Want to bring more natural light into your home? Natural light can not only brighten and cheer up an otherwise drab room, but it also creates an illusion of more space. Natural light is not so easy to come by, unfortunately. Here are four ways you can use glass and mirrors to harness the power of the natural light you have to work with.

Hang & Place Mirrors Strategically

Mirrors’ reflective properties are a great way to use whatever light you already have in your home without having to do any major work to it. To get the most of the mirrors you have, place them on the same or neighboring walls of windows. Hanging them directly across from windows will actually cause them to reflect the light directly back out those same windows. It’s geometry, really. When you place a mirror on a neighboring wall (to the left or right), the light is reflected at an angle that brightens the room.

Another way to use mirrors to your advantage is to use oversized mirrors. Oversized mirrors have the ability to reflect larger amounts of light when placed correctly (see above). Use them as a wall piece in place of art, hanging above a couch, or lying against a blank wall.

Add Reflective Accessories

Mirrors aren’t the only reflective piece you can use to make the most of the light in your home. Anything reflective helps, such as metallic lamps and furniture accessories, or glass tabletops. These will all reflect any light and disperse it throughout your home, giving the illusion of more natural light. Custom glass tabletops are a great addition to brighten up any room in your home.

Install Glass Doors Internally & Externally

If adding more mirrors and reflective accessories and furniture doesn’t help, you might need to go a step further. Internally, you can switch out opaque wood doors throughout your first floor for glass french doors. This design element will allow light to pass between rooms, creating a more open effect inside your home.

Externally you can replace your solid entrance door with one that has glass panels. You can go even further by adding glass transom lights on top of your door, and sidelights on the sides of your entrance door. Together, these design changes can add a lot more light to the front rooms of your home.

Consider Adding Skylights

Lastly, if you have rooms in your home that you just can’t seem to lighten up no matter what you try, consider adding skylights. This allows natural sunlight to flood into your home from your ceiling. These really do add the most natural light, but they are also one of the most extreme ways to get it.

Janssen Glass & Door can help your dreams of a brighter home become a reality in your Kansas City home. Call us today at (913) 677-5727 today. Janssen Glass can help you create a custom glass, door, window or mirror piece to bring more light into your life.

Most people spend a considerable amount of time in their kitchen every day. It’s where you fuel your stomach and your soul. It’s a place to use all your senses while cooking a family meal, and to spend valuable time with the ones you love. But don’t let a less-than-favorable kitchen area stop you from enjoying that time to the fullest. One of homeowners’ biggest complaints about their kitchens tends to be space and light. There’s only so much you can do about the tangible amount of space, but there are several ways to work with that space to make it seem bigger and more appealing.

Glass Cabinets

A great way to open up your kitchen, and make it appear brighter, is by switching out your current solid material cabinets for glass front cabinets. There are lots of ways to make this look mesh with the style of your kitchen too. If you have more of a traditional style, try installing glass front cabinets with grids (like your windows) on one wall. For a more modern spin, try entirely glass front cabinets without a frame paired with simple hardware.

Glass Shelves

Another way to create a more roomy feel is to replace open shelving with glass shelves. Whether it’s placed inside a framed shelving structure, or stand-alone shelving, glass shelves allow you to keep your storage space, while still creating a more open, airy space which light can more easily pass through. You can even pair glass shelves with glass front cabinets for a super open effect. This does wonders for small kitchens, or kitchens that don’t get a lot of natural light because it allows you to capitalize on the small amount that you do have.

Glass Front Refrigerators

Another insanely cool feature we’ve been seeing in kitchens lately is glass front appliances, like refrigerators. While an image of frigid, and poorly lit grocery stores might come to mind, it’s much different. These refrigerators are much more modern and sophisticated. Again, it creates less of a barrier for your eyes, creating more depth to the room. While these were originally popular among the restaurant industry’s top chefs, these appliances have really gone mainstream. They also work with a large array of styles. You don’t need a super modern kitchen for it to work. Glass front refrigerators look beautiful in elegant and sophisticated kitchens, even rustic kitchens!

Call the Kansas City glass experts at Janssen Glass & Door to help you create a more open and light kitchen without having to deal with any major remodeling. You can reach us at (913) 677-5727.

This summer show off your outdoor living space with custom glass pieces from Kansas City’s preferred glass specialist, Janssen Glass & Door. We specialize in glass, and can custom create pieces for anything you might want. We love how clean and classic it looks in literally any setting. Here are three beautiful ways to incorporate this look into your patio so you can enjoy it to the fullest this summer.

Custom Glass Tabletop

Whether it’s indoor or outdoor, Janssen Glass can create the perfect custom glass tabletop for your patio. We can make a glass table top to lay over an existing table, which helps create more stability for food and drink to sit on, or we can cut an entirely independent glass piece for a completely unique look. We can also create any glass edge type you’d like to complete your custom glass table.

