained glass age, value and state of repair contact us at Scottish Stained Glass in San Antonio to schedule an assessment.
At Scottish Stained Glass, we talk a lot about the value of custom stained glass. When purchasing stained glass for your Fort Worth home, you have the option of going to a hardware store and buying a piece of standard stained glass there. But the issue here is that these windows are mass produced. They lack the quality, durability, and beauty of custom stained glass.
When you purchase Scottish Stained Glass for your Fort Worth home, you’re obtaining a window that’s been custom made specifically for you. So what exactly does this construction process look like. Below, we’ve provided some insight about what makes Scottish Stained Glass special.
When it comes to repairing and restoring your home’s antique stained glass, choosing the right stained glass studio can make all the difference in the outcome. Finding an experienced, accredited stained glass restoration studio is significant in order to maintain the antique value while providing another century or more for the stained glass’ lifespan. Antique stained glass can become such a meaningful part of any home, providing irreplaceable art, functionality, and curb appeal.
When you begin noticing signs of deterioration among your antique stained glass, it is important to begin looking for the right stained glass restoration contractor. Being proactive in this circumstance can save you considerably while ensuring no permanent damage is done. When you reach out to potential stained glass studios, requesting certain pieces of information can help you make the right choice. Ask for credentials, portfolio on restoration jobs similar in size to yours, as well as restoration references. The right company should be able to produce all the following information. The next step is the on-site assessment. Any stained glass studio that tries to offer a quote over the phone should be passed. An in-home assessment is required to create a restoration plan in order to provide accurate pricing and timeline.
Scottish Stained Glass is honored to be the trusted residential antique stained glass restoration studio serving the Fort Worth area. With decades of experience in stained glass restoration, we understand all the different time periods and how that may affect your restoration needs. We’ve restored numerous stained glass windows from all different industries, churches, and homes, delivering an effective process.
For more information regarding residential antique stained glass restoration, please contact us!
Custom stained glass can really enhance your home, providing the beauty and functionality any homeowner desires. Choosing the right stained glass studio to commission for your custom stained glass can make all the difference in the outcome. It is important to find an experienced custom stained glass contractor so that your new investment adds significant value to your property and can withstand the Kansas City environmental factors. Our custom stained glass process is the result of decades of experience and a passion for our industry.
The custom stained glass process begins with an in-home consultation. From this consultation, we’re able to better define your needs and understand your design ideas. Work directly with one of our stained glass artisans to hand sketch your ideas so that we can bring your creation to life. We’ll keep working on your design, sending it back and forth for approval, until you are 100% satisfied with it. By utilizing CAD software and Photoshop, we’re able to provide accurate coloring and proportions. Once we’ve completed your design and have your approval, we handcraft your stained glass in our studio. With our proprietary stained glass process, we’ve optimized structural integrity and found the best methods for making your stained glass last.
Experience the Scottish difference and work the premier custom stained glass studio serving the Kansas City area. We’ve successfully manufactured over 80,000 custom stained glass windows for homes, businesses, and churches across the nation. With decades of experience and a true dedication to the stained glass industry, we’re honored to provide our unique process for ensuring longevity and beauty.
For more information regarding our proprietary custom stained glass design process for your Kansas City home, please contact us!
Houston is known for its gorgeous stained glass windows featured throughout its many churches and houses of worship. Did you know that there are actually numerous antique stained glass windows that are found throughout residential properties as well? When it comes to properly preserving your home’s historic stained glass, it is crucial to understand the process in order to find the right stained glass restoration studio. The residential stained glass restoration process can be lengthy but can offer at least another century of pristine condition to your stained glass’ lifespan.
We begin the residential stained restoration process with an in-home consultation to provides a cost-benefit analysis, an appraisal, project estimate, and timeline estimate. Once you decide to start the restoration, we carefully remove the stained glass from your home and replace it with a temporary window. We’ll transport your stained glass back to our local studio where it’ll sit in a proprietary soap bath in order to remove all the debris that has built up over the years. This soak also enables us to remove each component easily in order to restore the damaged pieces. New painted glass is replicated and new lead came is also created for optimal structural integrity. We finish the process by setting the window with black cement then polishing it for re-installation. The process can take around one month for one stained glass window.
