Latest Pieces

This 20 inch one-of-a-kind stained-glass window, in the heritage of Prairie style glass, brought delight to the customer via a custom glass insert for an existing octagonal window.

The homeowner wanted a window that would complement interior colors and exterior natural surroundings.

Types of Glass

Clear Seedy glass is used for the majority of the piece, allowing excellent light transmission, and shimmers of light refracting through bubbles in the glass. Blue and gold streaky glass are presented in a pleasing symmetrical pattern. The gold glass offers a slightly iridescent sheen facing the interior of the home.

Construction

Hidden copper strip reinforcement is used, diagonally, to prevent warping, for long life and beauty.

Solder lines were given a black patina.

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.

For a friend.

Do you want to add one-of-a-kind warmth to match your interior motifs and colors with a quality hand-made Mission or Prairie style candle holder? A client in Michigan did. He appreciated the design of a smaller candle holder pattern so well, he asked for a larger size and custom pattern to play well with his Stickley rug, door and other room patterns and colors. Once he received the first candle holder, he then asked for another, plus custom wood pedestals.

Prairie Home Glass designed and delivered a 7″ square by 12″ tall hand-cut and soldered piece, with a dark-stained, signed Aspen wood base.

You can order a lantern with the same size and colors and wood base as the one shown here. Alternatively, contact me to provide a view of your living space and order a piece customized to your color scheme, patterns and size preference for your home or business.

These can also be made in sets of 3, in various sizes. That can make a very nice entryway, living room or bathroom arrangement. Fill them with wax candles or electric battery-powered lights. We can wire them with the classic glow of an Edison Bulb LED fixture if you prefer.

Design

First, the client and I had a 30-minute Facetime session on our smartphones. He showed me around his living space, noting colors, architectural details, rug design, adjacent objects such as lighting and paintings.

This was a new design based on an existing pattern, so I designed a pattern and “mocked” it up using software, so the client would have a visual approximation of how the piece would look in his space and on its own. Notice how, in the center of each side panel, there are 9 red sections of glass. This pattern resonated well with the pattern on interior doors in the living space. This also reflected numbers from patterns in the corners of the client’s Stickley rug.

Construction

I design and hand-craft candle holders. Prairie Home Glass specializes in prairie style, Arts & Crafts stained glass design, so your panels are sure to be simple, elegant and welcoming. Soldering is very high quality, with clean solder lines. Notice how straight the lines are, and how the solder has character, but doesn’t look sloppy.

In this case, the client chose a black solder patina. Natural or copper are also possible. You can also choose to have each panel finished with a Carnauba Wax finishing compound to help prevent corrosion, or leave panels unfinished to allow natural oxidation of solder. In this case, the more matte finish of solder worked well with the wood base finish.

A zinc rim is used around the top edge of the lantern, finely mitered at the corners. Patina is applied to the zinc rim, so there is continuity.

This lantern was hand-signed on the bottom of the wood base.

Shipping

Lanterns are shipped very carefully, to prevent breakage.

There are no returns for such custom items, but we’re rather certain you will be very pleased with your purchase and the character of this hand-made product.

Glass colors can be slightly different than shown here, or between a “mockup” and the finished piece, as batches vary a little from glass sheet manufacturers we use as the source for our glass-making.

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.

This 6-foot by 15.5-inch one-of-a-kind stained-glass window, in the heritage of Prairie style glass, enhanced the interior and exterior of our customer’s home at the Wolf Springs Ranch in Waconia, Minnesota.

The homeowner wanted a window that would work well with an exterior gray and gold color scheme. It also needed to pair well with interior gray cabinetry, wrought iron, and a dark java natural wood floor.

Types of Glass

Clear Seedy glass is used for the majority of the piece, allowing excellent light transmission, and shimmers of light refracting through bubbles in the glass. However, this effect is subtle enough so the entire piece has a calm, but vibrant feeling.

This stained-glass window also features smoky gray Seedy glass accents, to tie into the gray used in the exterior paint and interior finishes. A “Seedy” glass is one that has intentional stretched bubbles visible throughout.

There are also several amber-colored glasses used, including a golden amber with a mottled surface, and a double-rolled glass with pleasant surface striations.  Double-rolled is a glass sheeting forming method wherein glass is pressed between rotating metal rolls to form the sheet.

Construction

Since the panel is rather wide, hidden copper strip reinforcement is used, end-to-end along several rows. This prevents excessive warping, for long life.

Solder lines were given a black patina, and the entire piece was treated with a finishing compound for luster and protection from the elements.

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.

A customer in Illinois remodeled their kitchen and wanted a special touch of class to enhance their cabinetry. This kitchen cabinet glass insert uses a classic diamond pattern, with hand-soldered seams and custom glass clips for a unified look.

The homeowner wanted a clean, simple design using purely clear Seedy glass – nothing distracting or complex. Seedy glass has intentional bubbles within the sheet. It offers a pleasant combination of visibility plus natural concealment of cabinet contents.

Kitchen Cabinet Glass Insert Construction

Each piece of glass in this kitchet cabinet glass panel was precisely cut and aligned to deliver professional, hand-crafted quality. The piece was checked continually to make sure it matches final dimensions.

Each piece of glass was then edged with copper and soldered to adjoining pieces.

Next, a first layer of solder was applied, to create a stable single piece.

Then, a fine bead of solder was carefully applied along each seam to provide dimension. 

