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Glass has to be one of the best ways to help your flat appear larger and we love how many ideas can come from this transparent material! Just as this interior designer has done (pictured above), let the interior of your kitchen do the talking with simple black-framed glass doors and windows against a stark white wall.
Great for the homeowner who wants to appear posh without spending a bomb.
White walls to reflect light? Check. Glass to let more light in? Check.
Perfect for zoning areas in the home where privacy isn’t paramount (aside from the handful of self-confident couples who opt for a see-through en suite bathroom), glass walls allow more natural light to pass through the home.
Using glass in place of solid walls also enhance a space by giving it a lighter appearance – a useful trick for visually enlarging a HDB flat!
4 Types of Glass
Glass panels are used so commonly in the home that we don't often think of what they're made of – or rather, what type of glass they are. Glass goes through different treatment processes so they can be used safely in certain parts of the home. These different types of glass also shatter differently when they're broken. So read this, it might just save your life (and we're not just being dramatic here)!
Annealed Glass
Also known as untreated glass or "regular glass", this comes straight from the producers. It breaks into large shards with sharp edges that can cut and also impale.
Heat Strengthened Glass
Glass is heated to about 650 deg C before it is gradually cooled. This creates surface and edge compression, which makes the glass about twice as strong as untreated glass.
While the final product can withstand high heat and strong winds, it breaks into large shards, much like annealed glass. Broken pieces would stay within the frame and not crumble into small pieces like tempered glass.
Example of a broken tempered glass piece
Tempered Glass
Heated to 650 deg C, it is blasted with cold air to cool it rapidly, which makes it about four to five times stronger than untreated glass.
Also known as safety glass, it shatters into tiny pieces when broken, ensuring there are no big pieces with sharp edges. But it can shatter suddenly on its own from stress if not properly installed, or if there is presence of the impurity, nickel sulphide.
Laminated Glass
Made from layers of toughened glass and plastic bonded together, it helps the glass shards stay in place when broken so it does not break into large, sharp pieces. There is a characteristic "spider web" cracking pattern when the impact is not enough to completely pierce the glass, usually seen when the front windshield of a car is smashed.
The above glass safety information was provided from Singapore Safety Glass business development manager Gary Lee.
33 Glass Panel Partition Ideas
Here are more ways homeowners have used glass to give themselves a brighter, more spacious home.
1. Modern black and white
A glass room in the middle of your home brings plenty of light into the area and gives the illusion of more space as well.
2. Glass kitchen backsplash
Speaking of posh, check out this kitchen. Taking open concept to a whole new level, this designer gave this home a swanky vibe by separating the diners from the chef with a sleek glass divider on the shared kitchen island.
3. Glass wardrobe
Inspired by department store beauty counters, this designer gave this homeowner a display space to hold her bags and nail polishes, keeping it free from dust with glass sliding doors.
4. Glass pod
The pod-like glass wall of the study lets in natural light and visually extends the spaces.
The pod-like glass wall of the study lets in natural light and visually extends the spaces. The bench was created so that it could be converted into a platform bed when the children eventually need their own rooms.
The stunning brick arches that surround the living area, already sealed up with glass doors, let the family enjoy views of the pool and greenery without being bothered by the weather outside.
5. Glass arch doors
Glass partitions give you the luxury of having both a view of the great outdoors and modern comforts like air-conditioning! The stunning brick arches that surround the living area, already sealed up with glass doors, let the family enjoy views of the pool and greenery without being bothered by the weather outside.
6. Glass whiteboard
Having to work around a pillar in the middle of the dry kitchen, this designer decided to turn it into a feature, building a countertop around the pillar and cladding it in glass for the owners to use as a whiteboard.
7. Glass Bathroom
Having a little peek-a-boo window into the shower area might not be for all, but as this designer has shown, it definitely adds an element of fun and brings light into the tiny shower space.
8. Glass Backsplash
This glass backsplash doubles as a picture frame for this home.
9. Glass bathroom door
Glass doors for your en suite washroom allows you to have a sensual open concept bathroom but keep the area warm while you shower too.
10. Half glass wall
Instead of replacing entire walls with glass, you can also retain some sense of privacy if you keep the bottom half of the walls solid.
11. Black frame glass walls
It brightens up the common area when you replace the walls of a study with glass. Use black frames for a sharp, urban aesthetic.
12. Feature glass wall
Glass walls keep different zones in the home physically separated yet visually connected, as seen with this cut-out in the wall that divides the living and entertainment rooms.
13. Glass shutter windows
These glass window shutters serve the same purpose, and it also allows more ventilation to pass through the room as well.
14. Glass kitchen doors
Open kitchens are visually enticing. But if you cook frequently, a practical option would be to opt for glass walls instead. With this, you can contain the smoke and have the feel of an open kitchen at the same time!
15. Full height glass door
The removal of walls allows a space to appear visually lighter, and the use of full height glass doors for this study area lends this earth-toned home a boutique resort feel.