Scottish Stained Glass is honored to be the industry leader in stained glass restoration serving the Houston area. We guarantee that we’ll bring your stained glass back to its original condition, providing longevity and beauty for your home.
For more information regarding the residential stained glass restoration process for your Houston home, please contact us!
There comes a point where all stained glass windows need a little TLC. After years of accumulating dust, debris, and soot from candles, stained glass windows need to be cleaned and repaired. Stained glass is held together by lead caming, which is a very strong material, but after hours of baking in the sun, it starts to melt, distort, and weaken. Stained glass restoration allows Kansas City stained glass owners to preserve their beloved art and brighten up the appearance of stained glass.
If you’ve noticed any obvious signs of trouble, like holes in your stained glass windows or metal bars that have detached themselves from the frame, you should contact a professional right away. These are signs of deterioration, which can be perilous for stained glass. But what if you’re not sure if your stained glass needs repair or you don’t know who to call? Don’t panic, we can help. Here’s how to get started.
If you have noticed signs of wear in your rare or antique residential Houston stained glass, restoration may be your best chance of preserving your stained glass. In this article, we’ve discussed some of the reasons for preserving antique stained glass and also explained a little about the repair process.
Some of the historic homes in Fort Collins have incredible stained glass features that add significant antique value to their properties. These antique stained glass windows can add both beauty and function throughout, often becoming a family heirloom treasured by future generations. Residential stained glass typically requires restoration around the 75-year to 100-year mark in order to properly preserve its beauty and structural integrity for another century or two before another restoration is needed.
Antique residential stained glass can become a significant part of anyone’s home, offering sentimental value in addition to antique value. When you start to see signs of deterioration, it is important to start the restoration process in order to save money. If you wait too long, the restoration may cost more than replacing the stained glass which is always an unfortunate loss. The process begins with an on-site assessment completed by a professional stained glass restoration studio. This assessment will detail the underlying causes of damage in addition to a cost-benefit analysis, appraisal of your stained glass, project timeline, and project estimate. This assessment provides all the critical details you in as well as providing a better understanding of your antique stained glass. The only way to receive a proper project estimate is through an on-site assessment– if a stained glass studio says they can give you a quote without an in-person inspection, choose a different studio.
Scottish Stained Glass is honored to be the number one stained glass restoration experts serving the Fort Collins area. As the industry experts in our field, we’ve worked on countless residential, commercial, and religious restorations from all over the nation.
For more information regarding stained glass restoration, please contact us!
Austin properties have some of the most beautiful, intriguing architectural details. Stained glass offers so much character, charm, and historic value for residential, commercial, and religious properties throughout the city, serving as focal points and main attractions. Stained glass restoration is the only way to preserve these features so that future generations can appreciate them as well. Regardless of where your antique stained glass is housed, restoration can provide another hundred years of beauty and function. Stained glass restoration can preserve property value while addressing deterioration concerns.
If you notice any damage or deterioration to your antique stained glass, it is important to find a stained glass restoration studio immediately in order to prevent permanent damage and high costs from occurring. Signs of deterioration can include missing glass, cracked glass, softened lead, disintegrating lead, white film on the glass, convex shape, and much more. The restoration process begins with an on-site assessment of your stained glass. Once you determine that you’re ready for restoration, we remove your window and replace it with a temporary one. When your stained glass reaches our studio, it’ll soak in a proprietary solution for up to two weeks. This removes dirt build-up and allows us to remove it piece by piece. We restore each damaged glass piece, create new lead came, and set it with black cement which is polished before re-installation.
Scottish Stained Glass is honored to be the leading source for stained glass restoration in the Austin area. We’ve helped countless churches, homes, and businesses with their restoration projects, providing another century for these treasured pieces. Work with the restoration experts to properly maintain value.
For more information regarding stained glass restoration in Austin, please contact us!
