Glass railings: elegant and lightweight designs in interior design

Glass railings for stairs are now becoming more and more popular for stairs in residential buildings. These simple, light and sophisticated options perfectly fit into almost any style of interior: from modern to traditional. Despite its simplicity, glass designs can have a rather diverse and interesting design.

Special features

Glass railings look quite unusual. However, they are less common than wooden or metal fences. To make such a design fit well into the home environment, it is necessary to pay attention to the important features. In the past, glass railings were primarily used in clubs, restaurants, hotels, and offices. They look as neutral as possible and, if you combine them with a simple interior, such living space can look dull and faceless.

If you want to create home comfort, it is important to place some other accents in the room, and glass along the stairs will only emphasize them.

It may seem that glass rails are fragile, however, in fact, such structures are no less reliable than any others. This is due to the special processing of glass. It is quite possible to rely on glass options, they are perfect even for families with children or pets.

Despite the fact that the railings are very durable, they visually create a feeling of lightness and instability. Such a visual impression in the living space can cause discomfort, especially if the design of the stairs is complex.

Do not use glass railing for spiral staircases, it is recommended to refrain from complex design structures. For coziness in the house, the staircase should look steady and safe. An obvious advantage of glass constructions is the fact that transparent versions do not prevent the penetration of sunlight and create the appearance of open space.

If wood, metal or plastic railing options make a small room visually cluttered, transparent options allow you to expand the space. This is important, especially if the house is small and with insufficient lighting. However, the spacious and bright open areas are now also in vogue.

Kinds

The railing is usually made of tempered glass or acrylic, sandblasted, which guarantees structural strength and long service. On such a railing will not appear cracks, scratches or chips. At the same time options for fencing for stairs made of glass are extremely diverse. It is worth paying attention to several design solutions for the home.

  • The most commonly used clear glass railing. This is a classic neutral option that fits perfectly into the design of any modern home. Very often, these options are chosen by fans of the Scandinavian style in the interior, because the refined simplicity, functionality and conciseness of the forms in such an environment can be perfectly complemented by light transparent railings.
  • Frosted glass railing will also be suitable for a variety of details of the interior.They can be supplemented with almost any accessories. Moreover, if the glossy glass, which are suitable for smooth furniture, and under the options with a texture. In the case of frosted glass, such combinations should be compiled with caution. Very often, a combination of glossy and frosted glass in one space does not look harmonious. And it is also better to refuse and smooth plastic surfaces.
  • Tinted glass options for railings can be extremely interesting and diverse. Exquisite smoky shades are very popular in modern crowns. These are deep and complex tones, based on brown, gray, blue or purple. They will be perfectly combined with the decoration and furniture made of plastic, metal or wood. In addition, bright colored glass options can be considered. abandon Crimson, green and mustard shades perfectly fit into the style of modern, hi-tech and eclecticism.
  • Printed Glass It can also look good as a staircase fence. Prints can be both translucent and matte. Very often they are depicted with flowers, the outlines of the city, as well as abstract ornaments.If the interior design comes from a single concept, then such drawings will help emphasize the chosen idea and transform the living space.
  • Stained glass - This is another original solution that will suit lovers of modern and neoclassical. A real stained glass window is a forged grille with colored glass inserted into it. It is quite expensive, however, you can choose painting with stained glass paints as a replacement. Patterns can be any - from simple ornaments to copies of famous paintings. Particularly interesting stained glass railings will look in space with good lighting, because glass will allow you to create colored light on the steps.
  • Now also popular are the options for glass railing, illuminated by LED lamps.. If you want to visually highlight the stairs in the interior and give it a unique look, you should definitely consider options with colored LEDs. You can make uniform illumination over the entire area of ​​the fence, place the LEDs along or create unusual color images from them. For people in search of interesting solutions for the interior, glass with LEDs will help to refresh the design of the stairs.
  • Glass railing for corrugated glass Perfect for modern interiors. This is usually colored monochromatic glass with simple relief patterns, which at the same time make it possible to significantly diversify the design. In addition, options of corrugated glass visually look more durable and sustainable.

