How To Use Beautiful Stained Glass To Add Privacy To Your Bathroom

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Stained glass is all the rage right now as yet another symptom of people's quest for authenticity, tangible craftsmanship, and a connection to history. This intricate decorative feature has been around for nearly as long as humans have been putting up buildings, and is most commonly associated with religious settings. It entered the private domestic sphere with Arts and Crafts and Victorian style houses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Stained glass was used for both decorative and practical purposes, like privacy and concealing unseemly views. Modernism and minimalism gradually phased it out of homes, but today's designers and homeowners are reviving it as a response to the isolation of tech-driven lifestyles — much like Arts and Crafts enthusiasts once used it to counter the industrial revolution's utilitarianism.

A brilliant way to incorporate this trend into your home is to add it to a bathroom window or door. This is a creative window covering hack that isn't curtains or shades, allowing you to protect your privacy without blocking out light entirely. You can DIY it or commission an established artist. For the former, fear not, you will not be cutting and assembling glass pieces. Instead, you will recreate the look by using lead strips or simulated liquid leading for the outline of the design and glass paint to fill it in. Gallery Glass is a popular paint brand. You can get an 8 Piece Glass Paint Set on Amazon for $29.99, while the Black Liquid 2 fl oz Leading costs $7.36.

You don't need to be particularly skilled to DIY unique stained glass windows. For the romantic, an ornate style of stained glass with beautiful nature-inspired designs will require some technique — so if you don't feel confident drawing it yourself, find someone who can help you. If, on the other hand, you're not committed to that level of detail and would be happy with a simple geometric, color block alternative, then this project is beginner-friendly and well-suited to modern homes.

The design can be drawn directly onto the window or, as a less permanent alternative, you can get a custom cut-to-size glass from a fabricator and work on that instead. That piece can then be installed against the pane you already have, much like the traditional way of making stained glass. Naturally, that is expensive, so a more popular renter-friendly option is window film, which is not as fun. 

The painting process is simple. Use craft paper to draw a blueprint or create cut-outs of key elements. Place these on the exterior side of the glass and either trace the outline with a washable marker or go straight in with the lead tape and paint. Once that dries, have fun carefully filling each space with the desired color. Real stained glass is always textured, so don't worry about making your surface look exceedingly smooth. Some even use a fork to create the swirls and streaks you see in baroque or waterglass style glass. Follow the drying timings on the paint package and enjoy your gorgeous new glass art piece!