Stained glass is undeniably awe-inspiring, but, for many of us, an element from the past. It's the sublime illumination in medieval churches (and the second coolest part of the architecture after the gargoyles) and the artisanal flourish of so many Tiffany lampshades (oh-so classic). It's the kind of thing we relish taking note of on historical-building tours, but which seems to have little place in our modern world.
The glass of our cities, after all, is no longer pigmented in the deep heavenly blues or violent reds needed to tell ecclesiastical stories on cathedral windows. And the glass of our homes is no longer meant to mimic nature or provide small, decorative details as in the art nouveau era.
These days, glazing is typically used pragmatically, and so is most often clear, reflective or tinted, providing unobstructed views, creating privacy or keeping out the sun.
That said, vibrantly hued, pigmented glass is finding its way back into contemporary design. Especially in furniture and home decor (if not our architecture), stained glass is once again inflecting our spaces with its vibrant, beguiling effects – albeit in a way that feels very "now." It's doing so as both a reference – providing inspiration for the pattern of non-glass elements such as rugs and wallpapers – as well as serving as the jumping-off point for bold new glass creations – eccentric, eclectic tables, cabinets, shelves and even coat hooks.
It's partially a part of the resurgence of craftsmanship, where things made by hand from beautiful materials are serving as an important reminder that not everything needs to come from machines. It's partly just because coloured glass is so damned pretty. Here, nine ways to get the look.
Floored by nature
New York-based Philip Sachs designs textiles with crisp, repeating patterns, but takes much of his inspiration from time spent in nature. The contrast between the orthogonal and the organic has its roots in art nouveau, when artisans such as Louis Comfort Tiffany transposed floral forms using clean lines. Sachs's hand-knotted, Stained Glass rug for CB2 captures the dichotomy exactly. The carpeting has the essence of a Tiffany lampshade, at once garden-like and geometric. $1,499; through cb2.com.
Digitally ornate
David Nosanchuk is a trained architect turned designer based in New York. From afar, his Beggars Banquet digital wallpaper, designed for Flavour Paper, looks distinctly digital, with shapes morphing in and out of one another like something that's been photoshopped. Upon closer inspection, the pattern is based on the kind of ornate, intricate stained glass window that was common in early-20th-century Manhattan. $300 (U.S.) a roll. Through flavorpaper.com.
Hooked on jellyfish
Coat hooks are most often unobtrusive, inoffensive and functional. Their aesthetic doesn't matter much because, well, they are meant to be covered by coats. The Bulb hooks, however, from German design company Schonbuch, verge on art. The hand-blown, subtly hued disks were inspired by the other-worldly forms of jellyfish. They glide across the wall just as effortlessly as the umbrella-shaped animals float through the sea. Price upon request. Through klausn.com.
Like walking on water
Los Angeles native Ini Archibong uses ecclesiastical colours, biblical metaphors and age-old materials that would be familiar to those in medieval times, but does so in a contemporary way. With his Galilee table, the legs are made of blue glass, and the top is a thin slab of marble. The inversion of heaviness supported by something light creates a powerful narrative that brings to mind the miracle of walking on water. Price upon request. Through designbyini.com.
Unlikely oppositions
Brazilian siblings Ernando and Humberto Campana (often only referred to as the Campana brothers) are two of the world's most playful designers. They love wink-filled pieces (a sofa composed of stuffed alligators, or a chair composed of stuffed dolphins). Their new Aquario Collection, inspired by fish tanks, is no exception. The cabinets riff on unlikely oppositions: warm-if-plain pine frames with colourful-if-cool glass cutouts, and ruthlessly clean lines against fun organic forms. Price upon request. Through bdbarcelona.com.
Coloured contemporary
Each of Anu Penttinen's Socks Rolled Down flutes are hand-blown and hand-formed, resulting in slight, though charming, variations. The Finnish designer contrasts traditional glass-making techniques with the spirited colours and shapes of contemporary urban life. The ribbed shape of the glass, for example, suggests a relaxed, modern mode, while the stained glass ties into Europe's long history with the craft. $42 each. Through eq3.com.
The shape of colour
Many designers think about the colour last, after they work out the proportions, size and materials. For his Shaping Colour series, Dutch designer Germans Ermics did the opposite. He used pigmented glass to create objects that capture the poetic potential of different hues. His shelf has a beautiful ombré effect. It's similar to when waves crash, and the deep ocean blues thin out to the whites of the wake. Price upon request. Through germansermics.com.
Mixing it up
For her new collection of stained-glass inflected furniture, award-winning Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola was inspired by the juxtaposition of old and new. In particular, Germany's Gothic Cologne Cathedral, which, in 2007, received new, pixel-inspired stained glass windows from contemporary artist Gerhard Richter. Urquiola's pieces have a similar mix of historical details with contemporary exuberance. Price upon request. Through spaziopontaccio.com.
A fading finish
Mexican-American artist Jesus Garcia hand blows each Jug pendant at his home studio in Los Angeles. The sky-blue colour fades from dark to light across the delicate finish of the shade. The ethereal effect is appropriate for the trend, as heavenly hues are commonly found throughout the history of stained glass. $825. Through elte.com.
Quirky credenza
Portugal-based furniture company Bitangra has blended a 1960s Mod, Jetsons-esque aesthetic with references to famous works of stained glass (including the windows at Notre Dame in Paris). The smooth, swooping lines of the credenza encase bright, hand-painted glass doors. It's a quirky piece, to be sure, but would sparkle in the right space. Price upon request. Through bitangra.com.