Despite the fact that glass as a fence is self-sufficient, it is often supplemented with other materials. It is worth more to dwell on several unusual options.

  • Glass can be perfectly combined with metal decorative elements on the railing. The most commonly used metal is silver. However, you can consider the bronze or gold options that are best suited for classic interiors. In a modern house you should choose metal elements of simple form, and if you like Provencal style or baroque, then you can consider complex and unusual designs.
  • Very often the railing is decorated with wood.which can be the basis and form a kind of frame for the railing or simply complement them with small decorative elements. Wood is a material that is easy to work with, so you can buy not only standard designs, but also create something to order that best fits into the chosen interior.Popular are abstract carved patterns, images of animals and plants, the decor of dark wenge wood, and the combination of light and dark wood.
  • Plastic can also be perfectly combined with glass. This decor is particularly characteristic of modern interiors. Usually these are simple and inexpensive solutions that brightly decorate the room. Plastic can be absolutely any color and texture, which allows you to find the perfect solution for any design.

How to install?

Installing glass railing for stairs is no more difficult than fixing any other railing. Nevertheless, due to its subtlety and relative fragility, glass has its own specific features. There are several basic options for fasteners for such rails.

  • Often attachments are made to the steps themselves. with the help of special fittings that resemble large screws. This option is called "coin" mount. This is a fairly simple option, so you can even install the railing yourself. From the point of view of aesthetics, such a solution will not always be the best. Often, fittings stand out strongly on glass surfaces and spoil the appearance - with it the handrail no longer seems so light and weightless.
  • Fixing with clamping profile is quite common. At the base of the railing there are two short panels between which the glass is fixed. These holders are reliable and practically imperceptible; if it is planned to make steps of glass, then it is best that the material of the holders coincides with the material of the ladder itself.
  • Fastening with connectors involves placing between small glass sections of miniature columns, usually made of metal, which rest on the steps and fasten the glass elements together. If you like the combination in the design of metal and glass, then such options can look very stylish and well.
Fittings
Clamping profile
Connector

If you want to create fasteners that will mask the accessories to the maximum, it is better to entrust such projects to professionals. They will create an individual project tailored to the specifics of a particular idea.

    Modern materials allow you to make the most lightweight visual design without compromising its reliability. At the same time, it is better to abandon the self-installation of complex structures if there are no relevant skills.

    Tips

    Glass railing is a special element of the decor. So that they please the eye for a long time, you should take into account a few tips on the choice of structures, installation and maintenance.

    • It is necessary to try to think over the design project of the whole room so that the glass railings fit there well. If the decor is presented in a modern style, it is worth considering stained glass options. For lovers of stylish minimalism, you can choose simple designs of glossy or frosted glass. Due to the variety of models, glass railing can be entered into almost any interior.
    • It should be borne in mind that, despite the apparent lightness, glass structures are rather heavy. Care should be taken when self-installing.
    • Glossy versions of glass in a living room may not look as impressive as we would like, because they easily accumulate dust and fingerprints. If you choose a transparent railing, you should be ready for daily wet cleaning.

    Beautiful examples

    Glass railings in the interior can look very unusual. Fans of experiments will always find an option to their liking. It is best to start developing a design idea by considering real examples in different interiors.

    If you want to make an emphasis on the stairs, you should definitely think about models with LED lighting. Colored lamps along the stairs will give the space a special atmosphere. In addition, additional stage lighting will be convenient. Even in the absence of the main lighting, you can move up the stairs without any difficulty.

    Simple and practical Scandinavian style glass railing will allow you to create a thoughtful and comfortable interior. Fans of practicality and a minimum of details will be able to appreciate the convenience of glass railing. In addition, it is also an eco-friendly material, which in a private house can be easily combined with wood.

    Very interesting can look glass with all sorts of prints. You can choose any pictures for a specific interior. Nevertheless, flowers or plant elements are most often depicted - bamboo, tree branches or decorative leaves.

    In comparison with stained glass, glass with a print is a budget version of the design, which at the same time can look modern and stylish.

    See the following video for installation of glass railing.

    Comments
     Author
    Information provided for reference purposes.For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

    Entrance hall

    Living room

    Bedroom