The Great Thing About Glass

I've always been a big fan of glass, almost as much as I am of jewellery! In modern day society glass has been used for more functional roles such as to hold a liquid or allow light to enter a building. But glass art has always appealed to me. In fact, the use of glass for practical and decorative purposes dates back to Ancient Egypt and Rome. Glass was most likely discovered by accident when melted sand (silica)was fused in cooking fires. Glassblowing, was used in Jerusalem in the first century BC and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Other glass art techniques, such as stained glass, casting, fusing, and mosaic, evolved over time (i.e. stained glass was a very popular technique used in the cathedrals of Europe during the Middle Ages; 5th to 16th centuries AD). Eventually, glassblowing became the dominant technique with the production of glass art pieces and the industry concentrated in Murano, Italy. Many of the technologies used then including crystalline glass, enamelled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicoloured glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass are still be used today in everything from contemporary art glass and glass figurines to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers. When I founded Castle Designer Glass a few years ago, I was inspired to bring the beautiful designs that I had encountered on my travels back to my hometown of Saskatoon. The versatility of glass allows it to be used in a wide variety of surfaces including backsplashes. glass boards, freestanding or wall art, door inserts, tables, countertops, etc... in the home, the office or in a casino, spa, airport, hotel or store. Glass art gives a piece that special something that makes people take notice. When someone wants their room to standout, I can't think of a better way than with glass art.

Casinos keep it Fresh with Spectacular Art

Barry Thalden of Thalden, Boyd, Emery architects wrote a great piece in Casino Design last year about how casinos have to find new ways to keep it fresh. Based in Arizona, Thalden, Boyd Emery Architects has worked on over 400 hotels and more than 100 casinos over the last 37 years. He feels that to stay competitive and keep customers coming back for more, casinos have to innovate by following the old amusement park rule by adding one new ride a year. Customers have high expectations and they like everything that is new. He goes onto say that keeping customers on the casino floor should be the most important goal of casino design. And he's right in saying so. But even before a customer touches a slot machine or pulls up a chair at a poker table, they have to be in a good mood. Everything from the valet parking to the aesthetic beauty of the lobby to how their greeted by the staff plays just as an important role in their overall experience. At Castle Designer Glass we tend to believe that customers form their initial impressions by what they see at the entrance of the casino. All the successful casinos, such as the Dakota Dunes Casino in Saskatoon use glass to create a focal point for visitors when they enter the casino. At Dakota Dunes they used glass to create a conic shape to commemorate water. Glass is one of the most flexible materials, helping us see what could be while serving functional purposes.