Colorful Creations

There is something spiritual about stained glass windows. It's as if the good Lord is actually shining his or her red, green, blue or yellow light directly into your home.

Initially, stained glass was found in churches for decorative purposes as the art began to flourish in the 10th century. Today, it is still found primarily in houses of worship, but can also be seen in universities as narratives drawn from history or literature, and as stand-alone art in homes, governmental buildings and even casinos.

"There is some beautiful stained glass in Sunset Station and Boulder Station and the Dale Chihuly piece in the Bellagio lobby is stunning," said Rick Falzone of Southwest Stained Glass (www.southwest stainedglass.com).

"In homes, the three most popular locations are the front door, the bathroom and kitchen cabinets. Homes are built close together here and people want their privacy, especially in their bathrooms. However, they just don't want to cover their windows with blinds," he said. "I have designed and installed many stained glass bathroom windows that sit above tubs that provide privacy, color and light. For entryways, people want to create a favorable first impression, but also want security and privacy. So I design by using clear textures or opaque colors and then seal the leaded glass between two sheets of tempered safety glass before installation."

Falzone began doing kitchen cabinets for new homes and remodels in 1992.

"The kitchen is a nice place for decorative glass," he explained. "There are as many different clear textures available as there are design possibilities. The clear obscuring textures allow you to create an interesting focal point without having to always keep your cabinets neat and tidy. I use stained glass that is one-eighth inch thick and it can be found in any color of the rainbow and any texture. The skill is knowing how to work with the glass to make it look real."

Falzone created his first stained glass project when he was in high school in Rochester, N.Y., and remembers spending hours studying the Tiffany windows at churches near Kodak Park. He saw how drapery glass was used to simulate robes on the saints and takes the same care in creating his designs.

(Tiffany is Louis Comfort Tiffany, an American artist who is best known for his stained glass windows and lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels and metalwork during the early 20th century).

"If I'm doing a tree with leaves, I get glass for the tree trunk that looks like bark, and I want the leaves to look natural, not contrived," he said. "The work is very labor intensive as each piece of glass has to be selected for the desired color and cut to match a section of the design template. An exact fit is paramount, but once installed, it becomes a timeless piece of art."

The cost of stained glass varies depending on the size of the window or project, complexity of design and types of glass. Falzone said all art glass is becoming very expensive because it uses so much energy in the manufacturing process. He said he has done bathroom windows for $2,500, yet some entryways can be done for several hundred dollars.

Kimberlin Brown, an interior designer who works with Falzone, creates her own designs and usually has something very specific in mind.

"When I get to the design for the glass, it has to be both functional and decorative," she said. "Some designs may be simple arrangements of glass in a certain pattern, or it might be something quite intricate. That's because I have spoken with the homeowners about their lifestyles and interests and this information can affect the final design and color of the window. We create together."

Falzone said the beauty of stained glass is that as light changes each day throughout the year, so does the color of the design thus producing new images.

"I call it painting with light or illuminated wall decorations," he said. "In Britain, many traditional pubs have stained glass and leaded lights to create a comfortable atmosphere while retaining privacy. That's the same kind of atmosphere people desire when they initially call me."