1. Don’t buy them! Let face it…nobody NEEDS glass countertops or glass bar tops. They are a luxury purchase. I will remind you that glass is expensive to buy, fabricate and ship. Formica, solid surface are cheap, rugged countertop options, but alas they do not make for visually stunning high bar tops.
2. Define Your High Value and Low Value surfaces upfront. A very smart designer from West Palm Beach, Leslie Schlesinger once told me this. She was a beautiful lady who had the means to buy anything she wanted, but she also understood her clients well and the fact that EVERYBODY has a budgetary limit.
This is the single best piece of design advice ever.
By understanding how your kitchen or bar or restaurant flows, you can then play with various combinations of High vs. Low value surfaces that satisfy your look and budget.
Use surfaces that are in perfect harmony and offer interesting contrasts with one another. There are many lower value surfaces that complete the look you seek and are visually important components to how your space will feel upon completion. e.g. white, glossy surfaces expand the apparent room visual volume. Dark surfaces constrains the visual volume. Using thick and thin surfaces break up the monotony of single thickness everywhere.
Think of it this way…Imagine 2 identical homes you are considering purchasing…one interior is white cabinets, walls, with bright sleek surfaces vs a dark wood cabinetry with dark surfaces, dark flooring.
Which house do you think sells faster?
3. Size Matters!
Longer isnt always better. If you are seating 3-4 people routinely, a long glass high bar is called for.. Certainly restaurants and bars need long bar tops…your home may not. If its mostly 2 people…you may only need about a 6′ or 7′ long top. We say it all the time: ” You do not need a big glass bar top to make a nice design statement. 10′ long glass high bar tops may look better, but it will definitely cost more. Glass is a most inviting, radiant focal point for your clients when they arrive at your bar.
Width matters. 20″ wide glass bar tops are perfect for a dinner plate, wine, water, side-dishes. How do I know this? My bar at my house is 17.375….and I wish it were a bit wider. Wine glasses right on the edge of a high bar is not calming. That’s a critical dimension MINIMUM.
Many clients assume they need 24″, 30″ or wider for their bar tops. Maybe they do, but it will cost more for wider countertops…which may be unnecessary. 20″ wide makes great sense to save money. 20″ x 1.5″ thick is the standard you see in our photo gallery. It’s sleek, minimalist, functional and beautiful all at once. Wider bar tops to me never appear sleek. Especially given the nature of our flowing textures.
4. Remnants can fit the bill. We usually make full-sized pieces and take what we need to serve our clients immediate needs. This can leave medium and small pieces that are first-quality that may fit the bill for your project. There will always be fabrication charges, but the remnant itself is a great way to save money.
5. Do the Installation Yourself. For people experienced in handling countertops, (with a few strong helpers) this can save you money.
We are always here to either perform the installation, or assist you in yours over the phone.I hope this helps you understand a few options that can save you money when buying glass bar tops and countertops.
Jeff Downing (813) 784 5211
Jeff@DowningDesigns.com
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