Thanks to its enhanced strength and safety, toughened glass can be used in a range of applications, even in more challenging environments like kitchens and bathrooms.
One of the most popular ways to use it around the home is in the form of glass table tops. This versatile and low-maintenance material makes it easy to protect furnishings while complementing various interior design styles.
Often made bespoke, glass table tops can come in many different shapes and sizes, and can be installed however you like. If you’re looking for ideas, read on to discover 10 ways you could use a glass table top in your home.
1) Dining table
A dining table is typically the biggest table found in any home, with space for at least 4 people to sit around it. Being so large, and used regularly enough to require durable materials, dining tables are also often made of timber.
However, a glass dining table top is one of the easiest ways to modernise a standard dining room set-up. Serving your meals on top of a sleek glass slab elevates the aesthetics of the space, making it feel more luxurious than before.
2) Coffee table
A coffee table is the focal point of most living rooms, providing somewhere in front of the sofa for people to place their drinks, books, or devices while they aren’t using them. Many people also try to dress them up with candles or potpourri.
Using a glass coffee table top is a timeless way to combine the practicality of a functional table with the aesthetic benefits of glass. It suits any kind of décor style without feeling dated and is easy to clean, keeping your lounge area looking good.
3) Office desk
Whether it’s a desk for your home office or your workplace, glass desk tops are a great option for a long-lasting work surface. Toughened glass is strong and scratch-resistant, ensuring you can use your desk day in and day out for years to come.
Rather than expensive real-wood desks or cheap and flimsy wood substitutes, a toughened glass table top offers a cost-effective way to create an office desk that works well and looks good, providing a contemporary and professional-looking finish.
4) Chest of drawers
Do you have a single chest of drawers by the side of your bed as a nightstand? Maybe there’s a double chest of drawers for clothes that you also store things on top of, like a dressing table? These everyday surfaces can quickly become messy and tired-looking.
To revamp your bedroom table tops, why not add patterned or back-painted glass? This provides a chic new surface that can inspire you to reorganise your items, and you don’t have to worry about makeup or skincare splatters, as you can simply wipe them off the glass.
5) Kitchen counter
You might not think of glass as being a practical choice for kitchen worktops, but tempered glass is specially manufactured to be hardwearing enough to endure rigorous environments – including kitchens. So, why not add a modern edge to your kitchen?
Whether it’s an island worktop or a kitchen counter run, glass can give your kitchen surfaces an upscale look, while still being resilient enough to keep up with daily use. Of course, you should still be sure to use chopping boards and hot pan stands to avoid accidental damage!
6) Home bar
Forget a boring pub-style wooden bar. If you’re going to the effort of installing your own home bar – whether it’s in your lounge, kitchen, office, or shed – why not go all out with a glass table top to give it a classy finishing touch?
No matter if it’s small and tucked into a corner or runs the length of a wall, you can order the glass top in any bespoke size to ensure it fits perfectly. The clean look will harmonise well with your bottles and glassware, especially if there are glass shelves, too.
7) Patio table
Many families whose gardens have a patio or deck use this outdoor space for alfresco dining. The outdoor furniture needs to be lightweight so as not to overwhelm the space, but sturdy enough to endure the elements when left outside.
A glass table top is perfect for a patio table thanks to its transparent nature, allowing the area to still feel open and airy while providing a robust surface. The glass could even be tinted for UV protection, or frosted for a more translucent appearance.
8) Protecting wooden furniture
If you have older wooden furniture that you want to take good care of – perhaps passed down as family heirlooms – then custom glass table tops can help to shield the wooden surface from scratches and moisture damage.
Even if the item of furniture has more sentimental value than financial, adding a protective glass table top will allow it to remain functional, so you can keep using it without worrying about damaging it or changing its appearance too much.
9) Ornament or collectible display
Many people enjoy collecting ornaments or various books, figurines, or limited edition decorative items as a hobby, but don’t have an attractive way to display them. Adding a glass top to a low storage unit or cabinet can create a new display surface.
This gives you an opportunity to arrange some of your favourite items in a curated display that helps to express your personality, and also shows them off to visiting guests. The glass panel could even extend a little further on either side to provide a larger surface area.
10) Unique decorative feature
One of the best uses for a toughened glass panel is to turn a unique base into a table by securing the custom-shaped and sized glass on top. This gives you a functioning side table or end table, but also transforms it into a distinctive decorative feature in its own right.
DIY pedestal tables are an enduring trend in home design, with common base ideas including barrels, tree stumps, sawhorses, industrial cable spools, architectural garden sculptures, and more. The only limit is your imagination, and whether the base can handle the weight!
Choose the best glass for your table top
Just as there are many ways to use glass tops, there are lots of different types of glass to choose from. There are not only different opacity levels and thicknesses available, but it’s also possible to choose from a range of textures and colours.
When you order table tops from a specialist toughened glass supplier, you’ll have the option of not just clear or tinted glass, but also frosted, sandblasted, glitter, or back-painted finishes. You could even choose printed glass to create a table top with a custom image!
Remember, if you’re carrying out a DIY project and making a table with a glass top by yourself, be sure to thoroughly research how to do this safely before you start, and measure carefully to ensure your table top will fit exactly how you want it to.
