Custom Order FAQs
What is the process for custom orders?
Email Melissa at ChromaticGlassDesigns@gmail.com or fill out the Custom Order Estimate Form.
Melissa will contact you to discuss the specifics of what you would like designed. An in-person meeting can be scheduled or plans can be made via email, a shared Google doc, or text.
Designs will be made based on sketches and photos shared back and forth between CGD and the customer.
Once a design is finalized, you will receive an estimate. 50% of the total is due to begin the project. The final 50% payment is due upon delivery of the project.
Once the first payment is received, a delivery date is set and work on the project begins.
When your order is ready, we meet, final payment is made, and the masterpiece is yours!
What payment methods do you accept?
CGD accepts cash, Paypal, and Venmo for your convenience. Personal checks can be accepted but must clear before the start of the project and/or delivery.
How do you price your custom stained glass projects?
Prices for custom designs are based on $275 per square foot with the first 50 pieces of glass per square foot included in the price. CGD charges $1 per glass piece beyond the first 50 pieces of glass per square foot. Don’t let the price intimidate you! Within reason, designs can be modified to work within your budget.
Do you have a location? Where can I see and buy some of your pre-made stained glass art?
As of right now, CGD doesn’t have a storefront and operates as a home-based business. However, Chromatic Glass Designs currently sells art at vendor markets in NC throughout the year. See our "Upcoming Events" page to find us out in the wild. For regular updates on what CGD is working on, follow us on Facebook & Instagram!
Why is stained glass art so expensive?
Creating a unique stained glass piece of art is a time-consuming, multi-step process:
Design a pattern from photos or illustrations.
Carefully select colors and each piece of glass.
Hand-cut each piece of glass based on the pattern.
Use a grinder or ring-saw to shape each piece of glass precisely.
Hand-wrap each piece of glass in copper foil tape.
Solder all of the pieces together, frame it in lead or zinc came, and solder on hooks for hanging.
Clean and wax the entire piece.
Pieces made with lead came do skip the foiling step, but each piece of lead is hand-cut and fitted to hold the glass in place, soldered, and then cemented in place. With either process, this takes hours and hours of precision work. Even a single square foot soldered panel with 50 pieces can take a minimum of 5 hours to create, not including design time.
As you already know, the price of everything in our country is currently on the rise. Stained glass supplies are no exception. Stained glass, solder, lead came, and zinc came were already pricey prior to inflation. High quality supplies are pivotal to stained glass art enduring for centuries. Just take a look inside any cathedral!
Can you make any image into stained glass?
Almost. Some detail work can be particularly challenging. Remember that the more pieces in a project, the more time and materials required which increases the cost. Also, not all images translate well into stained glass. Human faces can sometimes turn out … err, … scary. I do offer some painted detail work on the glass which might be a good option for creating a better effect.
As for copyrighted characters, please ask. I will look into copyright limitations and let you know what is possible.
Will you install my custom stained glass window?
No, CGD doesn’t actually install the stained glass windows. Customers can either do it themselves or hire a window professional to remove any existing windows and replace them with stained glass. However, CGD recommends customers use a simpler method which doesn’t involve any window replacement at all. This YouTube video will show you one method that is easy to do. Most stained glass can easily be installed behind existing windows and still look amazing. If there are divided sections in the existing window, the design can be made to work with those dividing lines.