Everything in life will deteriorate with age– it’s an inevitable fact that affects all things including stained glass. Restoration is required for all stained glass features in order to properly preserve them. For those interested in the stained glass restoration process, it is crucial to know the timeline for restoration so that you can avoid permanent damage and ensure you don’t miss your window for restoration. In addition to knowing the timelines, understanding the symptoms of stained glass deterioration can also help you spot when your stained glass is ready for restoration.
Antique stained glass is often housed among churches and other houses of worship but can also be in residential and commercial properties here in Denver. Stained glass typically requires restoration around the 75-year to 100-year mark, making it important to know the age of your stained glass. Proper maintenance and care can sometimes extend this time period, while severe weather conditions and vandalism can accelerate this process. Stained glass restoration is typically required when symptoms of deterioration begin to arise. Symptoms of deterioration can include but are not limited to, softened lead, disintegrating lead, broken glass, cracked glass, missing glass pieces, concave glass shape, warped glass appearance, white film on the glass, and much more. If you notice one or more of these signs, chances are that your stained glass is ready for restoration.
It is important that if you see symptoms of deterioration to be as proactive as possible. There is a limited window for restoration that you don’t want to miss– the longer you wait, the more you risk the chance of not qualifying for restoration.
For more information regarding stained glass restoration for your Denver property, please contact us!
When people think of stained glass, they typically think of colorful, traditional glass features that are reminiscent of churches. Stained glass is actually a quite versatile medium that can be transformed into whatever style you’re interested in. Contemporary and modern approaches are definitely achievable with custom stained glass. For modern retail shops and really any commercial property in any industry, modern stained glass elements can be used for redesign. One of our favorite recent projects is the Alter’d State location in Boulder.
Altar’d State’s Boulder location utilizes contemporary leaded glass design for its storefront as well as a stand-alone piece by its dressing rooms. By combining privacy, functionality, and beauty, commercial stained glass has a lot to provide in terms of benefits. Custom stained glass is a beautiful statement piece that can draw in new customers, retain repeat ones, as well as make your store visit worthy. Improve the buyer experience with custom stained glass both visually and functionally. Leaded glass offers high privacy benefits, blocking unwanted views wherever you’d like. This custom privacy solution is great for certain areas of your retail store like dressing rooms. Custom stained glass can also help showcase certain inventory or elements of your store.
Scottish Stained Glass is honored to be the custom commercial stained glass experts providing services throughout the San Antonio area. Stained glass can really offer so many benefits from improving brand visibility to enhancing the customer experience. Work with our stained glass artisans to hand sketch your dream designs. We’re happy to show you our portfolio as well if you need a little inspiration.
For more information regarding custom commercial stained glass for your San Antonio retail store, please contact us!
Adding stained glass to your home is an investment which increases the value of your home. In fact, the return on investment to a house with stained glass is incredibly high. This is because stained glass appraises for more money per square foot than a regular glass window. If you’re interested in installing custom stained glass in your home, you should consider the original architecture of the structure. The most common architectural designs in Salt Lake City are Victorian, contemporary, and Prairie or Mission styles. Having new, custom stained glass installed in an existing home should blend with and compliment the original architecture so it will not look out of place and will look as though it was always part of the house.
There are many choices to make when it comes to deciding what type of stained glass to install in your home. You may choose bright and colorful or something more neutral such as beveled or frosted glass. Leaded glass can also include wavy, hammered, lined, or feathery textures. Stained glass is a unique privacy option for bedrooms and bathrooms because stained glass will allow in natural light while blocking the view from the outside. If you’re not sure what selections would work best in your space, our experts are happy to consult with you and find the best option for your home.
Your home will stand out to prospective buyers when you include the unexpected: a beautifully stunning work of art in the form of stained glass. A stained glass centerpiece can be found in the entryway in a front door or sidelight, in the kitchen as a window or cabinet doors, or as the stand-out detail in a bathroom. These unique aspects also affect the perceived value of your home: it appears more valuable to an interested buyer when there is a remarkable first impression of the property. Contact us today for a free consultation regarding your Salt Lake City home.
