Screens define spaces, close off unwanted sight lines

Decorative glass is again becoming a popular element in settings of many different styles. But today’s resurgence isn’t merely derivative of yesteryear’s fashions. We’re seeing some exciting new designs in lamps, lighting fixtures and decorative objects, proving once more that glass is a highly versatile material.

Those with an interest in the history of American decorative glass will find “A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls” an utterly absorbing read. This richly illustrated book, published in association with the New York Historical Society, is the work of Margi Hofer, Martin Eidelberg and Nina Gray.

Letters unearthed by the authors show that Clara Driscoll, the head of the women’s glass cutting department at the Tiffany Glass Co., was an important contributor to many of the designs that made this studio world-famous. Driscoll and the women who labored in obscurity at the factory, known collectively as the “Tiffany Girls,” were in fact primarily responsible for the creation of the company’s most celebrated glass lamps and objects.

It should not be surprising to learn that Lewis Comfort Tiffany was not the sole genius behind the decorative art that carries his name. Anyone with even a modest awareness of interior design — or of history, for that matter — should realize that great achievements are seldom the result of one man’s efforts.

Q: Following advice gleaned from many publications on interior design, I have been able to put together a comfortable and attractive living room that functions well for our family. But the setting presents a couple of lingering problems that I hope you can help solve.

One involves what designers call sight lines. The sofa looks directly into the kitchen, and, for a variety of reasons, it can’t be moved elsewhere.

The other issue is that the living room looks too much like a photo from an interior design magazine. The muted color scheme of brown, beige and cream needs some livening up, perhaps in the form of visually interesting accessories.

A: Second issue first: The addition of a color such as terra-cotta or a warm (but not hot) red would help achieve the effect you seek. This color can be introduced on the walls or the floor as well as with fabrics on the furniture. Accessories can also help enhance the room’s visual variety, especially if the terra-cotta or red is accompanied by touches of apple green and marigold.

The other problem is more difficult to resolve because I don’t know the dimensions or the layout of your living room. But if the space is large enough to permit a screen to be placed in front of the kitchen opening, that would be an easy and effective way to address the sight line concern. Many restaurants use exactly this technique to screen their kitchens from diners’ views.

The screen I’ve chosen to illustrate this solution is among those featured in “A New Light on Tiffany.” Driscoll designed this translucent screen of decorative glass. It’s one of her many works that have inspired contemporary glass artists — even if they’re not aware of who actually created the pieces they find so alluring.

A paneled plywood folding screen would be a more modest and far less costly alternative in your own situation. Properly constructed and covered with a decorative pattern, it would function just as well as a Tiffany-style screen.

Rita St. Clair is a syndicated columnist with Tribune Media Services Inc. E-mail general interior design questions to her at rsca@ritastclair.com.