Beyond the Splashback: 10 Clever Ways to Use Glass Around Your Home
When most people think about glass in the home, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a kitchen splashback.
But glass can do a lot more than protect the wall behind your hob.
From a statement mirror or walk-in shower to glass wardrobe doors, a modern staircase or a completely personalised piece of printed glass, there are plenty of ways to use glass to make a home feel brighter, more open and more individual.
At Prestiglass, we make and install a wide range of bespoke glass products for homes across Ireland. And after years of working with homeowners, we’ve seen just how creative you can be with glass.
So, if you’re planning a renovation — or simply looking for something a little different — here are 10 clever ways to use glass around your home.
1. Make Your Kitchen Stand Out With a Glass Splashback
A glass splashback is one of the easiest ways to give a kitchen a completely different look without replacing the whole room.
Unlike traditional tiled splashbacks, a made-to-measure glass panel gives you a smooth surface without grout joints, making it easy to clean and maintain.
But the biggest advantage for many homeowners is the choice.
You can choose a simple painted colour, a mirror finish or go for something completely bespoke with a printed design.
Think:
Marble and stone effects
Abstract patterns
Flowers and botanical designs
Landscapes
City skylines
Tiles and brick effects
Your own photograph
At Prestiglass, kitchen splashbacks can be manufactured to your exact measurements, with cut-outs for sockets and other fittings where required. Our standard splashbacks use 6mm toughened Low-Iron glass, with painted and direct UV-printed options available.
And if you can’t find the perfect design, you can even provide your own image.
Your splashback doesn’t have to blend into the kitchen. It can be the part everyone notices first.
2. Give Your Bathroom a Completely New Look With Glass
Glass can be just as effective in a bathroom as it is in a kitchen.
Large glass wall panels can create a clean, contemporary alternative to traditional tiled areas around a bath, basin or shower.
The smooth surface is easy to wipe down, while the lack of grout lines can give the room a much cleaner appearance.
And this is where printed glass can become particularly interesting.
Instead of choosing another row of ordinary tiles, you could have a marble effect, landscape, underwater scene, abstract design or another image printed directly onto the glass.
It can turn what would normally be a functional bathroom wall into a genuine feature.
For smaller bathrooms, lighter colours and reflective finishes can also help the room feel brighter and more spacious.
Sometimes one large piece of glass can make more impact than an entire wall of tiles.
3. Make a Small Bathroom Feel Bigger With a Glass Shower Screen
Why choose a glass shower screen for a smaller bathroom?
Because it doesn’t visually divide the room in the same way as a solid shower enclosure.
A glass shower screen or walk-in shower allows light to travel through the space and keeps the room feeling open.
This can make a noticeable difference in smaller bathrooms, particularly in older Irish homes where space can be limited.
A bespoke shower screen also means you’re not restricted to one standard size.
The glass can be designed around the actual shape and layout of your bathroom, whether you’re looking for a simple screen, a walk-in shower or a more complex arrangement with doors.
For a minimalist bathroom, clear glass with discreet fittings can create a very clean look.
For something more private or decorative, there are also different glass finishes and designs to consider.
The best shower screen is often the one you barely notice — because it lets the rest of the bathroom do the talking.
4. Use a Bespoke Mirror to Bring More Light Into a Room
A mirror can do much more than show you your reflection.
Used in the right place, it can reflect natural light, make a room appear larger and turn an otherwise empty wall into a feature.
And you don’t have to stick to a standard bathroom mirror.
Large made-to-measure mirrors can work beautifully in:
Hallways
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Dressing rooms
Home gyms
Living rooms
Stair areas
You can also move beyond traditional silver mirror.
Depending on the look you’re after, options can include bronze, graphite and antique mirror finishes.
A large antique mirror can bring character to a traditional interior, while a simple silver or graphite mirror can work beautifully in a modern home.
If a room feels dark or a little flat, a well-placed mirror might be all it needs.
5. Turn Your Wardrobe Into Part of the Interior Design
Wardrobes take up a lot of wall space, so why not make them part of the design?
Glass wardrobe doors can completely change the appearance of a bedroom or dressing area.
Mirrored doors can help reflect light and make a smaller bedroom feel more spacious, while coloured, tinted, frosted or printed glass can create something much more individual.
For children’s bedrooms, we’ve even produced printed wardrobe doors featuring themes such as animals, sports, music and favourite characters.
For adults, a more subtle design could be used — perhaps tinted glass, a soft neutral colour, a nature-inspired print or a combination of glass and mirror.
Aluminium-framed glass wardrobe doors can also create a clean, contemporary look that works particularly well in modern bedrooms.
Your wardrobe doesn’t have to look like an afterthought. It can become one of the room’s main features.
6. Open Up Your Home With Glass Balustrades and Stair-risers
Staircases can have a huge impact on how a home feels.
A solid staircase or traditional balustrade can sometimes make a hallway feel darker and more enclosed. Glass has the opposite effect.
A glass balustrade allows light and sightlines to pass through, helping the area feel more open.
It works particularly well in:
Modern new-build homes
Open-plan interiors
Hallways with limited natural light
Contemporary renovations
Homes with a feature staircase
Glass can also be combined with different fittings, frames or handrails depending on the style of the property.
