Glass in interior design: elegance and functionality for interiors

Gone are the days when glass was only used for doors, windows and glass block walls. Without going to the extremes of Steve Hermann’s Glass Pavilion or Philip Johnson’s Glass House in Connecticut, glass is the perfect product for modern interior design and defines the concept of modernism and innovation in architecture.

Glass now offers far more potential than any other building material: it is replacing wood and stone in interior design. This trend has been made possible by constant developments in glass production technologies, and has resulted in the expansion of the range of applications for glass in architecture.

It is also one of the most sustainable and aesthetically attractive choices for home customisation: it is available in many varieties, thicknesses, designs and textures and, most importantly, its versatility makes it perfectly suited to any formal or informal space. Glass can be used to give visual-spatial continuity and make a small room seem larger. It can reduce noise without isolating and define the character of a room. Whether for modern finishes or coloured crystal, design objects or lighting elements, the options for its use are virtually endless.

Light is an essential aspect of interior design and access to natural light is one of the main benefits of glass. By flooding an interior space with daylight, glazing can transform a space from simply being bright, to one that makes us feel lit up.

Glass has been traditionally valued for its transparency, which allows a view of the outside, but today it is a material that can be used in any architectural space, conferring a style that is both sophisticated and bold.

Glass divides rooms yet celebrates light. It can be used in glazing that brings elegance and brightness to all the rooms of the home, from the bedroom to the living room. It is used in staircases with a contemporary appeal that seem to float in space and for furniture that combines functionality with a modern decorative style aimed at lightness.

The extraordinary qualities of glass and modern production techniques also allow its use in many other fields, including hi-tech home control. These elements, with multiple customisation options, can add a designer touch to a room or be seamlessly camouflaged for perfect harmony.

Glass can be used for all kinds of furnishings and accessories, including elements that we would never have dreamed of before, such as smart switches. Thanks to technology, wall plates have evolved into real smart home control centres, invaluable for a connected home designed for comfort, safety and energy savings, yet they are stylish in design and often utilise glass as a key detail.

Glass is perfectly suited to expressing minimalist forms and maintaining the functionality of hi-tech devices, e.g., by allowing features such as illuminated icons and touch sensitivity. At the same time, the glass embellishes the smart switches, transforming them into furnishing elements that blend beautifully into the home environment. These types of devices are mostly made of lacquered glass produced by depositing and then heating a layer of lacquer on one side of the transparent glass. The coloured lacquer combines with the brilliance of the glass to create a unique object.

Smart plates are available in glossy or satin finishes, with neutral tones for a more classic look and brighter tones for greater impact, while whites and blacks convey purity and elegance without ever looking plain.