GLASS
HAS always been one of the most wonderful discoveries in materials
made by humanity. From time immemorial, glass has fascinated and
mesmerised people all over the world. The transparent material
that lets light through and lets itself to be moulded into whatever
shape the human mind fancied has continued to hold sway over the
ages.
Versatile
Glass has a much-honoured place then and now. It can be
thin and brittle it can be thick and unmoving. It can be lethally
sharp or slickly smoothened and round. It can glisten and glitter.
It can break beneath the slightest weight or hold heavy weights.
It is versatile. Similarly, the use of glass is also versatile.
Glass can be used for furniture. And is being used, with increasing
popularity.
The modern-day flat culture has opened up the doors
for glass furniture. It is the ideal material for the small spaces
within the apartments. It relieves the crammed look of custom-built
apartment interiors. And it can often be dismantled, making transportation
easy.
Down through the centuries, glass was used in many
ways. From the tales of Cinderella, to the 20th century architect
Philip Johnson's Glass House, glass has found numerous avatars.
And, in the 19th century, the Indian Maharajas
found a new fancy for the glass furniture manufactured by the
British and French companies.
Though the taste was not greatly admired in the
Europe of those days, often dismissed as `the fancy of Eastern
monarchs,' it had led to the creation of many wonderful and decorative
works that have become precious antique piece.
However, selecting glass furniture, or glass-topped
furniture, has its own pitfalls. One major aspect that the buyers
have to keep in mind is the quality of the glass. All glass used
in the interiors should be of the safe or tempered variety.
Tempering increases the strength of the glass and
prevents it from breaking down into sharp, jagged pieces. Instead,
tempered glass breaks down into pebble-like pieces, which greatly
reduces injury risks in case of accidents.
Annealed glass is another variety of glass popularly
used. It is glass that has been heated and slowly cooled, to increase
its strength. This also reduces the brittleness considerably.
Some companies have developed the technique of applying colour
to the underside of glass surfaces, creating coloured glass.
Tempering can increase the price. It can add to
around 30 percent of the product's cost, but the increased cost
is worth it. It will ensure that the surface will remain intact.
The buyer can save on the expense of replacing the chipped or
damaged surface.
Matter of preference
"People living in flats prefer glass, especially for the
dining table," points out Antony Xavier, project manager
of Indroyal Furniture at Kalamassery. "Tables with a steel
base and glass top are the most popular," he says. The tables
supplied by Indroyal can be dismantled and assembled, making them
a popular choice for apartment-dwellers.
Glass, of course comes at a cost. The price range
starts from Rs. 8,000 for a small dining table, upwards to Rs.
25,000. The price depends on the dimensions of the furniture.
Besides dining tables, people prefer wardrobes with glass fronts
and television stands also. "For dressing tables and wardrobes,
people still prefer the wood," points out Mr. Xavier.
Quality
He stresses that the selection of the quality of glass
is extreme important in selecting the furniture. Tempered glass
is a must for dining tables. And there are different techniques
of giving a finish to the edges, just like the edges given to
materials like marble or granite.
Sharp edges are not suitable for furniture as it
increases the danger level. Rounded or curved edges are more preferable.
The wardrobes with glass doors can cost anything
from Rs. 22,000 to Rs. 27,000 or Rs. 28,000. The television stands
come at a range of Rs. 6,900 to Rs. 10500. The stands come in
a combination of wood and glass or pure glass.
However, designer-ware in glass has not yet gained
popularity in Kerala so far, unlike the metros such as Mumbai,
Bangalore or even Chennai. People are not yet ready to make such
large investments in a piece of furniture, just for its designer
value, it is pointed out.
