Glass panels are an ideal modification for new or even existing cabinetry. The addition of glass opens up the wide expanse of cabinetry while also adding shine. You have many options for glass panels for your kitchen cabinets, and the array can seem overwhelming. Below are some tips to help you choose glass panes that will complement your whole kitchen.
Inventory Your Cabinet Contents
Storage is essential in the kitchen not only for pretty serving ware but also for utilitarian cooking tools. Your cabinets might also serve as a pantry. So, before you start looking into glass panes, you’ll want to inventory what’s inside your cabinets. If you choose transparent glass, everything inside your cabinets will be on display.
If you have kitchen contents you want to hide, you have different options. One option is to choose only a few doors to outfit with glass panes. That way you can display your attractive pieces while hiding your other supplies. Another option is to choose opaque forms of glass, such as frosted or patterned. You’ll still get the reflective glass qualities without showing the cabinets’ interiors.
Consider Your Décor Style
Many homeowners implement a décor style for their kitchen. For instance, cozy styles such as farmhouse and shabby chic are popular for the family-oriented kitchen. Other homeowners favor a modern style, such as an industrial or chef’s kitchen. Your décor style can help you choose which glass panels will work for your kitchen.
Despite being homey, cozy styles afford you some options for ornamentation. For example, leaded or seeded glass panes can add to the generational aspect popular in farmhouse and shabby chic styles. You can also choose glass backed with metal, such as chicken wire, for that homey appeal. Glass panels with mullions will also be attractive for these styles.
Modern styles tend to be sleeker. Transparent glass works well, but you can also choose uniformly frosted glass to hide the interiors. Additionally, consider installing lights inside your cabinets. The added illumination will add to the modern feel of your cabinetry.
Repeat Shapes Throughout theDécor
You don’t have to adhere to a singledécorstyle. Instead, look around at your kitchen for already repeating shapes. You’ll likely see a lot of squares and rectangles, because that’s the nature of building. However, do you also notice some curves, perhaps in arched windows or even your decorations? Maybe you have tiles in a graceful arabesque shape or with a repeating pattern.
You can use those shapes as a basis for your glass choice. Textured glass features patterns across the surface of the pane. You see various patterns with different shapes, including diamonds, curves, circles, polka dots, and more amorphous shapes. You could visit a glass gallery and choose panes that will echo other shapes within your kitchen.
Add Color With the Glass Panes
Glass isn’t always transparent and colorless. Indeed, manufacturers have different methods for coloring glass. One is the staining process. You see old-world stained glass panels that you can use for your cabinets. However, stained glass can also be inherently modern.
Another method is to simply color the glass itself with additives used at the manufacturing stage. These panes come in a range of colors, which works well in more creatively styled kitchens. Manufacturers also make smoked glass, which is supposed to resemble glass colored by fire. It presents a smoky gray profile that’s very modern.
Both stained glass and colored glass are still fairly transparent. If you want to add color and opacity, consider painted glass. Not only does painting the glass render it more opaque, the process also produces more vibrant colors. Painted glass panels work well with modern kitchens. You can choose colors that match exactly, or the painted glass can complement the cabinet material.
If you’re ready for a kitchen update, consider replacing some of your wood cabinet panels with glass. Choose from a wide variety of glass panels at Martin Glass Co.