16. Double storey glass wall
The full height glass walls here enable the home’s second floor to be flooded with as much natural light as possible passing through the façade.
17. Folding glass door
A glass accordion door offers the option of semi-privacy for this study, and it can also be folded up to merge the room with the rest of the home.
18. Frosted folding glass door
Another way to use an accordion door to zone your home and retain full privacy is with frosted glass (with wire mesh for a vintage accent).
19. Glass sliding bathroom door
The master bathroom features a medley of materials; subway tiles, brick walls and mesh cabinet doors.
The master bathroom features a medley of materials; subway tiles, brick walls and mesh cabinet doors. Interior design by Space Sense
Glass walls with stainless steel trimmings for this marble bathroom. Interior design by The Scientist
20. Glass bathroom walls
Glass walls with stainless steel trimmings for this marble bathroom.
21. Glass bathroom
A glass wall separates the master bedroom and the bathroom, allowing light to flood into both spaces.
A glass wall separates the master bedroom and the bathroom, allowing light to flood into both spaces.
The organic shapes of the tub and the sink give the bathroom an elegant vibe.
22. Glass master bathroom
The organic shapes of the tub and the sink give the bathroom an elegant vibe.
23. Glass ensuite bathroom
A roomy open concept bathroom stands between the master bedroom and a room that was converted into a walk-in wardrobe. Total Renovation cost: $150,000
A roomy open concept bathroom stands between the master bedroom and a room that was converted into a walk-in wardrobe. (Total Renovation costs: $150,000)
24. Glass study room
A major interior design trend of late is for the home is to have an open concept or open plan, and one good way to still zone space is to make use of glass panels. They not only allow for a space that appears brighter and feels more spacious, they add a contemporary aesthetic, too.
26. Black frame glass partition
Black frame full height sliding glass doors separate the bedroom from living area in this small, studio condominium apartment.
Mirrors and a glass-enclosed shower give the small master bathroom a more spacious look.
28. Glass shower screen
Glass, mirrors as well as all-white tiles and bathroom fixtures make this space look bigger and brighter than it really is.
Despite its glass cubicles and floor-to-ceiling windows, the master bathroom is still safe from prying eyes, thanks to the cut-out metal screen. Glass, mirrors as well as all-white tiles and bathroom fixtures make this space look bigger and brighter than it really is.
Jade green subway tiles and terracotta-look floor tiles, purchased from Hafary, make this open-concept kitchen a cheery space. Interior Design: M3 Studio
29. Glass kitchen sliding doors
Jade green subway tiles and terracotta-look floor tiles, purchased from Hafary, make this 4-room HDB BTO's open-concept kitchen a cheery space.
Read more: View the full house tour here
30. Half kitchen wall
“The kitchen could easily have been cracked open to flow into the adjoining space but we chose to contain the cooking area to allow for worry-free cooking,” say the designers of this apartment.
These foldable doors are a clever way to enlarge the space when needed, while ensuring fumes and odours do not enter the home during heavy cooking.
Interior Design: Eightytwo
31. Folding kitchen glass doors
These foldable doors are a clever way to enlarge the space when needed, while ensuring fumes and odours do not enter the home during heavy cooking.
The wall between the kitchen and dining area was hacked and replaced with black framed glass windows, opening up the area for a sense of spaciousness.
Interior Design: D5 Studio Image
32. Half kitchen wall
The wall between the kitchen and dining area was hacked and replaced with black framed glass windows, opening up the area for a sense of spaciousness in this 4-room HDB BTO in Punggol.
Read more: View the full house tour here
Most of the unit is visible the moment you enter the flat, with tall glass doors taking the place of non-structural walls.
Interior Design: ICIA
33. Full height glass kitchen door
Most of the unit is visible the moment you enter the flat, with tall glass doors taking the place of non-structural walls in this $1 million Jumbo HDB in Ang Mo Kio.
Read more: View the full house tour here
Prevent Glass From Shattering
Untreated or annealed glass will break into large shards that can cut and even impale, causing death in some cases. This is not recommended for bathrooms, and should only be used in other parts of the home, such as for glass cabinet doors. They can also be used within aluminum frames.
Tempered glass vs Normal glass
Tempered glass is glass that has undergone a high-heat process, so that it crumbles into tiny pieces with no sharp edges when broken. Alex Kwan from Museum Homes says that this is the best option for bathrooms.
For greater durability, he recommends using 12mm-thick tempered glass panels, instead of the standard 8mm ones. However, the price of the thicker glass is 40 per cent more than the former.
“Tempered glass has a high tolerance to impact, but if the impact is at the corners, it might shatter.
For bathrooms, the right way to mount glass panels for an L-shaped shower cubicle is to set the glass into an aluminium U-channel on the floor and wall, and secure it with silicone. There is a layer of rubber insulation between the aluminium and glass, but that should be kept to a minimum to reduce friction,” says Alex.
Tempered glass may cost about 50 per cent more than regular untreated glass, but peace of mind is priceless.