Archive for the ‘Stained Glass Windows’ Category
Antique Stained Glass Windows – Another Option
After returning from a recent vacation, I’m excited to update our website with some new photos of my bounty. While driving down the local road in the Outer Banks, NC a home on the side of the road caught my eye. I noticed many stained glass windows and stained glass window panels laid neatly in the yard and also a few hanging from a large tree. Of course I had to stop, and it turns out that this wasn’t a home at all, but an antique shop. If you’ve ever been to small communities, you’ll know that the signs and advertising are purposely kept very subtle to enhance the areas appeal. Nonetheless, I stopped into the shop to check out what they had.
Wow! this place was absolutely beautiful and stunning. It was a hidden gem in a sea of beaches and oceans. It turns out that the owner of the store visits England in the winter every year and has relationships in place to find and bring back antique stained glass windows and doors. Most of the pieces are from the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. I was enthralled. What I thought was really cool about these pieces were that the vast majority of them were still kept in their original window casings or door casings. Talk about finding true treasures of history! 
Anyways, I know that most of this site focuses on window films like stained glass window film, and decorative window film…but I wanted to share some pictures to show the amazing quality and beauty of old world craftsmen. While I wish I could say that you could find a window film that produce the same quality as these panels, I don’t think you’d be happy with the results. Decorative window films have their place and offer great alternatives in your home…mostly cost. These antique stained glass panels were very expensive. Sigh…we are all allowed to dream aren’t we? 
So a good question might be…if you are feeling rather flush of cash in a particular month…where could you find stained glass like this? I’m afraid I don’t have a simple answer. I literally stumbled upon this small antique store by accident. Certainly you might also be able to find similar shops and stores in popular tourist destinations. Don’t think “Disney World” type areas…but more like antique havens. The East coast of the US immediately comes to mind and in my case was where I found these beauties.
I also realize that cost is a subjective number for something as magnificent as these pieces…I thought I’d share the prices at this store. For small single pane casement windows that still had the stained glass in them the average price ranged from 125 to 400 dollars depending on the intricacy of the pattern of the glass. For larger pieces and doors, the prices ranged from 300 all the way up to 3000 dollars for the most beautiful and ornate stained glass panels. I ended up spending about 200 dollar for a very nice piece from 1900 England. It was simple and elegant and I’ll try to post its picture on this website once I get it hung by our front window…where it is going to stay as a showcase piece of our living room.
