Ozark Living

Beth Erbe Beth Erbe is a stained glass artist and together with her husband, Chris Erbe, runs Cutting Edge Glass Creations located in Farmington, AR. With 21 years in the decorative glass industry, Beth loves challenges and new opportunities. Her passions are God, family, glass and her pets. When I talk to clients, one of the most common things I hear is that they love and want light in their homes, and they want privacy. An easy solution for privacy is to install blinds in a home, but is that the best solution? Blinds have their purpose in the home, however I do not feel that they should be in every single window. Plus, there are always those pesky eyebrow, triangle, trapezoid or arch top windows that are not possible to install blinds in. Today I would like to address the amount of light in the home, which I believe could change our daily lives. Could the rise of medical conditions be connected to the amount of window blinds we see in our homes because of the reduction of light? Would our moods and health improve if we were more exposed to natural sunlight? ere are many studies that have been done regarding the eff ects of natural sunlight that say yes. We can improve our lives by changing how we treat our windows. Decorative glass is an excellent solution that can provide privacy without blocking natural sunlight. A quick search for decorative glass can leave you more confused than educated, so I'd like to explain these options in depth. Decorative glass can be a vague word. It means any type of leaded, stained, textured, sandblasted and etched glass. e benefi ts of decorative glass are many. is option provides the greatest amount of customization, the ability to completely control how much light comes into the home, and how much privacy is desired. Leaded glass refers to clear textured glass, which is hand cut and assembled into a design much like a stained glass window. Stained glass windows are various colors of sheet glass, which are hand cut and assembled to create a design. Textured glass windows whether used alone as a single pane or in a leaded design comes in various degrees of distortion and density. is allows the homeowner to choose what level of privacy they are the most comfortable with. Sandblasted/etched glass creates a frosted look, which can be solid or can incorporate design elements into the glass. Windows that are hard or impossible to install blinds in can easily become a focal point for the home by using decorative glass. Decorative glass can be placed in the front entryway, as well as the master bathroom, dining room windows, transoms and kitchens. Do you have a dark room? A reputable contractor can cut a window into an exterior or interior wall. is hole can be framed in for installation of a decorative glass window between the rooms. It adds light without losing the separation of the rooms. e amount of heat that can enter a home from sunlight during the summer may be a concern. Windows without blinds can defi nitely make the air conditioner work harder and your home warmer. A balance between allowing more natural light into the home and preventing additional heat would be to place blinds on south and west facing windows and leaving north and east windows uncovered. Any window where privacy is a concern could be handled with decorative glass. Decorative glass windows can be installed using Low E glass. is glass is treated to drastically reduce UV light that is what transmits heat into the home. Decorative glass can allow natural sunlight into our homes in functional and fun ways. Consider how much light you have in your home and your health. Which windows would benefi t in your home by replacing them with decorative glass to improve your quality of life? Which windows would benefi t in your home by replacing them with decorative glass to improve your quality of life? OZARK LIVING • AUGUST 2018 • 23

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