Illuminating Our Home: The Journey of a Tiffany Glass Window
- Frank & Sylvie
- May 17
- 9 min read
A Home Inspired by Elegance and Memories
When my wife and I purchased our rental house in the south of France in 2022, we were inspired by the elegance and intricacy of the Art Nouveau style to guide its decoration. This choice was more than an aesthetic decision; it reflected our love for the period's artistic flair and the desire to create a unique and welcoming space for our guests. Among the various projects we envisioned to bring this vision to life, creating a Tiffany glass window stood out as a labor of love and creativity.
The choice of motif was deeply personal. We wanted to pay tribute to our beloved black female cat "Luna", who had been a part of our lives for 12 years before passing away shortly after we bought the house in France. To adapt to the luminosity requirements of a glass window, we reimagined our cat in stunning shades of blue, blending seamlessly into an Art Nouveau-inspired design. Positioned above the main entrance, the window would not only enhance the house's charm but also serve as a meaningful centerpiece visible from both inside and outside the home.
Breathing Life into a Vision: Designing the Motif
The journey of creating our Tiffany glass window began with careful planning and design. To ensure a perfect fit above the entrance, we measured the dimensions of the existing windows in advance. The goal was to keep the original transparent windows in place while mounting the Tiffany windows from the inside. This arrangement created a double-glass effect, offering additional protection for the artwork and slightly improving thermal insulation.
For the motif, I drew inspiration from various Art Nouveau designs, referencing period-specific patterns and ideas found online. My wife and I worked together to select the colors, aiming for a balance that retained a large amount of transparency to allow ample light to pass through. The initial concept was sketched using the Procreate app on an Apple tablet, where the fluid lines and intricate details of the design took shape. Once satisfied with the draft, I transferred it to Adobe Illustrator on a PC to finalize the layout with precise dimensions, preparing a 1:1 scale blueprint for the next steps.
The number '22' at the top of the design is a subtle reference to the year we acquired the house and lost Luna, further tying this artwork to our story.
Mastering the Art: Learning the Tiffany Technique
For my 60th birthday, my wife surprised me with a workshop at Tiffany-Glaskünstler in Frankfurt-am-Main, run by Dieter and Ingeborg Gebauer-Milbradt. This experience marked the beginning of our hands-on journey into the world of Tiffany glass artistry. During the workshop, we received a brief introduction to the history of the Tiffany technique, a decorative art form popularized by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 19th century. Known for its vibrant colors and intricate designs, this technique has become a hallmark of Art Nouveau craftsmanship.
The workshop itself was intensive and engaging. Under the guidance of Dieter and Ingeborg, we completed a small project that covered the essential steps of the process. We learned how to cut glass into various convex and concave shapes, polish the edges, fix copper bands to the glass, and solder with tin to join the pieces together. We also practiced treating the solder joints to achieve the classic black patina finish. These few hours of focused practice gave me the confidence to tackle my larger project. With the right tools, I discovered that cutting glass was not only possible but also incredibly satisfying.
In a follow-up meeting, I returned with my blueprints in hand. Together with my wife, we selected the glass colors for the project, ensuring they would align with our design vision. We also purchased the necessary tools and a polishing machine, setting the stage for the ambitious task ahead.
Building the Foundation: Crafting Wooden Panels and Frames
With the blueprint finalized, the next step was to create wooden panels and frames to facilitate the assembly process. One copy of the blueprint was cut into individual sections, serving as templates for cutting the glass pieces.
Another copy was glued onto a wooden panel to act as a positioning guide for each piece of glass. To encapsulate the window, I constructed a frame by gluing wooden strips along the edges of the panel, as shown in the photo.
While this method proved effective during assembly, I later realized it would have been better to screw the wooden strips into place rather than gluing them. This would have allowed for their removal, which became necessary after soldering added thickness to the glass edges, making it difficult to fit the finished pieces back into the frame. Despite this challenge, the panel and frame setup provided a sturdy foundation for the intricate work that lay ahead.
Shaping the Colors: Cutting and Polishing the Glass
The next phase was perhaps the most time-consuming yet rewarding part of the project: cutting and polishing the glass pieces. With the wooden panel and template ready, I carefully selected glass sheets in the colors we had chosen earlier. Each sheet held the potential to bring our vision to life, and precision was key to ensuring that every piece would fit seamlessly into the design.
Using the individual blueprint sections as guides, I began cutting the glass into the intricate shapes required by the motif. Convex and concave curves presented particular challenges, but the skills I had learned during the workshop helped me approach these with confidence. Convex shapes were relatively easy to cut, as the process involved starting from the outside and making cuts that joined the tangents of the shape, following the contour briefly before exiting tangentially. Concave shapes, particularly strong ones like half-circle cuts within a larger shape, were more demanding. These required approximating the shape by removing material step by step, using larger cutting radii to gradually refine the curve.
To assist with these precise tasks, I used specialized tools: a handheld glass cutter with a small hardened wheel to score the glass surface, running pliers to apply even pressure along the score for clean breaks (especially useful for concave cuts), and glass nippers to trim and shape edges during refinement.