Let the Light in with Glass Storm Doors

Your patio or porch is like an extension of your home, so treat it like one. Open up the inside of your home to the great outdoors by installing glass storm doors on your patio doors. This will allow more natural light into your home, which is a great way to brighten and open up your space without letting bugs, heat, and humidity inside.

Don’t Obscure the View, Try Glass Railings

If you have a beautiful view from your patio or porch, don’t obstruct it with heavy wood or steel railings. Use custom glass railings to enclose  your space. This will allow you to enjoy a panoramic view from any vantage point  on your back patio. And don’t worry about glass railings being more fragile. We use special safety glass for these projects, which is very strong, but crumbles safely into large, round chunks instead of splintering into jagged edges like normal glass.

Learn more about the special glass types we use for outdoor projects and how to pick which is right for your patio in our blog post on Preparing The Glass on Your Kansas City Porch for Spring.

Call Janssen Glass & Door for unique custom glass pieces for your outdoor living space this summer at (913) 677-5727.

When you choose heavy glass shower doors with Janssen Glass & Doors to install in your Kansas City bathroom, you’re making a great design decision. Heavy glass shower doors make for a non-obtrusive, streamlined look that show off the beautiful tile and stone work inside of  your shower. Add to the beauty of your bathroom by choosing the right hardware to hold your shower in place. Here’s a quick guide to finding the right style for your bathroom.

Choose a Style

The first decision you should make when it comes to your bathroom hardware is the type of style you want to use. Pick from modern, minimalist, traditional, or luxurious. Make sure you choose a style that will mesh with the rest of your bathroom.We love the options from Portals, a local Kansas city hardware manufacturer. If you like an elegant style, check out the symphony line of hardware Portals carries.

Pick a Material

Next, decide what type of material you want your hardware to be made of. Silvery chrome tends to look more modern, while oil rubbed bronze leans more towards a rustic style, and gold is often thought of as more elegant. Portals gives you the ability to choose the same style in many different material and finish options, so that you can customize the look and feel of your bathroom.

Related Read: 2015 Trends in Bathroom Remodels

Decide How Much Embellishment You Want

Lastly, decide how much hardware you actually want to use on your heavy glass shower doors, and in the rest of your bathroom. When it comes to your shower, you can choose from a double or single pull, as well as adding a towel bar to the shower door. A double pull will give you the ability to pull and push from both inside and outside of the shower. If you decide to use a single pull on your shower door, you’ll only be able to push open your shower door from the inside. Adding a towel bar can also be useful for keeping your towels nearby. But the more hardware you use, the more obstructions you will add to your clean shower doors. There are no right or wrong answers. It’s all based on personal preference.

For shower door design help and installation, call the shower door experts at Janssen Glass & Door at (913) 677-5727 or (816) 472-5330.

Make 2015 the year you tackle all of your remodeling projects, including your bathroom. You spend a lot of time in your Kansas City home’s bathroom, so why not be more comfortable in a space you enjoy. Plus, an updated bathroom can increase the value of your home. To bring your restroom up to date, try including one (or all) of these remodeling trends for 2015.

Tile Everywhere

Wallpaper and paint are out, tile is in. Tiles are so versatile when it comes to bathrooms. Not only can they be beautiful and creative, but they are durable and easy to keep clean. Whether you use tile on the floor, in the shower, or as a backsplash by the sink, it makes sense. Shiny subway tiles have been gaining momentum, as well as wood-look tile. But don’t limit your tile to one area. Use tile from the shower or floor, and extend  it up to the ceiling. This can have an awe inspiring effect that actually enlarges the space in the room.

Spacious Glass Showers

Another popular trend we predict for 2015 is expansive showers with a streamlined look using heavy glass shower doors. This type of shower is luxurious and non-obtrusive to the eye. Large, walk-in showers are easy and relaxing. Showering is not just a way to get clean, but an experience, a way to relax and unwind before or after a rough day. See Janssen Glass & Door’s heavy glass shower door portfolio for some great ideas.

Unique Sinks

Your bathroom’s vanity is an opportunity to show off some personality. We are seeing a departure from the traditional oval ceramic sinks, and a venture into the bold. Different shapes, colors, and materials are making their way into bathrooms across the country. Large copper or glass basins are becoming popular. If you have a smaller bathroom to work with, we’ve been seeing an increase in rectangular sinks that are long and thin, sitting closer to the wall saving space.

Mirror Tricks

Reflect your personality in the bathroom with great mirror design. Take your mirror floor to ceiling and make the room appear larger. We’ve even seen mirrored subway tiles that look both luxurious and modern.

