Design

The beauty of stained glass over standard flat art is that has many dimensions. It may be viewed as a myriad of colored glass panes in a window and as a glorious rainbow of light projected through that window. A stained glass window rarely looks the same day in and day out, rather it changes hour by hour and day by day as the light changes in its surroundings.

  Stained glass is both an art and a craft. The art of stained glass is in the layout of the design in the space it is to occupy, much like a painter laying out a design on canvas. The choice of glass color, pattern, and texture is similar to a painter choosing the type of paint and brushes to be used. The craft is in the technical know-how of cutting and grinding the glass and assembling the finished piece from hundreds of components much like a carpenter building a house. The finished piece is both a piece of art and a carefully crafted structure.

Restoration & Repair

Whether you need a minor repair of a broken piece of glass or the restoration of a window back to its former glory, we have the experience and know-how to get the job done. If you’re interested in having a piece restored or repaired, please refer to our section on Restoration & Repair.

New Window Designs

The exciting thing about stained glass is that each piece is unique to meet the individual style and needs of each client. Good communication is the key to making the right choices when designing new windows. Speaking with potential clients about windows or custom pieces provides a better understanding of a project and improves the overall design. Meeting with clients to discuss potential designs also allows us to see the location for the new piece and get a better feel for how it will fit into its surroundings. Any unobservable direction the client can provide is useful too. One client explained that his father always had hydrangeas in their garden since he was a child, and typically they were blue. This was a great help in designing a gift panel for his parents.

What You Get

The information gathered from initial conversations is used to develop designs based on the client’s specifications and our own observations. We provide full color photo-realistic mock-ups (much like the one shown here) of what the finished piece should look like for each design we present. These mock-ups use photographs of the actual glass the window will be made with, either from the actual sheets of glass on hand or from standard samples from manufacturer. This produces one of the most realistic mock-ups available. Each design comes matted on black paper and provides a good representation of what each piece will really look like in the space. Each design is 100% custom tailored for the client who has ordered the design work, and comes with a guarantee. M. Sotherden Art Glass studio will never reproduce the same window for someone else without written permission.

Placing A Commission

The initial visit or phone consultation for a custom window takes about an hour in which we discuss all of the things pertinent to the window design. For people who aren’t sure what direction interests them, we have available stained glass reference books for inspiration, including a book of our own work.

  We stand by the principle of “If it can be drawn, it can be made in stained glass for you!” keeping this in mind helps people to start envisioning stained glass in a new way.

  New windows or repair jobs are limited at this time to within 100 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If you are outside of our work radius, please do not hesitate to call anyway. The stained glass community is rather small and we may know of a qualified studio near you!

Cost

We charge a standard per square foot price for each new window. The size, intricacy, and materials used in a piece can affect the cost of a window.

Simple designs consist of basic geometric shapes, with no lettering or painted imagery.

Moderately complex designs consist of basic shapes interspersed with organic shapes.

Complex designs consist of mostly organic shapes and intricately detailed designs.

  Certain colors of glass are more expensive than others. Bright pinks are the most expensive due to the use of gold in the glassmaking process. Other colors vary in cost according to the materials used in making the glass.

  Additional treatments such as glass painting, etching, sandblasting, multi-layering glass, unusual bevels, glass gems, and hand-blown glass, are also available and affect the cost of the final piece.

  There are no set costs for restoration work. The cost of restoration work is determined on a per case basis, depending on the scope and condition of the piece being repaired.

Terms of Payment

Payment varies from project to project but is usually from 1/3 to 1/2 down with the balance is due prior to installation. Installments payments are accepted on larger windows or projects.

Time Frame

Not every commission can be started on the day it is ordered. Most designs take about 3-6 weeks to produce. Most windows take between 2 months and 6 months to build, depending on our schedule. We will keep you notified of progress and of any changes to the project schedule.