The repetitive process of cutting, refining, and polishing the edges demanded both focus and patience.
Once cut, each glass piece underwent polishing to smooth the edges and achieve a perfect fit. This step ensured that the pieces could be safely handled and securely joined later on. The pieces are then placed on the board and separated with pins to ensure place for the cupper bands.
Over 50 hours of meticulous work went into shaping the glass, and the satisfaction of seeing the design slowly come together made every moment worthwhile.
Strengthening the Edges: Applying Copper Foil
With the glass pieces precisely cut and polished, the next step was to prepare them for assembly by applying copper foil to their edges. The copper foil, an essential component of the Tiffany technique, creates a surface that allows the pieces to be soldered together seamlessly.
Using rolls of adhesive-backed copper tape, I carefully wrapped each edge of the glass pieces. This step required a steady hand to ensure the foil was evenly applied, as uneven edges could compromise the final soldering process. The tape was then pressed firmly against the glass to eliminate any air bubbles or gaps, securing it in place (see photo below from top left to bottom right).
The copper foil not only acts as a functional layer but also contributes to the aesthetic of the finished piece, as the solder joints would later form a beautiful black patina. Over the course of 10 hours, I methodically foiled each piece of glass, taking care to maintain the clean, precise lines that would define the window's intricate design.
One significant challenge arose with the piece numbered B36, which featured a strong concave shape. The hand-blown glass used for this piece proved particularly fragile and broke repeatedly during cutting. After four unsuccessful attempts, I decided to make a pause and delay this final cut to another day. Coming with a fresh mind I finally managed to cut and finish it. A success that required both patience and determination.
Learning to Join: Mastering the Art of Soldering
With the copper foil in place, the next step was to reinforce the structure of the window. This was achieved by incorporating stronger copper bands into some interstices between the glass pieces, particularly on long segments, to provide additional strength and stability.
Once the reinforcement was in place, I proceeded to join the glass pieces together using solder. While I already had experience soldering electronic components, the technique required here was entirely different. The soldering iron used for this kind of project had a much larger tip, designed to distribute heat more evenly.
I worked with a specialized flux oil. This flux, composed of a base of isopropyl alcohol with 10% zinc chloride and 2% ammonium chloride, played a vital role in cleaning the metal surface, removing oxidation, and ensuring proper adhesion of the solder to the copper foil.
To refine my technique, I scheduled another session with the professionals in Frankfurt, where Dieter and Ingeborg guided me through the intricacies of soldering. In just a few hours, I learned how to achieve clean, smooth solder joints that would both secure the pieces and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the final window.
The soldering process required a steady hand and precision. Using a soldering iron and tin solder, I carefully joined the edges of the copper-foiled glass pieces. The tin flowed seamlessly along the foil, creating strong and durable connections. Attention to detail was key, as uneven or excess solder could detract from the final look.
The practice session not only taught me the technical skills but also boosted my confidence to handle the soldering for the three panels of the window. By the end of the session, I felt equipped to tackle this critical step in the project.
Once a face is done, the window is carefully turned and the process continues on the other face.
Adding the Final Touches: Patina and Cleaning
With the soldering completed, the next step was to enhance the aesthetic of the solder joints by applying a black patina. For this, I used a specialized acid-based patina solution containing selenium dioxide. This compound reacts chemically with the tin in the solder, creating a uniform black finish that beautifully complemented the glass and gave the window an aged, authentic appearance.
The application required careful handling due to the reactive nature of the acid. Using a small brush, I applied the patina evenly over all the soldered joints. The transformation was immediate, as the bright silver lines darkened to a deep, matte black, enhancing the visual depth and coherence of the design.
Once the patina was complete, I meticulously cleaned the window using a gentle glass cleaner and soft cloth to remove any residue from the soldering, flux, or patina process. This step ensured the glass sparkled and the intricate details of the design stood out, ready for framing and installation.
Framing and Installation: Bringing the Window to Life
The final stage of the project was framing and installing the completed window. The frame was composed of three panels of multiplex wood, each featuring three openings. The middle panel was cut to the exact dimensions of the glass panels, while the external panels were designed with slightly smaller openings, leaving a 3 mm margin on each side. This design allowed for a secure fit and added depth to the frame's appearance.
To ensure durability and flexibility for future maintenance, two of the panels were glued together to form a stable base, while the third panel was screwed into place. This configuration allowed the frame to be disassembled if any repairs or adjustments were needed in the future.
Once the frame was assembled, I carefully mounted the three glass panels, securing them with strong adhesive and small wooden stops. Special attention was given to aligning the panels evenly within the frame to avoid stress on the glass.
Finally, just before Christmas, my daughter helped me to install the framed window above the entrance. The double-glass arrangement, with the Tiffany window placed behind the existing transparent panes, created an insulating layer and provided additional protection for the artwork. This final step took about an hour and marked the culmination of months of meticulous work and creativity.
As sunlight streamed through the window, the vibrant colors of the glass came to life, casting intricate patterns and bringing a sense of warmth and artistry to the space. The finished window not only added beauty to our home but also served as a meaningful tribute to the memories and inspirations behind its creation.
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