Call Janssen Glass & Door to help you make your bathroom remodeling dreams a reality in 2015. Call us at (913) 677-5727 or (816) 472-5330.

You broke a mirror in your home . . . now what? First and foremost, clean up the area with a broom and dust pan, and then use a wet paper towel to wipe the area up as well. This will ensure you get all those pesky little glass mirrored shards that can be dangerous. Next, instead of throwing all that glass in the trash, repurpose it! Here are three different ways you can reuse those glinty mirrored glass pieces around your KC area home.

Create a Crafty Ornament

Use that broken glass to your advantage this season. With Christmas right around the corner, why not use those sparkling mirror pieces to make some more ornaments. Use and old ball ornament that is starting to age, or use new round clear ornaments that are cheap at craft stores, and super glue the mirror pieces all around it.

Make a Custom Tabletop

Another way to put that broken mirror to use is by repurposing it to make a custom tabletop. Use the broken mirror pieces to design a unique and attractive design on everything from a dinning room table to a coffee table. After you glue the mirror pieces to the table, call Janssen Glass & Door to cut a custom glass table top to cover and protect your new design. This also protects you and your loved ones from jagged mirror pieces, and also allows for a flat and even surface.

Spruce Up Everyday Objects

Glass pieces are a wonderful way to spice up almost any object in your home. They catch the light and add a touch of mystique. Glue pieces to candle holders, plant pots, or make your own wind chime.

To replace your broken mirror or to make a custom cut glass tabletop for your new mirrored table design, call Janssen Glass & Door at (913) 677 5727or (816) 472-5330.

This holiday season let people passing by see your festive spirit when they look inside your windows. Your Kansas City home’s front windows are a great way to display your holiday decorations. Here are a few decorating ideas we love at Janssen Glass that won’t damage the glass in your windows in the process.

Hang a Cascade of Unused Ornaments

Unless you have an enormous tree, there are usually some leftover ornaments every holiday. This year put those leftover ornaments to use in another holiday display for your windows. Use decorative ribbon or string, or clear fishing line to hang them from your curtain rod. You can hang them all at the same length, or in a pattern of different lengths, or create a cascade of ornaments of all different lengths. This makes for a very appealing and intriguing display.

Related Read: Keep Your Glass Spotless with Janssen’s Cleaning Tips

Display Wreaths & Leave Your Glass Scratch-Free

Another way to show off your festive side is by hanging traditional Christmas wreaths in the front windows of your home. Tie a red ribbon around the top and hang it from your inside curtain rod. Hanging them from your curtain rod keeps the wintergreen needles and branches far enough away from your glass so they won’t be constantly brushing against your windows creating scratches.

Window Clings

This type of holiday window decoration is great for homes with kids. Use window clings on your windows and create an unique display. Window clings are gel-like self-adhesive stickers for windows that require no tape, glue or other adhesive. They peel off easily and leave no residue on your windows. This means they are easy to clean up and won’t damage your windows like some other stickers and paints will.

If you have damaged windows from past years of holiday decorations, call the glass repair experts at Janssen Glass at (913) 677-5727 or (816) 472-5330.

Decorating your home for the holidays is a fun way to show your festive spirit. But you don’t always have to go the traditional route. Sometimes the unexpected holiday decorations are the most intriguing. Mirrors are a perfect, but non-traditional, decoration for this time of the year. Reflect your holiday spirit this year with these three glass mirror decoration ideas from Janssen Glass & Door.

Mirrored Centerpieces

When it comes to the holidays the dinner table is usually the focal point of every party. It’s where your guests spend most of their time eating delicious food, and conversing about tales from the past year. Make their time at your dinner table extra festive by jazzing it up with a mirrored centerpiece display. Not only does it allow light to glint off of it for a sparkly effect (perfect for the holidays), but it also makes your display look larger, and more detailed than it really is. This gives you a bigger effect with less effort.

Winter Playland

Another great way to incorporate mirrored dimension into your holiday decorations is to use them as props in your winter village displays. Custom cut mirrors are a perfect stand-in for a miniature winter playland ice skating pond or lake. The mirror adds a shimmery dimension to your display that looks magical to children and adults alike.

Let Your Holiday Spirit Shine

For a more modern flair to your holiday decorations, use a custom cut glass mirror from Janssen Glass as a backdrop to your holiday candles on your fireplace mantel, serving table, or anywhere you can think of. The mirror behind the candles catches the flickering light and makes for a brighter, more enchanting display of light. It also makes your room and display appear larger, which is great to make a smaller entertaining space appear bigger.

Call Janssen Glass & Door at (913) 677-5727 or (816) 472-5330 to order your custom glass mirror piece for your holiday decorations today.