Macon Magazine

Robert Bump of Benchmark Homebuilders in Warner Robins installs custom-made stained glass for the front doors, sidelights and transoms in every house he builds. In spite of the ready availability of decorative-glass doors from home-improvement retailers, Bump believes the custom entryways make the homes more memorable.

The residential use of decorative glass has become more prevalent during the last decade because newer homes are typically designed with large open rooms and an abundance of windows. Windows allow natural light to brighten interior spaces, but they also increase visibility. That’s great if your house is sitting on 12 wooded acres in the mountains of North Carolina, but it’s not great if your house is on a 1/4-acre lot with your next-door neighbors only 200 feet away. Privacy becomes a real issue, especially in bathrooms with the picture window above the garden tub.

“People like the airy feel and natural light of large bathroom windows, but they don’t want the view,” Celia Henigman of ATG Studio in Forsyth explained. “Using art glass lets them have the light without blocking it with shutters or curtains.”

According to Henigman, her clients don’t want standard windows and ask her to create something unique, usually with a combination of beveled and slightly textured glass. They don’t usually choose brightly colored art glass for bathroom windows because they want the maximum amount of natural light in the room.

Mary Screws of SGO Designer Glass in Statesboro has also noticed that trend among her clients.

“Most of my customers choose simple geometric designs,” she said. “They stay away from using a lot of color if it’s going to be in a permanent place like a bathroom or entryway.”