Due to the high operational and aesthetic indicators, glass furniture finds more and more use not only in residential buildings, but also in commercial institutions. However, the use of glass furniture in the interior is associated with a number of features, largely due to the type of glass used in the production process and methods of its subsequent processing. Given these and other subtleties, you can minimize all the disadvantages of glass furniture and succinctly fit it into any design of the room.
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Types of glass for furniture
Not so long ago, glass was used only for the manufacture of various kinds of shelves, kitchen facades and other interior elements.
Today, magazine, lunch, computer and office tables, cabinets, ebens, racks for equipment, racks, chairs that carry a certain load in the process of their use are made from glass. At the same time, glass can act as the only material in the manufacture of furniture, and is combined with metal, wood, plastic, and skin. Depending on the purpose of one or another piece of furniture or its constituent elements, a certain type of glass is used.
In most cases, the following types of glass are used to create glass furniture:
- stalin is a hot glass with high strength, resistance to sharp temperature changes, as well as mechanical effects. When breaking, Stalin decays into safe fragments with stupid faces, excluding the possibility of a random cut. However, at the end of heat treatment, feline glass is not subject to cutting, drilling, polishing. The cost of Stalinite relative to other types of glass remains the highest;
- triplex - characterized by a multilayer structure, including two or more glass with a polymer film located between them. When heated, the resulting layers are compressed, forming monolithic material. Along with the usual, a decorative triplex was widespread, between the glasses of which there is a color film, textured fabric, photography and other picturesque elements. With a strong blow, the triplex is destroyed on many small fragments, which are held by an intermediate layer in the form of a film, fabric, etc. The operational characteristics of the triplex are only slightly inferior to the properties of Stalinite, as evidenced by a fairly acceptable cost. In addition, the triplex has high sound -absorbing quality and is easy to process in terms of drilling, polishing, cutting and other operations that are impossible when working with hot glass;
- float glass has good strength indicators, as well as minimal optical defects and distortions. The perfectly smooth surface of the float glass helps to apply a special film or coating to give it additional advantages. At the same time, the resistance to temperature differences and the power exposure in Floo-glass is small, as a result of which it is used for the manufacture of racks, shelves, furniture facades;
- riffy - is distinguished by the presence of a relief pattern on one side of the glass, as a result of which the light output depends entirely on the color scheme and the nature of the pattern. The corrugated glass has an average degree of strength, and its damage causes the occurrence of traumatic fragments, therefore it is more used to create furniture facades.
Thus, most of the furniture is made of hot glass or triplex. At the same time, corrugated or float glass often act as various decorative inserts, furniture facades and other components of the product. However, glass acquires aesthetic and some operational qualities during additional operations.
Glass processing methods
The spectacity of glass furniture it largely depends on the method of initial and additional processing of the material. In addition to cutting, drilling, polishing, hardening, glass is subjected to the following operations:
- sandblasting, due to which any accuracy of the pattern appears on the glass or mativity of the entire surface is given;
- lamination, during which the glass acquires the necessary shade due to the coating with a special film. Often, for such purposes, a film with any pattern that gives the finished product is a certain originality or sophistication is used;
- laser engraving, which allows you to reproduce the smallest details of any image, adjust the contrast of the image, as well as the depth of engraving;
- praying by which the glass is given the necessary radius of bending. A prayed (bent) glass has a shiny surface and is often used to make furniture facades;
- ultraviolet gluing - used to connect individual elements into a single product, giving the compounds high strength and resistance to the external influence of the medium;
- approaching ultraviolet print - allows you to get any images or photo in color format both on a smooth and a relief surface.
The edges of glass items of furniture are also processed, as a result of which their straightforwardness, figureness or fatset is achieved.
Thus, various methods of glass production, followed by its processing, allow you to create glass products in exquisite and at the same time original performance, which opens up wide prospects for design solutions, and also expands the boundaries of the use of glass furniture in interiors of various style orientation.
Advantages/disadvantages of glass furniture
Despite the attractive design and a wide variety of models made of various types of glass, furniture items are characterized by quite similar positive and negative sides, which are disclosed only during operation.
