This weekend I am heading for Chicago as next week I’ll be covering the NFRC’s summer meeting (more about that next week). For now I’m just looking forward to visiting Chicago as it really is one of my favorite cities. To me you can walk through downtown and still feel like you’re in a small town and not a big city. And aside from the fact that the architecture is incredible (with lots of glass, too, I might add), currently there’s another great glass display in the city at the Museum of Science and Industry, and yes, I am going to visit it.
The Glass Experience (http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/the-glass-experience/) as it’s titled, is an exhibition that’s showing until September 1. The website describes the exhibition as exploring “how glass has shattered the paradigms of our world’s civilization.” It includes a look at everything from the works of Chihuly, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright (as in decorative glass) to safety and security products to future technologies. On a side note can anyone find the oops on this page: http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/the-glass-experience/the-exhibit/industrious-and-inventive/? Looks like whoever wrote the text up here should have done just a bit more research, don’t you think?
I have no doubt that visiting the Glass Experience will be a tremendous … experience. As you know I also love an opportunity to learn more about glass and I love to see how others outside our little industry are embracing this technology. Talking specifically about the growth of the decorative glass market, someone said to me earlier this week, “Wow, people are finally taking serious notice of decorative glass!”
And they really are … even the people who don’t even know what decorative glass is … they see how it can differentiate and bring something special to that application. I am excited about where this is going and I am sure you are, too.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
2009 … It’s Already Here
The year 2009 may still be a few months away, but when it comes to glass 2009 is already at HGTV. Sounds a little vague, right? I’ll explain.
Earlier this week I turned on HGTV to catch the very end of one of those extreme home shows. Being that it was right there at the end, I don’t have the details about the house (I’m working on it though … got a call in to HGTV and everything), but it was pretty amazing. One side of the house was a glass wall—nothing we’ve never seen before, right? But you press a switch and the wall folds down and actually becomes a patio. I have never seen anything like it … can you imagine? It was like a glass drawbridge. Talk about extreme living. I wish I could share more at this moment, but sadly, nothing has yet turned up. I’ll keep digging and hopefully I’ll soon know more.
So then I decided to find out what else glass-related is happening at HGTV, so I visited the website and searched for “glass.” And that brings us to 2,009—2,009 references to glass at www.hgtv.com. OK, yes, some of them are not really architectural-related (anyone out there in need of a glass cupcake ring?). But a good portion of those links certainly were relevant, offering a ton of information, from using glass tiles in kitchen back splashes to snazzy glass shower enclosures, even how-to projects (324 to be exact). There is even a link that will walk you through the process of creating an etched glass illuminated seahorse. Who knew HGTV was such a glass resource?
Glass in the house is definitely in growing demand. Whether it’s for energy efficiency, aesthetics or a combination, we’re seeing glass being used in unique ways. The premier of Decorative Glass magazine is just around the corner and everyone I’ve talked with is excited about this launch. So many people out there –architects, designers, installers—they all want to know more about decorative glass as it’s definitely the it thing. Don’t you agree?
Earlier this week I turned on HGTV to catch the very end of one of those extreme home shows. Being that it was right there at the end, I don’t have the details about the house (I’m working on it though … got a call in to HGTV and everything), but it was pretty amazing. One side of the house was a glass wall—nothing we’ve never seen before, right? But you press a switch and the wall folds down and actually becomes a patio. I have never seen anything like it … can you imagine? It was like a glass drawbridge. Talk about extreme living. I wish I could share more at this moment, but sadly, nothing has yet turned up. I’ll keep digging and hopefully I’ll soon know more.
So then I decided to find out what else glass-related is happening at HGTV, so I visited the website and searched for “glass.” And that brings us to 2,009—2,009 references to glass at www.hgtv.com. OK, yes, some of them are not really architectural-related (anyone out there in need of a glass cupcake ring?). But a good portion of those links certainly were relevant, offering a ton of information, from using glass tiles in kitchen back splashes to snazzy glass shower enclosures, even how-to projects (324 to be exact). There is even a link that will walk you through the process of creating an etched glass illuminated seahorse. Who knew HGTV was such a glass resource?