Retail is a competitive industry. If you want your business to be successful, you’ve got to find some way to stand out from all of your competitors. How can you show your customers that you offer something that the guy next door doesn’t? One way to accomplish this is by being creative with the design of your storefront and interior. If you need a little bit of inspiration for your retail design in Austin, our stained glass window project for Altar’d State may help spark your imagination!
Prairie stained glass is a great way to add a touch of color and class to your Austin home. And it can be installed in almost any window frame. With so much flexibility, many homeowners find it tough to decide where to install stained glass in the first place. Here are a few simple suggestions to keep in mind when picking the perfect windows.
Old churches are full of history and character. Often, cities themselves were built around churches, with the church being a focal point and a gathering place for community events. When you walk into one of these older churches, you can see the evidence of the passage of time, and memories made.
In Fort Collins, we are fortunate enough to have more than our fair share of historic churches. Not only are these churches an important part of our town’s history and culture, but they are also beautiful places to visit. Below, we’ve listed some of our favorite historic churches in Fort Collins with stained glass windows.
If the stained glass windows on your Austin church are over 80 years old, the odds are it is time to have them restored. At Scottish Stained glass we know this to be true because– stained glass made in the first part of the last century has a life of about 80-100 years. You may be seeing some bowing on the frames, sagging of the caming and even cracks in the glass–all telltale signs a restoration is due. The good news is–restoration is something that will breathe new life and luster into your Austin church’s stained glass, and will do so for the next 150-200 years. However, before starting on your restoration journey there are a few things for your church to consider.
Full restoration of church stained glass can be expensive but all of the churches we have worked with at preserving their beloved windows for future generations have come through it with nothing but a new love for their restored windows. However, before deciding to restore stained glass windows, a church must consider a few things, the least of which is the cost. Getting a full estimate of all costs involved is essential for making the next decision about where the funds will come from. As it were, any true stained glass restoration specialist will have a format to estimate the exact costs of your glass and even, like us, ways and tips for your church to raise these funds.
As church stained glass restorers, we at Scottish Stained Glass in Austin, understand that properly restoring stained glass will take a fair amount of time and there simply is no cutting corners. Therefore, before your church decides to take on a lengthy stained glass restoration be sure your church is able to make do with the temporary windows that will be in place for months to an entire year. Be sure to specifically get a “downtime” estimate before making any major decisions.
As mentioned before, church stained glass restoration can sometimes get expensive depending on the size of the windows and the scope of the job. For this reason, having a candid conversation with your congregation on how the restoration will be paid for is a must. To take it a step further, you may want to even brainstorm fundraising ideas together, before deciding on a restoration. Feel free to talk to us about fundraising too– since we here at Scottish Stained Glass have worked with countless churches on their own stained glass restoration fundraising efforts, we have a menagerie of ideas to help you find the monies you need to bring your lovely stained glass back to life.
Reach out to us today for more information on what a church stained glass restoration entails and how we can help bring your Austin church’s glass back to its former life and luster!
Many people are familiar with the famed artist Marc Chagall–a Russian-French artist and widely known as an early modernist. His vast body of paintings include works like “I and the village” pictured below.
While he is typically associated with the modernist movement, he was actually known to create in several major artistic styles and formats including painting, book illustrations, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and art prints.
Marc Chagall The Stained Glass Master
Chagall was a prolific artist as much as he was talented. He was most known for his exquisite used of color in all mediums. However, what many people do not know is–Marc Chagall was also a prolific stained glass artist. In fact, Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows grace structures worldwide and are beloved for their incredible beauty. Interestingly enough Chagall didn’t begin working in stained glass until late in life, his early 70s, which is incredible considering the breadth of his stained glass work. However, his success in the medium should come at no surprise, considering his deep understanding of light and color. His attention to where light would shine through his stained glass windows, coupled with smart exploitation of glass properties to get the most out of light and color–were the ingredients to his overwhelming success.
Chagall did many church stained glass windows, in fact, he did quite a few stained glass windows in France in particular, but was commissioned by various international churches as well. But, artistry was not relegated to solely churches, as, he did notable “secular” windows too. Some of those windows he created were for institutions here in the US and are still intact today. Likely the most famous US creation, a series is called “America Windows”, can be viewed at The Art Institute of Chicago. These windows are an understandably prized American art treasure as you can see by the video below.