Among the most significant advantages inherent in glass furniture include:
- a diverse range of models that differ in color, shape and size;
- the invariability of the appearance throughout the entire life, since the furniture does not fade and is not deformed;
- the compatibility of glass with many finishing, as well as building materials;
- water resistance that prevents the formation of various kinds of mold and fungi;
- environmental friendliness;
- transparency and reflective qualities of the material make the room lighter and more comfortable;
- simplicity of leaving during operation.
In addition, glass furniture contributes to the visual expansion of the surrounding space due to the lightness and transparency of the material.
Among the main drawbacks, it is worth highlighting the following:
- promotes unnecessary details (for example, through a transparent countertop, the legs of people sitting at the table, or a mess in a glass cabinet are visible);
- the need for daily care, since fingerprints and dust particles remain on the surface;
- the possibility of the formation of scratches that are not subject to polishing and varnishing;
- strong rumble when the metal objects fall to the surface;
- the large weight of finished structures leaves when the furniture is moved to a new place of dent on the flooring;
- the high cost of furniture, depending on the complexity of the technological process of manufacturing glass, its subsequent processing, glass thickness and decor intransigence.
Thus, despite the tempting characteristics and the appearance of glass furniture, the photo of which is presented in a considerable number on the pages of the catalog of any furniture store, when decorating the interior, it should be avoided by its excessive accumulation in one room, so that the interior is not obtained.
Features of the use of glass furniture in the interior
The unique compatibility of glass with various types of materials allows you to choose furniture for any style of the room. So, the frame or frame of furniture made of wood is more consistent with the classic interior design.
At the same time, chrome and aluminum parts of furniture in combination with glass correspond to high-tech style.
Glass furniture with art forging elements will perfectly fit into the Provence or country style.
Despite the stylistic belonging of a particular interior, the use of glass furniture is associated with some features that largely depend on the purpose of a particular piece of furniture and the place of its placement.
Glass furniture in the hallway
Due to the visual increase in space, a glass cabinet, a bookcase or table with straight clear lines will be ideal for a small and narrow hallway.
For a spacious hallway, it is worth looking for furniture of more complex design and shape.
Glass furniture in the kitchen
Among the glass kitchen furniture, the main place is occupied by the dining table. The glass table becomes the greatest relevance in a small kitchen, since even a large table will not seem so bulky due to the transparency of the material.
The table looks great, the legs of which are made of the same material as the frame of the chairs.
A table with a underfloor in the form of a shelf and having a matte surface allows you to hide the lower part of the body of dining people from the gaze.
Minimize the lack of ringing of cutlery will help napkins or special stands laid out on the table.
Glass furniture in the living room
Glass furniture for the living room is represented by a wide range of coffee tables designed to place flowers, household appliances, laptops, newspapers and other interior items.
Quite often, cabinets, glass cabinets are installed in the living room. However, the contents of these items of furniture will not be hidden from the gaze of strangers, so you will have to monitor the order constantly. At the same time, the best place for storing collection items or books simply cannot be found.
A new trend in modern technology is a chair completely made of glass. Such a piece of furniture will definitely become the main highlight of any living room.
Glass furniture in the bedroom
Glass cabinets in the head of the bed will help to bring notes of romance and solitude along with a small cigarette glass table made of tinted glass. The wardrobe of glass with a matte surface will hide the inevitability of the appearance of fingerprints and visually make the room more spacious and lighter.
Glass furniture in the bathroom
As a rule, the bathroom does not differ in a large area, and the cabinets and ebrids made of wood create the effect of clutter and an already small room. In addition, the tree in high humidity over time swells, losing its initially attractive appearance and becoming a place for the propagation of harmful microorganisms. To avoid these shortcomings will allow the glass furniture for the bathroom in the form of a bedside table for a sink or a hinged cabinet, which will give the interior lightness and sophistication. At the same time, minimizing striking traces of water spray, as well as a small mess, is capable of furniture made of mattressed or corrugated glass.
Thus, the interior design using furniture made completely or partially from glass requires a thoughtful solution, since improperly selected parts can easily distort the geometry of the room or reduce the aesthetic effect of furniture.
