Case Study: Scottish Stained Glass and Altar’d State

retail stained glass altard state

Case Study: Scottish Stained Glass and Altar’d State

In the retail world, if you want to be successful, your store needs to look amazing. Shoppers today are more distracted than they ever have been thanks to technology. They breeze through entire shopping centers without ever looking up from their phone.

For retailers, it can be tricky to get shoppers to notice their store’s location. Standing out is key. If you can make your storefront look unique and interesting, you increase your chances of being able to get more shoppers in the door and sell more merchandise.

That’s why Altar’d State asked us to design stained glass windows for their new retail location. Stained glass is not something you see in every retail store, so the company thought it might be able to help them stand out. Furthermore, they hoped it would enhance the shopping experience by creating an inviting, upscale atmosphere.

Creating Stained Glass for Altar’d State’s New Retail Location

Just a few months ago, we completed our first project for Altar’d State in Boulder. Now, they were opening another location in Norwalk, CT and wanted to do something similar with stained glass.

We were happy to be of assistance, but the project had one small complication: it needed to be finished fast. Very fast. To be specific, we needed to design and manufacture 16 curved panels to create a circular ceiling feature all within a few short weeks.

Needless to say, we set to work right away. After we received the final measurements, we had two weeks to finish before the final deadline. We employed a team of eight stained glass artisans who worked day and night to get the job done.

Beside the tight deadline, the biggest challenge was being able to create curved glass. To do this, we built custom wooden panels for each form. Fortunately, we found a way to expedite the process. We found that by creating both a positive and negative form, we were able to work on both sides of the glass at the same time. Cutting the glass into the right shape for the circular design was difficult, but we were able to work with skill and precision to accomplish the task.

Once the panels were complete, they were shipped in a special crate that could support their curved shape. Then, our owner Martin Faith fly to Norwalk to meet the shipment and install it in the store overnight.

Fortunately, every panel fit perfectly and we were able to complete the project on time. Our clients were delighted and so were we. While this was a challenging project, it was well worth it to see the beautiful stained glass light up the store.

Learn More

To learn more about our work for Altar’d State or obtain a retail style stained glass window for your Austin store, please contact our office.

Martin Faith is a talented artisan, businessman, and collector of rare and antique stained glass windows. After moving to the United States from Scotland, Martin opened up his own studio which produces custom, handmade stained glass. He and his team have produced over 50,000 stained and leaded glass windows for over 12,000 customers of various styles including Art Noveau, Art Deco, Mission, Prairie, Greene & Greene, contemporary, and beveled glass. Martin's areas of expertise range widely and include historic glass preservation, religious stained glass, and restoration. His work adorns the walls of homes, businesses, and churches all throughout the city of Austin and the surrounding area.

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