Here at Scottish Stained Glass in Colorado Springs, we have nothing but passion for stained glass and stained glass masters like Marc Chagall. His work and the work of other masters inspire both our church and home stained glass work and restoration. For more information on what we do or if you have stained glass questions, reach out to us today!
The secret to creating a beautiful home is all about paying attention to the little details. It’s the minor things, like colors and textures that can truly make the most difference in your home’s appearance. To achieve that elegant, upscale “custom home look, you’ve got to thing outside of the box.
And there’s no better way to create a unique look for your home than with kitchen stained glass. Denver homes go from ordinary to extraordinary with this simple addition.
As the whole world watched the Notre Dame Cathedral burn, many thoughts raced through our collective minds. First to the safety of anyone inside then to the host of historical relics, artworks, and unparalleled architectural structures that we knew for sure were engulfed in flames or close to it. As we here at Scottish stained glass, looked at the images of the burning spire fast sinking into that fiery mass, our hearts too sunk, assuming the very worst about the famous and beloved Rose windows. This is because we are more than just stained glass restorers here but avid stained glass lovers as well–and there is quite possibly no other stained glass window in the world that encapsulates the affection we have for this magnificent artform than–the Rose Window Of Notre Dame.
Incredibly built in the 13th century during the Gothic period but somehow still relevant and timely in today’s distant world. Whether because of the careful choice of bold colors, which truly never go out of style, or the jewel-like pattern in which each delicate panel is positioned, this window could as easily pass for modern as it does Gothic–a dichotomy that is part of its undeniable charm. However, the Rose Window or Notre Dame was built for peril just like we witnessed this week– distributing weight equally across a perforated stone wall of traversing apertures. This structural style also happens to lend itself to making this lovely stained glass window appear much more delicate and fragile than it truly is. As we have mentioned many times in our blog--stained glass is, contrary to popular belief, incredibly durable, something we run across each and every restoration and have yet to fully appreciate ourselves. The Rose Window of Notre Dame–is no exception.
“Although the wooden roof is gone, the vaulted stone ceiling below and the iconic rose windows have been saved, the latter at least surviving in “good shape,” Lt. Col. Gabriel Plus
This is why we have such great hope for the Rose Window still. While not completely out danger yet because of the failing structure that surrounds it, it is our hope that this window will yet prevail, as it has done through the last 7+ centuries–through wars, invasions, plagues, riots, occupations and more. If history is any indication of the fate of this iconic stained glass window, we know for sure it will endure, and a restoration, albeit a massive one, will keep this piece of religious art intact for scores of generations who have yet to enjoy looking up at a piece of stained glass that has seen the world change but somehow remains the same.
For inquiries about a San Antonio area stained glass restoration of your own, contact us at Scottish Stained Glass today. We serve all of Texas and many other regions across the US and would love to work your church or home stained glass restoration project.
Stained glass windows are beautiful, to say the least, but did you know that they’re also a very practical feature to have in a church? It’s true, many stained glass windows in Colorado Springs churches, temples, and cathedrals exist for a very real and practical reason.
In fact, the very reason that churches began using stained glass in the first place was for a very practical purpose – to educate their members. At the time when stained glass windows became popular, much of the world’s civilized population was still illiterate. Stained glass became a form of storytelling through which churches could use pictures to explain the stories and teachings in religious texts such as the Bible. Later on, stained glass windows became more and more elaborate and took on a larger role in improving church aesthetics, but their true original purpose was education.
Today, stained glass windows still continue to play an important role in modern churches, and help make churches more comfortable and enjoyable for those that attend them. Below, we’ve described a few practical benefits of adding stained glass to Colorado Springs temples and churches.
Stained glass windows can make a lovely addition to a church. Indeed, there is nothing quite like the experience of looking up at stained glass on a Sunday morning as the sunlight hits the windows and makes the glass shine as if it were made up of thousands of tiny diamonds or precious gems. Such a site brings instant serenity to those who are fortunate enough to experience it.
