You have decided you want a stained glass window or door panel, now you have to decide on the design. It is important to remember that your design will primarily be viewed from inside the building except in special circumstances such as a panel in a front entrance doorway which may well be viewed from either side and lit from outside by daylight and from inside by a hallway light at night. There are many things to think about but perhaps the most important is LIGHT. How much is there and where does it come from?

If your window or door is in a deep recess the edges of the panel will not have direct light for some part of the day; keep details in these areas to a minimum and use mainly lighter coloured or less opaque glass here. If you live in more northerly latitudes (like me) the sun will rise much higher in the sky in summer and the panel will look much better if the shade of glass varies from top to bottom (i.e. lighter at the top). In southern parts of Britain, where the land is flatter and the light more even, uniform panels are much more effective.

Keep in mind that, in general, reds are warm and blues cold. In parts of the world where sunlight is intense, yellow is clinical, cold and unwelcoming whereas in northerly latitudes it adds warmth and interest to a design.

Think also of the direction the window faces and how much light it will get at what time of the day. A North facing window gets very even light and is particularly suited to a geometric design whilst East and West facing windows need to take account of the rising and setting sun. Think of what is outside your door or window; are there trees, tall shrubs, a dark wall or maybe a flower bed with an extravagant display of colour in the height of summer. All these things have to be taken into consideration. Some may be discounted, but some may alter your ideas slightly. First and foremost this is your stained glass window, for your enjoyment and rules and guidelines are made to be broken.

A stained glass door panel allows light and colour into a lobby or hallway during the
day while providing privacy at all times because the colour and texture of the glass distorts the view and from the outside only vague impressions of movement can be seen.

Many homes have a window with a less-than-spectacular view, or a downstairs bath or cloakroom which needs privacy and a stained glass window can solve these problems while still allowing sufficient natural light for most of the day. With a stained glass window there is often no need for curtains; a light close behind the window at night means those on the outside can enjoy the design but cannot see beyond the light into the room. Other possibilities for stained glass around the home or office are transoms, skylights, room dividers, fire screens, privacy screens and, of course, lamps.
Lamps can change the character and ambience of a room at the flick of a switch. From the simplest panel shade to the most complex Tiffany reproduction with several thousand pieces, the warmth and vibrancy of an art glass lamp can complement any decorative style. Lamps can illuminate a whole room, provide a private pool of light, divide a room into areas or be features in their own right.

There are many more applications of stained glass in the domestic environment than I have mentioned here (even outside in the garden as paving slabs); the only real limitation is your imagination.

Jacqui Horning (3 February 1999)