If you're looking to combine the benefits of light transmission, style, durability, and ease of cleaning in your new home or kitchen remodeling project then glass block is the material for you. This unique building product provides the dual benefit of structural stability and decorative beauty. Below you'll find 5 ideas to transform an ordinary kitchen into an extraordinary space.

Idea 1 - Kitchen Bar - The central place where company and family hangs out is around the island or kitchen bar while the meals are being prepared. Let's face it - a standard laminate top with basic wood cabinetry underneath is just not scoring high on the cool scale anymore! If you want color, interest, and functionality a glass block kitchen bar can be used in conjunction with a granite countertop. These bars are generally built 40" high and the counter is set on top of the glass blocks. The bar can be built in either a rounded, angular, or rectangular design (there are radius blocks, angled blocks, and corner blocks to accomplish this objective). If you really want the glass to stand out consider either backlighting the bar wall or using either vibrant or muted colored glass blocks (a project in Minneapolis Minnesota is planning this type of project right now).

Idea 2 - Half Wall Room Separator - In many split level homes like you see in the Midwestern United States there is a railing at the end of the kitchen to safely separate the kitchen from the family room that is 5 to 6 steps below. A project in Cleveland Ohio recently used a glass block separator wall to safely modernize this railing area. The wall was built 32" high by 10 feet long and used finished end and double ended blocks. It was safely tied in with anchors at the side wall (jamb) with panel reinforcing throughout the mortar joints - creating a modernized, safe, and stylish wall in a highly visible area of the home.

Idea 3 - Operable Casement Kitchen Window - If you need privacy, air flow, and a unique style all in one kitchen window consider an operable acrylic block window. A home in Columbus Ohio was built in a subdivision where the homes are only 12 feet apart and the kitchen window is on the side facing the neighbor's windows (not the best situation when you've been laboring around the house and you don't look your best). Using an operable casement acrylic block window the owner can now get air through the window and the privacy they desire. The vinyl framed block window also meets the Energy Star ratings required for this development as well.

Idea 4 - Block Up A Hard To Clean Area Behind the Stove -Have you ever used wall paper behind a stove only to find it splattered and stained from your meals overheating from your cook top? A solution to add style and ease the cleaning of these hard to get to areas is with glass tiles or glass blocks. A project near Boston Massachusetts built a colored block wall behind a pot bellied stove to contrast the old stove with the new contemporary styled block. This wall also had the benefit of transferring light through this interior wall to an adjoining bathroom as well.

Idea 5 - Kitchen backsplashes - The backsplash underneath your kitchen cabinets does not have to be boring anymore. If you'd like to move light in from the outside and add style with an easy to clean material consider using a vinyl framed glass block window system either 8" or 16" finished height in your backsplash. The blocks can be provided in clear glass, colored glass or even decorative patterned blocks (there are contemporary designed blocks, fruit patterns, and over 150 other standard and limitless custom blocks as well). In many cases the blocks can add light and reduce the cost versus using decorative glass tiles in a backsplash.

This is a just a short list of the ways glass blocks can add style, interest, and practical benefits to your next kitchen bar, window, wall, or backsplash