Sunlight filtering through panes of stained glass adds an eye-catching element to any room, but as most homebuyers know, such elegance comes at a cost. Having a window, sidelight or door panel decorated with stained glass involves precise craftsmanship and hands-on attention to detail that can push the price of the final product out of a budget.
But buyers or remodelers with hearts set on having a decorative window will find a few less expensive options. One of the latest is created by silk-screening patterns onto glass, then applying ink inside that pattern to create a design. It’s a technique used by Hy-Lite, a glass company based in Florida that works extensively with builders across the country.
“With a silkscreen, we can come up with a pattern then add textured glass to the outside for privacy,” said Roger Murphy, Hy-Lite’s president. “The result is a window that’s more competitive than a stained-glass item that can be very expensive.”
Decorative glass continues to be the top choice for windows over the spa or soaking tub in the master bath. They not only add a design element; they also allow light into a space where a window wouldn’t work. That aspect makes decorative windows even more attractive, said Murphy.
“Think of anywhere you’re trying to put light in, but not necessarily with a window you’ll be viewing out of,” he said. “These windows as ovals, octagons or squares can add light to stairwells and closets. There’s a lot of versatility.”
That’s an important consideration for homes that are going up on smaller plots or infill lots. “These are windows that allow you to have more light without having to close the curtains for privacy,” said Murphy.
And that fact continues to make decorative windows extremely popular in bathrooms, even in those with oversized showers in place of tubs. New styles are also being made to tilt out from the bottom.
“A lot of people want to be able to open a window in the bath, but it’s also a tough place for curtains or blinds that can get moldy,” said Murphy. “These windows provide ventilation as well as privacy.”
Decorative windows are also proving useful in transoms above traditional windows or doors, above kitchen cabinets or counters, or in entryways. “This is where builders are looking for something other than just a clear window that needs a blind or curtain,” said Murphy.
In the Atlanta area, builders with Smith Douglas Homes are among those incorporating more decorative windows into their house plans. In the master bath, a 4-by-4 patterned window is practically a standard. The affordability of silk-screened products makes them a good fit for the price range that starts at $120,000 and goes into the mid-$300,000s.
“They’re going into about 85 percent of the homes we build, and last year, we built 796 in Atlanta,” said Jim Van Kirk, Smith Douglas’ marketing director. “We used to have just one design, but now we’re offering a choice of four, even in our inventory homes. They’re a more reasonable cost alternative to a stained-glass window.”
Most important, said Murphy, decorative windows give owners what they want most: “More light.”
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