Tanglewood Conservatories Blog

These are two of the stained glass panels that will accent the large steel and glass pool house conservatory under construction right now.

Mehmet, who designed the glass patterns, as well as the incredible conservatory structure itself, is standing there holding up the pieces in front of our building in Denton.

The design of the custom stained glass panels is one of his favorite elements to design. He is interested not only in the wonderful patterns made by the different colors and shapes of the glass itself, but more important he feels, is the ever-changing panorama of colored light which is thrown into the interior of the conservatory space.

This adds a mystical quality to the room, he says. He will typically design the conservatory building first, then work on the stained glass designs after the overall concept for the room is complete. The stained glass design is done in pencil or ink first, with his preferred colors in his mind, then he works with the homeowner or architect to choose the final colors for the scheme.

This design features a combination of colored glass with clear beveled glass and antique stressed glass features. There are six of the large gables and eight of the tall sidelights in the poolside conservatory.

Sometimes when we make stained glass panels, they are encapsulated inside an insulated glass unit (IG unit as called in the industry) so that they are completely protected from the elements. This has the advantage of protecting the stained glass artwork and also dramatically increasing the insulating value of the glass, however, some people feel that you loose the tactile proximity of the art since it is “displayed” behind a clear glass panel. The argument takes on weight when you think about how the reflections in the glass “cover” panel obscure to some degree the colors and texture of the stained glass and the lead caming in between.

The alternative, if using the stained glass panels simply as a single glazed window is not an option, is to expose the beauty of the stained glass to the inside of the room while covering it with a piece of insulated glass on the exterior of the building.

This gives the boost in insulation value and energy efficiency while at the same time preserving the beauty and the tactile sense of the stained glass on the inside of the room where it will be enjoyed the most. The exterior look and feel is still compromised from the purist point of view.

One really neat thing that we frequently do is to back light the stained glass art panel so that it glows at night. A small LED light or a fiber optic cable (if the space is too tight) does the trick. This is an effect you must see to appreciate!

Alan

Home from Germany and we’re ready to celebrate the Fourth of July, our country’s Independence Day.

Nancy and I spent the holiday this year at the home of our friends Molly and Michael as we have for the last few years. I mentioned them once before because they have the distinction of owning more of Tanglewood projects than anyone else.

They didn’t start out with this intention nor were they our friends when they purchased their first conservatory, but over the years, as we’ve worked together with them, our friendship has grown.

The Door Before & After

Now they have asked us to start work on a new project (this will be number five) – a domed conservatory off their master bedroom that will replace an aging sunroom in the same location. Phase two of this project will be an ornate copper-roofed bay window for their kitchen.

Molly is a skilled designer who loves our work and knows how to tweak our designs in ways that make them uniquely hers.

For example, the last project we did for them was the replacement of six windows, a door and some mahogany paneling in a small unused space off their kitchen.

Molly and Mike asked us to make some beautiful stained glass windows so that she could turn the small space from nothing more than a walk through to the backyard into a mini parlor. I admit that I thought they were going a bit far when they first told me about their scheme however, as you can see from the pictures, in this case, their foresight was definitely better than mine.

This is what the old windows looked like. That’s Jim with his back to us sizing up the situation before he gets started.

New mahogany and stained glass windows for Molly and Mike’s house.

It is a two story space so the new windows really stand out.

Alan