The Window Book- Bring the Outdoors In

In the Summer, all minds turn to the warmer weather, flowers and birds. That's when most people discover an uncontrollable urge to get out in the garden and get their hands dirty. Gallery Glass can create that wonderful "outdoor" feeling at any time of year, as seen in this mock Gazebo effect created with just one repeating pattern. It is a surprisingly simple, but a very elegant design. You could add flowers to the pattern, but I liked it without any--the possibilities of color enhancement are therefore limitless. My main objective was to avoid the purchase of expensive window treatments. It would have been costly to cover 5 large windows, but I really needed privacy because the breakfast area faced a public road beyond the yard. You want to feel free to eat your morning meal in your bathrobe--once and a while.

The latticework borders at the top and bottom of each sash enhance the gazebo feeling of this octagonal room. The center areas can be left unpainted to expose an attractive view. The recommended technique is the vertical method of application. See the bottom of this post for details of the 3 techniques used in this book. You can follow instructions on the message board for printing out the instructions--or the pictures to use for a pattern.

Gazebo Repeating Pattern - Divide the width of the window in equal parts (like 3 or 4) and enlarge the pattern to that width. You don't want to have part of a pattern on the edge. These windows were very wide and I enlarged the pattern to 9.5 inches. When estimating Redi-Lead, measure the amount needed for one segment of pattern and multiply it by the number of times it will be repeated in all the windows. This dining area had 5 identical windows. You could also do this pattern on 1/8th inch plexiglas and use a glazing gun or push points to hold them in place. However, that would be a significant expense. Panels for 5 windows would cost about $200. So the simplicity of this design makes an excellent candidate for Vertical application technique that allows you to put it directly on the glass that is already in the window.

Gallery Glass Colors: 16002 Snow White, 16003 Cameo Ivory, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16076 Black Liquid Leading or Redi-Lead.

HELPFUL HINTS ON MOISTURE: Control the humidity as much as possible in your home after your painted windows have dried, initially. High humidity and rainy days can make Gallery Glass Window Color paints look cloudy (especially the Crystal Clear paint). Once the humidity drops, the cloudiness will go away. Air circulation and warmer air are conducive to clearer windows. Open bathroom doors after showers, use central heat and air rather than space heaters, and don't open your windows in humid weather. You can also use a hair dryer to clear a window--set the dryer on its lowest setting and, holding it 6 to 10" from the surface, move the air across the window until it the cloudiness clears.

Wait for a dry day to create a Window Color project. Rainy days and high humidity can cause problems. Even if your windows are dry to the touch, having too much moisture in the air can keep the paint from drying indefinitely, because moisture will get trapped under the paint. It will eventually clear after an extended period of dry weather, but it takes a lot longer since the moisture is trapped under cured paint.

The Victorian Swirl pattern was enlarged so the width fits the dimensions of these bedroom windows. An extra white border was added, top and bottom, to fill the remaining space. Use the vertical method. Gallery Glass colors: Crystal Clear, 8 oz. #16081, Clear Frost #16022, Gold Sparkle #16019, Denim Blue #16010, Snow White #16002. 

Classical Urns - These Classical Urns can be used as free-hanging window decorations or framed art. This bathroom window was created by taping the three designs together and framing them with lines drawn to create perspective and a trompe l'oeil garden effect. Using this photo as a guide, adjust the patterns to fit your window. Draw the perspective lines to the window corners. Gallery Glass Colors: Crystal Clear 8 oz. #16081, Snow White #16002, Cameo Ivory #16003, Sunny Yellow #16004, Orange Poppy #16005, Canyon Coral #16006, Cocoa Brown #16007, Kelly Green #16008, Emerald Green #16009, Amber #16020, Ivy Green #16024.

Cherubs Mirror can be created on clear glass OR on a mirror, as shown. Use horizontal application. Gallery Glass Colors: Crystal Clear #16001, Snow White #16002, Cameo Ivory #16003, Kelly Green #16008, Clear Frost #16022, Ivy Green #16024
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Country Tulips - Cheerful yellow tulips accented with blue are a sunny accent. Use the complete tulip design on the top half of the window. Invert the design and use the mirror image for the bottom half. Use Vertical Application. Gallery Glass Colors: Crystal Clear #16001, Snow White #16002, Sunny Yellow #16004, Denim Blue #16010, Slate Blue #16013,Clear Frost #16022.

Grapes and Magnolias was created to fit this 36" door. It has a strongly classical feeling that enhances the traditional feeling of the foyer. It also provides privacy and light to an otherwise vulnerable space. Can you imagine the view visitors would get from the porch--without the Gallery Glass? Use Vertical Application. Gallery Glass Colors: Crystal Clear 8 oz. #16081, Cameo Ivory #16003, Cocoa Brown #16007, Kelly Green #16008, Amethyst #16014, Rose Quartz #16016, Magenta Royale #16017, Clear Frost #16022, Ivy Green #16024.

Fruit and Swag Border - This versatile Swag Border was done using the modular technique. The wide swags were used across the top of the window and the narrow swags were used on the sides. You can use floral motifs to tie them together, as well. Gallery Glass Colors:

Crystal Clear 8 oz. #16081, Snow White #16002, Canyon Coral 16006, Kelly Green #16008, Denim Blue #16010, Amethyst #16014,  Ruby Red #16015, Magenta Royale #16017, Amber #16020, Clear Frost #16022, Ivy Green #16024.

