How Glass Translates Light Into Feelings

Unexpected Details: Designing for Wellbeing

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague- Photo by Jakub Pierozy

There’s a certain kind of light that lingers — not the harsh kind, not the spotlight — but the filtered, softened kind that passes through glass and whispers to the soul.

I’ve been blogging about my mother recently because I’ve been noticing small details from her past that have made a large impact on her lifestyle decisions. By paying attention, I learn not only about her, but about myself. So, here’s another unexpected detail.

My mother was raised in a modest home in the late 1940s and early '50s, where beauty wasn’t extravagant — it was found in the everyday. One of her earliest treasures? Small decorative bottles of Johnson & Johnson baby oil and lotion. Glass, not plastic. Gifts from baby showers, perched on shelves, catching sunlight through the window. The light danced off them, and even as a child, she noticed it.

Who knew that a glass bottle of baby oil could shape a child’s love for glass? AI Inspired-Linda Allen

Ornamental Glass can create shadows and patterns through changing sunlight. AI Inspired - Linda Allen

The Sacred Light Through Church Glass

She also grew up in the church — surrounded by the glow of stained glass windows, the sacredness of colored light moving through the air.

During that time, Spanish Revival homes often had picture windows bordered by vibrant stained glass details.

Spanish Revival Stained Glass Spanish Revival Window - AI Inspired-Linda Allen

And glassware was becoming more accessible — from Lennox to pressed glass shops — where beauty could be brought home without needing a fortune.

That emotional relationship with light and glass stayed with my mom. Today, her crystal and glass collection lives in an étagère in her home. Each piece is curated, loved, and reflective — not just of light, but of her life.

Emotional Wellbeing Interior Design Through Transparent Beauty

I’ve always believed that emotional wellbeing in interior design begins with understanding how light affects our feelings. It’s not about clinical solutions or following trends — it’s about creating spaces that resonate with our personal stories.

And now, here I am, years later, designing with art glass — art glass that bends and refracts light in unexpected ways.

I didn’t realize it at first, but I’m recreating what she loved: that dimensional play of light, that whisper of warmth and magic. It’s more than aesthetic. It’s memory. It’s mood. It’s movement.

The thoughtful use of glass is a cornerstone of emotional wellbeing in interior design that often goes unnoticed. A single glass object catching morning light can become a daily moment of joy — a small but meaningful practice hidden within your decor.

How Glass Embodies Biophilic Design Principles

Glass naturally embodies biophilic design principles by connecting us to natural light and the rhythms of the day. When we bring glass elements into our spaces, we’re creating a living connection to the outside world — one that shifts and changes with passing hours, seasons, and weather.

Recently, I visited two girlfriends who both have beautiful stained glass panels hanging in their homes. Each panel was passed down or chosen to honor a loved one — and each carries with it a story. A reminder. A presence. Their light-catching beauty isn’t just visual — it’s emotional.

This piece was commissioned for my friend by her local artist friend, Ramsess Art Online (below) features a radiant butterfly and hummingbird in vibrant hues. It doesn’t just decorate the space — it lights up a memory that pays homage to her late uncle. But, it also connects art to nature in her backyard.

The way stained glass filters and transforms sunlight aligns perfectly with biophilic design principles. It’s not just about bringing nature indoors — it’s about how that connection makes us feel more alive, more present, more ourselves.

Creating Mindful Home Design Through Light and Memory

Mindful home design often incorporates elements that encourage moments of pause and reflection, like beautifully placed glass objects. There’s something about sunlight through the glass that transports us — not just in mood, but in time. A flicker of light on a wall, a beam bending through beveled glass — it brings us back to childhood living rooms, Sunday mornings, sacred spaces, a moment when life felt beautifully suspended.

The play of light through glass is a perfect example of how mindful home design can create daily moments of joy. These aren’t manufactured moments — they’re organic pauses that happen naturally when we create spaces that speak to our senses and emotions.

When thinking about enhancing your space, consider:

● Where does light enter your home, and how might glass capture it?

● What memories or feelings do you want to evoke through light and color?

● Which personal stories might be told through transparent treasures?

My approach to design for wellbeing focuses on how everyday objects like glass can transform our emotional experience. It’s not about expensive solutions — it’s about noticing and celebrating the subtle elements that make a house feel like home.

The Poetry of Functional Beauty

This is why I believe spaces need both function and poetry. Because we don’t just live in our homes — we feel through them, remember through them, dream through them. And sometimes, all it takes is the right play of light across glass to bring us home to ourselves.

When I incorporate glass elements into spaces, I’m practicing design for wellbeing through the language of light and memory. These aren’t clinical interventions — they’re invitations to notice beauty, to pause, to connect with something beyond the everyday routine.

Interiors and Window Design - by Linda Allen Designs - Photo: Alex Vertikoff

The next time you’re considering how to enhance your space, look beyond the obvious. Consider how a simple glass object might capture light in a way that speaks to your soul. It might be the most unexpected element in your home — one that connects you to beauty, memory, and a sense of wonder with each passing ray of sun.

Because in the end, the most powerful elements of design aren’t always the most expensive or trendy — they’re the ones that make you feel something. And few things speak to the heart quite like light dancing through glass, telling stories only you can hear.

About me, Linda…

Over the years I’ve noticed and documented unexpected details from people, places, and things that can help our well-being. I create design elements from all of these thoughts. It’s time to share.

I see stories in people and in things. I must have picked this up from my time with Disney Imagineering designing storybook lighting for their theme parks. All designs came from a story, and of course, the lamps I designed came from lamp stories. My interior designs are pulled from my clients’ stories. It could also be from traveling to India, Russia, Egypt, and other developing countries with my late dad. He wanted to see how people lived outside of Europe. We would listen with empathy to locals telling their personal stories from their points of view while immersed in their Indigenous settings. Perspective is Everything; a gift my dad gave to me. It’s time to share how this has shaped my designs for wellbeing .