stained glass door designs

I’ve been obsessed with stained glass for a really long time. Probably since childhood. There’s just something about those colors that are so beautiful and enchanting. These stained glass windows we found at the local flea market, incorporating them into our home will probably go down as one of my all time greatest finds. This was when we did our first round of renovations, nearly five years ago. WHAT. {How does time fly so quickly?}

See the story behind them here – but it felt like a treasure hunt, where I definitely won. Because I basically had to fight some people for them.

Here’s a before shot of our kitchen, again. Those stained glass windows were like icing on a really good cake. 

But they’re notoriously difficult to photograph, so here’s a closer representation of how they really look.

Such a pretty view! We even put a sister window in our barn door, that will soon be our daughter’s closet. 

Anyway, backstories be darned, we shared a little update on our primary addition last week, where I teased a little about the idea of diving into stained glass. When an awesome friend asked me if I wanted to take a local class this January, I figured it was just the thing to beat those winter blues I always tend to struggle with.

As it turns out, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

My window, and my talented friend Mary’s. We basically made stained glass friendship windows. Or something. Her greens are awesome.

I’ve been itching to incorporate stained glass into the new space, long before I even took a class. {I had no idea that I would be.} I even started by getting a few local quotes, months ago, for a custom design with some local artists. And then the design changed, and we became consumed/overwhelmed by basic construction costs and real life.

Fast forward to January. It was intimidating at first, since I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist {shocker, I know}. After a few weeks of actually diving into stained glass myself, it kind of clicked. I started dreaming up ideas and fun projects. I then realized I can make two french doors out of stained glass, for our bathroom entry.

The thought process literally happened in the shower and went a little something like this: WHAT. Dare I be so bold? WHY NOT? If not now, then when?! CUE: DRAMA. Exit in towel, stage left. Drives Jamin batty with new obsession.

So I sat down, and got started with a pattern to fit, alongside researching all the colors and ideas. To the sketchbook it was. 

This one’s sloppy, but I had to start somewhere. That drawing became a thing. 

Here’s the wall leading into our bathroom.

And here’s how the doors will be positioned. We’re going for sliding, to save space.

I love that even when opened, there will still be bold color on those walls. 

And it works. We’re so excited, because I’ll be tackling the stained glass, and helping Jamin build the doors we’ve designed. Read: trying not to freak out over them once they’re finished and being placed. He’s been a big help since math is not my strong suit.

And in the meantime, I started researching colors, and setting up my “studio”. Read: the back room is now a total organized disaster and I’m not sad about it. We have plans for a {desperately needed} garage studio in the future, but we have to survive this third addition, first. 

Of course it took me the longest to make up my mind on the types of glass and the colors within the pattern. As it turns out, this is a whole obsession in itself. 

And while it’s notoriously hard to capture, it’s also the best part. Because COLOR. 

It’s like this mix of soft hues and jewel tones. And I love the wavy glass for privacy, too.

Today, it was really just fun to talk about what I’ve been diving into, while trying to figure it all out. We hope to share more as we go, and so far so good on this massive project.

AKA wish me luck.

Lying down, the glass looks so much darker, so that’s throwing me for a loop. It’s really interesting how it transforms throughout the project. My daughter thought I’d chosen black glass for the space, and she was applauding me for my “interesting design choice” until she spied the blue/deep plum combo, and was relieved. Black can be cool too, just not on this one. I can’t wait to explore more as we go!

Hurray for learning new things, rising to something that may seem kind of challenging at first, and getting creative with your spaces.

I’ll be sharing more in the future, but for now… you can find me creating… in between my day job of course.

Pssst… if you live locally, be sure to check out The Glass Onion Studio in Franklin for some amazing, in-person classes. Bonnie is an incredible instructor, and I love getting to spend time with other creative people. She was really kind and encouraging when I threw out new ideas and told her what I wanted to tackle. Her patience really knows no bounds, because she put up with me. Nothing beats those hands on classes and this has been an amazing experience.

Stay tuned for more stained glass shenanigans coming your way. This is just the beginning.

Have an inspired day!