Fleur De Lis - The border design was repeated several times top and bottom. To create the diamonds, draw crossed diagonal lines to fill the remaining space on your windows. Use Vertical Method. Gallery Glass Colors: Cameo Ivory #16003, Gold Sparkle #16019, Clear Frost #1022, Crystal Clear, 8 oz. 16081.

Water Lilies - The Water Lily elements can be repeated or overlapped. A simple border finishes the window. Use the Modular Method. Gallery Glass Colors: Crystal Clear, 8 oz. #16081, Kelly Green #16008, Denim Blue #16010, Rose Quartz #16016, Berry Red #16023, Ivy Green #16024.

Classic French Door - The corners of this design can be adapted to fit almost any size pane. Remaining outer panes should be filled in with straight border sections. If your door has three or more panes in each row, fill the center ones with Crystal Clear Window Colors.

Close-ups of Individual Windows shown above for patterning purposes.

  

  

 

Book - Create Your Own Designer Decor

 

In this new home, the formal fireplace with green marble surround was a big selling feature. But as the BEFORE picture illustrates, the view on each side of that "feature" made the scene "underwhelming". I won't say that Gallery Glass is the key to all "bad view" problems, but this window treatment was effective at bringing the eye back into the room so that it could focus on the peaceful mood that the decorator was trying to create. It's the kind of window that you do LAST, instead of FIRST. Why? Because you have to consider the coloring of the furnishings before you can select the colors for the flowers. This design style of this set of windows is Art Nouveau. The floral motifs that are not abstract, but exactly realistic either--which makes it easier to coordinate colors. For instance, there aren't very many blue flowers in nature, but it worked well in this color scheme.

Not every room in the house has a great view. Or maybe you and the family are the ones who don't want to BE the view! Who doesn't want PRIVACY and LIGHT? Gallery Glass can give you an elegant neutral window treatment without a lot of expense. Did you know that a Gallery Glass window only costs about $2 per square foot of glass? As if that wasn't enough, look at the visual impact of the clear textures and leading. It's stunning and you can do it yourself in one weekend.
Nine foot ceiling made the room seem smaller. To carry your eye around the room and push back the walls, a stencils was applied at the chair rail. More height below the rail was achieved by taping and sponging faux marble planks.

Master Bedroom Sitting and Sleeping Areas - coordinated with Gallery Glass. Windows were designed to coordinate with the Art Deco Style doors on the wooden screen. The Vertical Technique was used. Walls were ragged with  Mushroom color glaze thinned with water for a subtle finish. To visually lower the ceiling and make the area appear larger, white ceiling was covered with textured wall paper, basecoated with off white and antiqued with Mushroom Decorator Glaze. Area surrounding Fake Fireplace was covered with textured wallpaper and the same treatment as the ceilng. In the sleeping area, the walls and ceiling were ragged with Mushroom Glaze. White tray was sponged with cloudlike technique in Buckskin, Taioca, New Gold Leaf, Mushroom and Bark Brown. Dark trim around the tray under the crown molding is textured wall border basecoated with off white wall paint and finished with Faux Leather colors and technique.

Scenic windows are easy to paint using the Modular Method. Wicker wall mirror and plant cache pot have Petal Porcelain Roses tinted with Decorator Glaze. Natural placement of handpainted Dogwood designs on duvet cover and pillows in Deep Mauve and Italian Sage coordinate with the Tiffanesque windows design. Motifs were arranged in a circle with a natural flow --as was the Table Topper. Small chest has handpainted with the One Stroke Technique.

White kitchens are so easy to accessorize. Tea for Two was stenciled on white wall border and scallops were trimmed before application. You could outline scallops and paint a white border before stenciling for the same effect. Plaster Jug was simply antiqued with Nantucket Blue. Gallery Glass Window design was made from enlarged shapes of the Morning Glory Stencil which graces the stove top trim, placement, and watering can. The patterns for the suncatchers on the Gallery Glass Tea Jar were traced fhrough the stencil. Another large jar becomes a pastry keeper with a Window Color checkerboard. NOTE: Sorry, but the photo shoot ran very long the day we photographed this home and it was dark outside by the time we reached the kitchen. The flowers are blue Morning Glories, leaves are green  and the background is Crystal Clear applied in a bumpy texture.)

Faux Marble Blocks and wrought iron stenciling give a plain white bathroom a continental look. Petal Porcelain stiffens silk ivy leaves to coordinate a variety of containers into faux wrought iron accessories-even a vanity chair. Cherub planter is faux bronze. Table and perfume tray pick up the emeralg green in their nalachite combed finish. The Gallery Glass Window was done with the Modular Method. Ivy shapes are enlarged from a tracing of the stencil. Off white walls were taped winto 12"x24" block with 1/4" tape and ragged with dark value of Mushroom Glaze. Lower level of ceiling was ragged all over with the same mixture. White tray was sponged in Cloudlike method with Tapioca and very softly blended Nantucket Blue. Wrought Iron effect is stenciled with Black Glaze. Ivy leaves are stenciled randomly with Malachite Green. Fleur-de-Lis accents are New Gold Leaf.   

Living Room - What do you do with a window in the corner? Make it match the glue chip beveled front door! The plaster bust and Greek Planter were antiqued with Mushroom Glace and the gold candlestick was antiqued with Liquid Chalk. The plaster column looks dramatic enough to have come from an old theater and contrasts beautifully to the moss terra cotta pot.