Stained Glass Windows in NY Times Article

ONLINE SHOPPER - A Window Into Another World

By MICHELLE SLATELLA
Published: April 21, 2005

IN a perfect world every bathroom would be graced by a stained-glass window. Two of the three bathrooms in my house fit the bill. The third, a grim sort of place next to my office, has always been a bit pathetic. But earlier this month, that was about to change.

Did the ancient Romans feel as overwhelmed by the possibilities when they fit together pieces of glass to form some of the earliest colored windows? At least they had the advantage of not having to wonder whether to buy new or old.

I set out to remedy the stained-glass problem as part of a long-planned renovation. Although I wouldn't be doing the actual installation (my do-it-yourself skills are no better than those of the fellow who once used stereo speaker wire to connect the sconce above the sink to the wall switch), I knew I could make a contribution by shopping online. Searching for stained-glass windows on the Internet, I picked through the rubble at online salvage yards and scanned detailed specifications for new custom windows.
New windows have certain benefits. "You can pick one of the designs from our Web site and ask us to resize it or recolor it in any way," Raeanon Schmid, the co-owner of Stainedglasswindowsanddoors.com, said in a phone interview. "Sometimes people send us pictures of a pet or a sample of their wallpaper, and we make a design from that."

While we talked, I scrolled through the designs on her Web site. "I like the W239 design that looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright window," I said. "But in different colors."

Ms. Schmid said, "I can give you an instant quote. Let's see, you said 18 inches by 18 inches. That would be $157, and if you want it put between tempered glass because it's in a shower, that will be $45 more."

The price range is $65 to $90 a square foot, Ms. Schmid said, and most orders ship within 10 days. Then, following the contractor's advice, I'll order a new window sandwiched between panes of tempered glass. I'm leaning toward a geometric design, in wavy clear glass with purple and green accents from Stainedglasswindowsanddoors.com. It's not Mission style or Victorian birds. But for an eclectic house like mine it will fit right in..