Glass in the house is definitely in growing demand. Whether it’s for energy efficiency, aesthetics or a combination, we’re seeing glass being used in unique ways. The premier of Decorative Glass magazine is just around the corner and everyone I’ve talked with is excited about this launch. So many people out there –architects, designers, installers—they all want to know more about decorative glass as it’s definitely the it thing. Don’t you agree?
Friday, July 11, 2008
Look Around; It's Everywhere
Who’s not familiar with the old saying, “When it rains it pours”? For the past few weeks that old saying has been truer than ever for me. Why? You ask. It’s this amazing little product called decorative glass.
Next month you will be able to read more about the subject as USGlass magazine will be launching a brand new publication: Decorative Glass (DG) magazine. So lately I’ve been spending a lot of time doing research into the market, talking to people about their experiences and gathering ideas, artwork, and so forth. The crazy thing, though, is how little effort it required, because as soon as I talked to one person he/she gave me another source for a different focus area; then that source gave me another and so on and so on. I have never found research as easy as this; everyone wants to talk about decorative glass. And why not? It is the next big thing and it is here to stay.
That’s why I am really looking forward to the opportunities this new publication is going to bring. By now many people are well aware of the significant role and position in which decorative glass is finding itself within the architectural market. It’s a product that architects like because it allows them to offer their projects something that’s truly unique.
Walk into a mall, a store, office building, even a church or a synagogue and you’re likely to see it being used. As anyone who’s been reading this blog for awhile knows, I pretty much notice glass everywhere, all the time. This past week, for example, I went to the supermarket. Now, this particular market has a little restaurant inside, which has its own little “storefront” we’ll call it. This week as I walked past it, something was different. There was a huge, sandblasted design on the glass.
“There is no way that that has always been there,” I said to myself as I examined the glass and its details (you knew I had to, right?). It took me a moment to figure it out, but the reason I’d never noticed it before is because it’s usually blocked by a giant display stand or sales table.
But why do that? Why spend extra money to make the glass look extra nice if you’re just going to cover it up? After all, aesthetics is one of the main reasons for using a decorative glass product—any type of decorative glass. And we all know that some of those techniques are much more expensive than sandblasted glass. You spent the money, so don’t hide it!
There is so much to this growing product segment, and that’s why we’re launching the new magazine. And we need your input. What are your thoughts on decorative glass, new products, trends and techniques? Where do you see it going and what would you like to see happen? Right now is such an amazing time for decorative glass. The market is just starting to take off and there is no telling how huge it will be; but huge, it definitely will be.
Next month you will be able to read more about the subject as USGlass magazine will be launching a brand new publication: Decorative Glass (DG) magazine. So lately I’ve been spending a lot of time doing research into the market, talking to people about their experiences and gathering ideas, artwork, and so forth. The crazy thing, though, is how little effort it required, because as soon as I talked to one person he/she gave me another source for a different focus area; then that source gave me another and so on and so on. I have never found research as easy as this; everyone wants to talk about decorative glass. And why not? It is the next big thing and it is here to stay.
That’s why I am really looking forward to the opportunities this new publication is going to bring. By now many people are well aware of the significant role and position in which decorative glass is finding itself within the architectural market. It’s a product that architects like because it allows them to offer their projects something that’s truly unique.
Walk into a mall, a store, office building, even a church or a synagogue and you’re likely to see it being used. As anyone who’s been reading this blog for awhile knows, I pretty much notice glass everywhere, all the time. This past week, for example, I went to the supermarket. Now, this particular market has a little restaurant inside, which has its own little “storefront” we’ll call it. This week as I walked past it, something was different. There was a huge, sandblasted design on the glass.
“There is no way that that has always been there,” I said to myself as I examined the glass and its details (you knew I had to, right?). It took me a moment to figure it out, but the reason I’d never noticed it before is because it’s usually blocked by a giant display stand or sales table.
But why do that? Why spend extra money to make the glass look extra nice if you’re just going to cover it up? After all, aesthetics is one of the main reasons for using a decorative glass product—any type of decorative glass. And we all know that some of those techniques are much more expensive than sandblasted glass. You spent the money, so don’t hide it!
There is so much to this growing product segment, and that’s why we’re launching the new magazine. And we need your input. What are your thoughts on decorative glass, new products, trends and techniques? Where do you see it going and what would you like to see happen? Right now is such an amazing time for decorative glass. The market is just starting to take off and there is no telling how huge it will be; but huge, it definitely will be.
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