When you think of stained glass, you might think of cathedrals or mosques. Or in homes, you might think of Victorian architecture—and who could blame you? Stained-glass windows have become less common in U.S. homes over the past few decades. But in the last five years, some designers have adapted the art form for today’s homes.
Over the past three to five years, designers have started getting more demand for stained glass, said Kellie Sirna of Studio 11 Design in Dallas. “In the ’90s and 2000s, it was too soon. It reminded people of their grandmothers,” she said.
But rich colors and gothic designs aren’t the new fad—homeowners are looking for undistracting and unoppressive stained-glass designs, said Claire Paquin of Clean Design in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Family crests and abstract decoration appeared in wealthy medieval homes' windows, said Virginia Raguin, author of the 2003 book “Stained Glass: From its Origins to the Present.” Stained glass ornaments the circa 15th-century Kammerzell House in Alsace, France.
Sinuous, organic art nouveau-style glass became popular in homes like the Tiffany Ayer mansion in Boston, which was built at the turn of the 20th century.
Frank Lloyd Wright preferred geometric groups of opalescent, opaque, white and gold within clear glass windows.
Today, stained glass also fits well in homes with historical styles, like Tudor homes, or gives a splash of color in modern homes, said Raguin.
In the 1950s, there was a wave of nostalgia for Victorian-era Tiffany’s lamps, said Megan McElfresh, executive director of The Stained Glass Association of America.
