Interior design has evolved over the decades and indeed centuries. What was popular one year was out of fashion the next and key periods in interior design can be identified by the materials that were in vogue at different times. It has often been the case that interior design fashion was influenced by the aristocracy and glassware has always been an important part this. Fancy glass has never been cheap and so it has long been a sign of luxury. This, among other reasons, is why glass has been used in every era of interior design and has never lost popularity. But how can glass be used to its best abilities?

Minimising colour scheme. Whilst coloured glasses can look very attractive, it is all too easy to get carried away and mix too many colours of crystal vases or glass bowls together for example. The often leads to rooms looking like they have been designed by Christmas elfs, and can be a little overpowering on the eyes. If you limit your colour pallet to just a few colours, but use subtle differences in their shades, you will create and much classier and more professional finish.

Use in low light. One of the best qualities of glass is its ability to refract light and distribute it in lots of different directions. This works better with thinner and lighter colours of glass but with enough light entering it, darker colours can look great as well. In rooms with low light, you can place some vases or wine glasses near the window and it will help move the light deeper into the room, and avoid it being concentrated in only one area.

Mix with opposites. Sometimes the most different materials work very well in unison and create the best effects. Glass is well known for having a shiny and polished finish, and with this in mind it often works incredibly well in interior design when placed alongside less reflective and more rough materials. A pair of whisky glasses and decanter set to a background of concrete or brushed steel works really well for example. Or how about a glass coffee table with rough wooden legs?