Make Your Historic Storefront More Authentic With Stained Glass

If you own a  historic storefront property here in Dallas and are looking to update but want to keep its character–the department of the interior has sound guidelines.

According to the NPS website you should

1. Become familiar with the style

2. Preserve the storefront’s character 

3. Avoid the use of materials that were unavailable when the storefront was constructed

4. Choose paint colors based on the building’s historical appearance.

In keeping with this adding stained glass to your storefront window is a great way to accomplish both beauty and authenticity.  This is because of the history of commercial establishments in the 18th and early 19th centuries.  They were typically on the ground floor of buildings. For this reason, it was hard for retail establishments to distinguish themselves from their residential neighbors. In response to this commercial spaces began installing large bay or “oriel windows made up of numerous small panes of glass” to set the shops apart from their residential neighbors. In the early 20th century with the advent of advanced building technology, commercial structures began using decorative stained glass transom windows.  This began a trend of denoting the presence of your commercial/retail space with stained glass. Therefore, using this same glass today in your historic storefront is truly authentic.

Stained Glass Styles That Work Well For Historic Storefronts

The style of stained glass you choose for you Dallas historic storefront is really a preference issue–and there are a lot of styles to choose from.  However, if you wish to preserve the authenticity of your store’s appearance you will want a stained glass style that was popular around the time your historic structure.  Below are some suggestions

For stores built in the 1800s:  Victorian Style Stained Glass, Gothic Style Stained Glass, Mackintosh Style Stained Glass

For stores built in the early 1900s:  Greene and Greene Style Stained Glass,  Art Nouveau Style Stained Glass

For historic buildings built in the early-mid 1900s: Prairie Style Stained Glass, Art Deco Style Stained Glass

All of this depends on the look of your entire building and the theme of your store but, keeping things as close to what they may have looked like– is always a wonderful touch.

To learn more about a stained glass style that may work wonderfully on your historic Dallas building, contact us at Stained Glass Dallas. 

Martin Faith

Martin Faith is a master craftsman, builder, and designer of stained glass windows. Martin learned the art of glassmaking while living in Scotland, where he was born and raised. He has been studying stained glass as an art form for over 30 years. When he moved to the U.S., Martin opened his own shop and started selling antique and custom stained glass windows. Martin's areas of expertise range from historic and religious stained glass to popular styles such as art nouveau, Mackintosh, floral, beveled, Greene & Green, and prairie. Over the years, his company has produced and sold over 50,000 stained glass windows to customers located in Dallas and throughout the country.