And if you’re looking for something even more unusual, glass stair risers can take the idea further and create a striking contemporary staircase.
A staircase doesn’t have to disappear into the background. With the right glass design, it can become one of the main features of your home.
7. Turn Your Favourite Image Into a Piece of Printed Glass
This is where glass becomes much more than a building material.
With direct UV printing, a photograph, artwork or design can be transformed into a large decorative glass panel.
You could use:
A favourite holiday photograph
An Irish landscape
A city skyline
A botanical design
Abstract artwork
A family photograph
A favourite painting
A completely custom design
Printed glass can be used as wall art, splashbacks, furniture panels, bathroom features and other decorative applications.
At Prestiglass, we use direct UV printing technology to print directly onto glass rather than simply applying a sticker or vinyl image.
That opens up a huge amount of creative freedom.
Why buy a picture for the wall when the wall itself can become the picture?
8. Add a Touch of Luxury With Glass Shelves
Glass shelving is a relatively small change, but it can make a room feel much lighter and cleaner.
Because glass is visually light, it doesn’t have the same heavy appearance as solid shelving.
It can work particularly well in:
Bathrooms
Kitchens
Display cabinets
Living rooms
Home offices
Dressing areas
Made-to-measure glass shelves are especially useful where standard shelving doesn’t quite fit.
You can also choose different thicknesses, shapes and edge finishes depending on the application.
In a bathroom, for example, glass shelving can provide useful storage without making the room feel crowded.
In a living room, it can be used to display photographs, books or decorative pieces while keeping the overall design minimal.
Sometimes the smallest details are what make a finished room feel complete.
9. Don’t Forget the Window Sills
Window sills aren’t usually the first thing people think about when planning a renovation.
But they can make a surprisingly big difference to the finished look of a room.
A made-to-measure glass window sill can give a kitchen, bathroom or contemporary interior a clean, modern finish.
It can also be coordinated with other glass elements in the room.
For example, you could match the colour of a glass sill with your kitchen splashback, or use a printed glass sill as a small decorative feature.
It’s one of those details you might not notice immediately — but when everything works together, the whole room feels more considered.
It’s often the little details that make a renovation look properly finished.
10. Enjoy the View With Outdoor Glass Balustrades
Glass isn’t just for inside the house.
Outdoor glass balustrades can be a great choice for balconies, terraces, raised areas, patios and other spaces where you want safety without losing the view.
One of the biggest advantages is the visual openness.
Instead of a solid barrier blocking your garden, countryside or coastal view, glass keeps the space feeling open while providing a practical barrier.
This can be particularly effective for homes with a view worth showing off.
Whether you’re overlooking a garden in Mayo, the countryside in Galway or the coast somewhere along the west of Ireland, the last thing you want is a bulky barrier getting in the way.
For projects involving stairs and guarding, the relevant requirements should always be considered as part of the overall design. The Department of Housing’s Technical Guidance Document K provides guidance on stairways, ladders, ramps and guards in Ireland.
Technical Guidance Document K – Stairways, Ladders, Ramps and Guards
With glass, you can enjoy the view rather than build a wall in front of it.
Why Choose Bespoke Glass?
One of the biggest advantages of using glass around your home is that you’re not limited to standard sizes, colours or designs.
Bespoke glass can be made to suit the actual space you’re working with.
That means you can choose the:
Size and shape
Colour
Finish
Print or pattern
Mirror effect
Edge finish
Cut-outs and openings
Fittings and overall design
At Prestiglass, we manufacture a wide range of glass products from our facility in Ballina, Co. Mayo, including kitchen and bathroom splashbacks, shower screens, mirrors, glass shelves, wardrobe doors, printed glass, balustrades, stair glass and more.
We also work with homeowners on customised designs, so if you have an idea that isn’t quite covered by a standard product, it’s worth asking what can be made.
Bespoke doesn’t mean that every project is simply made differently. The glass specification still needs to be appropriate for its intended application, with relevant safety and performance requirements taken into account. In Ireland, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) provides access to Irish, European and international standards covering areas such as product quality, design, performance and safety. National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)
Which Glass Idea Would Work Best in Your Home?
You don’t always need to start with a product.
Sometimes it’s easier to start with the problem.
Is your kitchen looking dated?
A coloured or printed glass splashback could completely change it.
Does your bathroom feel small?
A glass shower screen and large mirror could make it feel much more open.
Is your staircase dark?
A glass balustrade could let more light through.
Does your bedroom need a fresh look?
Consider glass or mirrored wardrobe doors.
Do you have a blank wall that needs something different?
Printed glass could turn it into a feature.
And if you have an idea but aren’t sure whether it can actually be made in glass, that’s exactly the kind of thing we can help with.
Thinking About Glass for Your Home?
Whether you’re renovating one room or working on a new-build home, bespoke glass can be a simple way to add colour, light and personality without completely changing the space.
At Prestiglass, we manufacture and install bespoke glass products for homes across Ireland, with customers and installations throughout Mayo, Sligo, Galway, Roscommon, Dublin and beyond.
Have an idea? Send us a photo, measurements or even a rough sketch and we’ll be happy to discuss what’s possible.
👉 Contact us for a quote
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📞 089 459 3309
📞 096 76767
🌐 www.prestiglass.ie
Your home doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.
Let’s create something in glass that’s made for you
