Ondine
Sculptural Wall Mirror
$750
from $63/mo
Material Guide
Glass Lighting, Vases & Tables
Glass is the material that lets a room have volume without weight. Venetian workshops on Murano industrialised hand-blowing five centuries ago, and the techniques used for a fluted pendant or a ribbed vase today have barely changed: gather, blow, shape, anneal.
Origins & Types of Glass
Hand-blown glass carries slight asymmetry and internal bubbles that machine-pressed glass lacks. Smoked, bronzed and amber glass filters light warmly and hides dust; ribbed and fluted glass diffuses a bulb without frosting it; opal and milk glass diffuse most of all. Toughened glass is required for tabletops.
How to Style Glass
Use glass where a room is already visually full — a glass side table takes up space without occupying it, and a glass pendant lets a low ceiling breathe. Smoked glass suits dark, dramatic palettes; clear glass with a warm brass fitting suits almost everything else.
Glass Care & Maintenance
Clean with a lint-free cloth and a little diluted alcohol or vinegar rather than a heavy proprietary spray, which leaves film on shades. Let lighting glass cool fully before wiping. Dry vases upside down and use a bottle brush for mineral marks.
Shop Glass
Glass Questions
- Is hand-blown glass better than pressed?
- It has more character; pressed glass is more uniform and less expensive.
- Does smoked glass reduce light output?
- Yes, noticeably. Use a slightly higher lumen bulb in smoked fixtures.
- How do I remove cloudiness in a vase?
- Soak with warm water and white vinegar, then brush and rinse.
- Are glass tables safe with children?
- Toughened glass with radiused edges is; annealed glass is not.
- Why does my glass shade look dusty so quickly?
- Static from the bulb's heat attracts dust. Wipe with an anti-static cloth when cool.