Glass. It’s one of the most innovative, yet elegant building materials. It reflects a modern aesthetic, yet has an ancient pedigree. You’ll find it in nearly every residential and commercial space around the world, yet it continues to surprise us with its versatility.
Homeowners have long embraced glass as the material of choice for patio doors and even exterior walls, but now more and more are discovering its potential to transform their interiors. From room dividers to sliding interior doors, here’s why architects, designers, and homeowners are using innovative glass solutions to enhance their interior spaces.
They’re Innovative
Glass may be one of the oldest materials known to man, but, as far as building materials go, it’s a relative newcomer. It wasn’t until new glazing techniques and better production processes came along that it even became possible to use glass for major architectural projects.
Builders began exploring the possibilities in the 1800s, mostly in the form of greenhouses and exhibition halls, but the real glass revolution didn’t come until the 20th Century with the birth of the skyscraper. Before long, that distinctive glass and metal façade became nearly ubiquitous in every modern city.
Still, it wasn’t until the middle of the century that some of the more daring designers started using glass as the primary material in homes. The glass house was initially greeted with skepticism and even derision, but it didn’t take long for attitudes to change. These days, mid-century glass houses are celebrated as triumphs of modern design, even if they haven’t yet become a common sight in the suburbs.
Instead, glass has moved indoors. Luxury hotels and upscale restaurants around the world have already embraced the free-flowing beauty of glass walls, using them in almost every setting, from banquet halls to bathroom showers.
Now glass partitions and sliding interior doors are becoming more common in residential homes as designers realize the benefits of switching to modern materials that improve lighting and reduce energy costs.
They’re Modern
Glass and modernity go hand in hand. Glass isn’t just modern because it’s new; it’s modern because it’s sleek. It’s modern because it embraces openness, simplicity, and confidence. Installing a glass wall shows the world that you’re not afraid of transparency or innovation.
There are many ways to pull off the modernist look with interior doors and dividers. A simple, Solo frame design or a frameless barn door outfitted with semi-transparent glass gives you both privacy and style. Frosted glass makes a particularly good impression when paired with grays, muted blues, and other cool colors.
Of course, a modern interior doesn’t necessarily have to be stark. Even the most minimalist space could benefit from some contrast and a little embellishment. For a look that’s simple yet stunning, you could surround clear glass in a solid black, Trio frame. For modernism with a Japanese-inspired, mid-century twist, try a Duo-T or Pentagon design outfitted with deluxe white glass.
When it comes to interior doors, it’s okay to experiment until you achieve the right look. With so many custom options available to all homeowners, it’s easier than ever to play with color, style, and materials until you’re satisfied.
They’re Versatile
Glass and modernity may be a loving couple, but they’re not married. You can pull off modernism without glass, and you can certainly design glass dividers and doors without being a slave to a minimalist aesthetic.
Have a French cottage style home? Set clear glass inside a Continental door design and add a white, walnut, or wenge frame, depending on the overall color scheme in the room. Looking for more privacy in an industrial style loft? Custom build a glass wall partition with a silver or black Pentagon frame and frosted glass. With six frame designs, six frame finishes, and fourteen glass types, it’s easy to mix and match until you get a design that fits your vision.
In other words, for every style, there’s a glass sliding door, swing door, barn door or room divider to match. Since The Sliding Door Company always builds to your project’s specific needs, we can help you find the right combination of frame, glass, and finish, no matter what aesthetic you embrace.
They’re Light
In more ways than one. Our suspended door solutions not only glide smoothly as if they were made of the most lightweight materials, they also let light pass from room to room, brightening up the interior and cutting down on the need for artificial illumination.
Indeed, aside from repainting, installing a glass partition is the easiest and most effective way to open up a space. Glass gives the room a light, airy feel that’s hard to achieve with any other material, particularly solid wood or drywall.
With more than a dozen types of glass from which to choose, you have complete control over the level of transparency. Clear glass, for example, lets the greatest amount of light in. Semi-transparent glass, on the other hand, offers the greatest balance between privacy and illumination, allowing light to flow between spaces while blocking visibility.
Where privacy is of the greatest importance—think bedrooms, bathrooms, private studies, and other intimate spaces—you can always install opaque glass, which spans the color spectrum from deluxe white to black.
They’re Smart
No, our glass room partitions and sliding doors aren’t connected to the Internet of Things, but they are a wise choice if you want a beautiful, efficient, sustainable home. For one, glass structures maximize light in any given space, making them even more environmentally friendly than energy-efficient lightbulbs.
They also cut down on energy costs by increasing air flow. When you design your interior, you have the choice of floor to ceiling glass partitions or partial room dividers. So, which type of glass wall partition is right for your home?
It depends on your needs. While full-length partitions offer a sense of stability by mimicking the look of a solid wall, partial dividers let heat and airflow circulate from room to room, which cuts down on energy waste and even HVAC costs
It’s not just energy efficiency, either. You can also save space by replacing swinging doors with sliding doors that remain nearly flush with the wall whether open or closed. These days, when square footage is at a premium, that can mean the difference between a cramped living space and a spacious, comfortable home.
They’re Safe and Sturdy
When Doron Polus launched The Sliding Door Company in 2005, safety and quality were at the top of his mind. He thought the average sliding door and room partition could use serious design improvements. He believed it was possible to build sliding interior doors that were both sturdy and light, secure and beautiful.
He was right. For over a decade, The Sliding Door Company has manufactured high-quality glass room partitions tempered so they won’t shatter, break, or wear down with time. The final product is as safe and durable as it is elegant and stylish.
They Always Impress
Quality always, with safety you can trust!! That’s our motto here, at The Sliding Door Company, and we adhere to it faithfully. Through superior design, higher-quality materials, and smarter manufacturing processes, we’re able to build better doors and partitions—products that are as famous for their versatility and elegance as they are for their safety and efficiency.
Since we offer factory-to-field service, we’re able to control every aspect of the production process, from design to installation. That helps us ensure quality while allowing us to provide customized interior solutions that meet each of our client’s needs.
When you enter one of our North American showrooms, you get the chance to speak with someone who knows our glass doors and dividers from top to bottom—someone who is passionate about innovative interior design, rather than a middleman whose only goal is to push a product.
Need help choosing the perfect solution for your next project? Schedule a FREE consultation with one of our design specialists. When you’re ready, find your nearest showroom and get a first-hand look at our doors.