If you’re considering adding stained glass windows to your San Antonio church, you’re making an excellent decision. Your members are sure to appreciate the elegance and privacy that the stained glass provides and will be proud to attend such a beautiful church.
In regards to stained glass, the US was relatively late to the party. This is because settlers from Europe got to this continent in the 1600s and stained was technically “invented” somewhere around 1000 AD. However, this artform permeates the American church culture and is a common feature on many homes to this day.
The first stained glass production was actually set up fairly soon after colonist arrived in Jamestown in 1607. As it happened, England was running out of wood to fuel their furnaces that made stained glass at the time. Here in the Americas, there was plenty of wood, therefore, stained glass manufacturing became a new world trade. Many workshops were built, one of the most famous of which was set up by Jan Smeedes, in 1679, in Lower Manhattan. Another was a studio by William Gibson, who was labeled the “Father of Painted Glass.” However, the Puritans did not like religious imagery like that on the Churches of England, so almost no glass is left from the colonial times. Sadly, less than 1% of the Nation’s stained and leaded glass predates 1700.
The Puritanical line of thinking did not last too long, however. In Europe, the 1700s saw massive demand for stained glass and is referred to as the golden age of stained glass in Europe. Here in the states it did not take long for this trend to catch on and by the early 1800s intense interest in the craft arose again in and production began to increase steadily throughout the century–beginning the American golden age of stained glass.
Some of the most historically significant stained glass from the US:
John and William Jay Bolton: Glass made between 1843 and 1848, called St. Ann and the Holy Trinity.
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Known for his designs of deeply colored works of glass in the style of Art Nouveau and his signature iridescent glass called Favrile.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Was technically an architect but he pioneered geometric representations of natural motifs in stained glass and used of angled glass.
While the “great age of stained glass” is technically over, there are still numerous stained glass windows remaining all over the country to this day. This country has a rich history of stained glass and that is what we here at Scottish Stained Glass in Denver work to preserve everyday. If you have an old or historic church or home stained glass window that you would like us to inspect for restoration, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
The name Frank Lloyd Wright may not immediately bring to mind visions of stunning stained glass windows. But, do not be fooled–Frank Lloyd Wright was a prolific stained glass artist and furthermore, one of the most influential designers in American history. Although primarily known for his architectural work and as the father of the “Mid-century Modern” his stunning designs spanned mediums from furniture design to graphics arts and yes–even stained glass.
As a designer, Frank Lloyd Wright’s career lasted an admirable 70 years. A lengthy time which allowed him to not only make his mark on American design forever but also create myriad of amazing stained glass that is as relevant today, as it was back in the early to the mid 20th century. In fact, he designed well over 4,000 leaded glass windows and doors–primarily for the buildings he designed.
Wright created stained glass for nearly every feature in a building that you can imagine–doors, skylights, backlit ceiling panels, table lamps, and wall sconces as well as for windows. Probably what drove the uniqueness and beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright’s stained glass windows was that he didn’t think of these windows as traditional stained or leaded glass. Rather Wright thought about them and often referred to them as “light screens” — more akin to Japanese shoji screens than a leaded glass window. As such, he almost always arranged his windows in bands. Unlike other stained glass before Wright’s time, his designs relied heavily on the zinc-or copper-plated came configuration, while all others used lead. This type of caming allowed him to use geometric abstractions of natural elements such as plants, trees, flowers and more. He also heavily used a playful but elegant mix of solid-colored, iridescent and clear glass and sometimes a hallmark style of gold leaf sandwiched between two thin pieces of clear glass. By setting some pieces of his stained glass at an angle he greatly enhanced the reflective qualities of the glass pieces in his windows–when light strikes them, different colors can appear depending on the time of day. It was this creativity and attention to light that truly set his windows apart and made him a master of his time and through this day.
At Scottish, we make lovely stained glass in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, paying attention to the clean lines and refraction of light. If you want to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright style stained glass windows for your Fort Collins home, contact us today for a free design consultation!
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