Although chiefly remembered today as a designer of exquisite lamp shades, Louis Comfort Tiffany was also a highly skilled designer and maker of stained glass windows. Instead of using the historic process of simply painting clear glass with color to produce the effects, he experimented with introducing pigmentation into the actual glass during the glass-making process to produce truly spectacular effects.

Traditionally used in churches and cathedrals to tell biblical stories to the uneducated who could not read, stained glass windows can provide some of the most beautiful examples of the stained glass makers’ art. In Victorian times in Britain, wealthy people sometimes used them to provide illumination for their entrance lobby. Frequently, when used for this purpose, they were fan-shaped and were fitted above the front door to the house.

Today most examples of original Tiffany-style windows are in museums or private collections. Even if they did appear on the open market, they would command astronomical prices at auction. Fortunately however, there are several modern manufacturers and designers who produce Tiffany-style windows using the same painstaking techniques used to create the original masterpieces.

Nowadays, the great majority of Tiffany-style windows are not intended to be used as actual windows, but are meant to be suspended from the ceiling on chains to provide a decorative work of art that will provide an air of sophistication to any room in the home. If, of course, you are intending to replace your house windows, or even one of them, there is no reason at all why you could not include your new Tiffany-style window into the design.

There are hundreds of designs to choose from when you are selecting a Tiffany-style window for your home. Some of them are beautiful butterfly designs made up of hundreds of pieces of iridescent glass hand-crafted into the design. Many of the designs are inspired by those of other famous artists and architects including the well-known Scot, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Of course, you need not opt to buy a Tiffany-style window just for your home. If you are a restaurateur, then you could enhance the interior design of your premises by having several Tiffany-style windows suspended from the ceiling. You could perhaps use them to introduce an individual and unique decor to secluded booths within your up-market bar or restaurant.

Also, your Tiffany-style window need not be a single window. Several designs are available with two, three or even four separate smaller windows which combine together to provide a fantastic effect.

To provide the best effect, it is obviously important that you choose a well-lit place to display your Tiffany-style window. It is best if you can suspend it in front of an existing exterior window to provide illumination from behind. Ideally, you should choose a large window with a single sheet of glass, since this will ensure that there are no distracting shadows which would detract from the appearance.

If you would like to learn more about the tremendous range of Tiffany-style windows available, then visit our web site at www.itsalltiffany.com.