Lastly, a zinc frame was joined around the perimeter, and the entire piece was given a patina. In this case, the customer chose a black patina. Copper or natural solder are other options.

A single sheet of tempered glass was layered behind the stained glass, to protect the front glass from inadvertent cracks or chips. Who wouldn’t be frustrated if a protruding mug handle cracked the front glass upon a brisk close of the cabinet? Attention to detail matters.

A finishing compound was applied to give the surface a luster and to help protect the solder and glass from kitchen oils and other elements.

Custom Glass Clips – An Extra Touch of Quality and Beauty

We offer custom cabinet glass clips, which are a beautiful upgrade from standard, less durable and less attractive plastic clips. The clips are wrought from metal and are hand-made to an appropriate size, standard shapes or a custom pattern designed to your taste.

This customer include these custom metal clips, to dress up the back of their cabinet door. The clips have patina color and surface that matches the stained-glass window exactly.

This attention to detail is a hallmark of Prairie Home Glass.

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.

Do you want to add warm light to your interior with a quality hand-made Mission or Prairie style votive lantern? Are you hosting a wedding and want hand-made quality gifts for your wedding party, which can also add a touch of glass to your reception?

Prairie Home Glass will design and deliver hand-cut and soldered clear or stained glass lanterns.

Construction

You can order a lantern with the same size and colors and wood base as the one shown here, or contact me to customize your color scheme and size to suit your interior home or business.

I then design and hand-craft your lanterns. Prairie Home Glass specializes in prairie style, Arts & Crafts stained glass design, so your panels are sure to be simple, elegant and welcoming. Soldering is very high quality, with clean solder lines.

You choose patina color for the solder (black, copper or natural). You can also choose to have each panel finished with a Carnauba Wax finishing compound to help prevent corrosion, or leave panels unfinished to allow natural oxidation of solder.

A zinc rim is used around the top edge of the lantern, finely mitered at the corners. Patina is applied to the zinc rim in a way that offers some natural variation and character instead of a solid patina color. This helps the piece feel a bit “aged” and quaint.

Each lantern is hand-signed on the bottom of the wood base and felt pads are also added to the base.

Shipping

Lanterns are shipped very carefully, to prevent breakage.

There are no returns for such custom items, but we’re rather certain you will be very pleased with your purchase and the character of this hand-made product.

Note that glass colors can be slightly different than shown here, as batches vary a little from glass sheet manufacturers we use as the source for our glass-making.

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.

Do you have exterior or interior lighting on your home, such as an aluminum or cast-iron lantern? Did your lighting come with less-than-inspired flat or beveled clear glass panels that show the ugly incandescent or LED bulb and other unattractive internal workings? Do you want to add curb appeal, character and value to your home with a custom stained-glass insert?

Prairie Home Glass will design and deliver hand-cut and soldered clear or stained glass panels to insert into your existing lighting. Many lights installed by builders or purchased from retailers can easily be unscrewed to replace the original glass insert.

Construction

First, you provide us with the exact dimensions (Width, Height, Thickness) of your original glass insert, or send us an online link to specifications from the manufacturer. It is best for you to also send us a detailed, closeup photo of the surrounding metal frame that houses your glass panels. This will help us finish the edges of the panels to fit seamlessly within the metal frame.

We then design and hand-craft a pattern to suit your taste and the character of your homes architecture or interior design. Colored glass, clear glass, Seedy glass (with natural bubbles within the glass sheet) – you have many options. Prairie Home Glass specializes in prairie style, Arts & Crafts stained glass design, so your panels are sure to be simple, elegant and welcoming.

You choose the glass color and patina (black, copper or natural). You can also choose to have each panel finished with a Carnauba Wax finishing compound to help prevent corrosion, or leave panels unfinished to allow natural oxidation of solder.

You might want to replace all panels or only one. In some instances, such as the profile of the lantern shown here, we recommend not replacing the rear glass panel. This allows brighter light to escape from the rear of the lantern. Those Prairie Home Glass people – always thinking!

Installation of Stained-Glass Inserts *

In many instances, you can install your new Prairie Home Glass panels yourself by unscrewing the metal frame and simply pulling out the existing glass and inserting your new beautiful panels. Do this carefully, as some original glass inserts may have rough or very sharp edges. Prairie Home Glass edges are soldered, so they are not sharp.

Alternatively, you can invite Aaron Cooper to your home to replace your glass and enjoy a cup of herbal tea (his favorite).

Shipping

Inserts are shipped very carefully, to prevent breakage.

There are no returns for such custom items, but we’re rather certain you will be very pleased with your purchase and the character of this hand-made product.

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.

* ⚠ We recommend turning off power to lights before installation.

Do you have an office window, entry door side or top window or other clear surface that could use a personal, custom touch of stained or clear glass? Do you own a business, healthcare environment or other space that might be more welcoming to customers or patients?

Here is an example of a Prairie Home Glass custom window design – a reinterpretation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Tree of Life window originally designed for the Darwin D. Martin House, hand-crafted for a Minnesota homeowner.

Icons were custom-designed and added to the lower three panels, representing Jesus Christ’s life and the new life that springs eternally from His grace, light and love – He came, He saw, He conquered.

Contact me to envision how hand-crafted stained glass might add a colorful, welcoming glow and value for your family living space or business. The possibilities are limitless – from windows, to glass interior space dividers, to glass art wall hangings.

 

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? Contact Aaron for an estimate and visual representation of your future glass.