Designer Patricia Davis Brown talks about working with glass counter tops.

A soft, contemporary remodel of an old 1970s ranch style home gave nationally recognized designer, Patricia Davis Brown, a new outlook on using glass for kitchen countertops.

Decorative glass company, ThinkGlass Inc. fabricated a 1½-inch thick, Vaga texture countertop that was specified by Patricia Davis Brown Designs for the Vero Beach, Fla., remodel project.

“The top is glossy smooth and the bottom textured,” making the glass easy to clean. “Glass is the least porous material and the most hygienic on the market,” says Davis Brown.

The remodel was not without its challenges. “When demolition began on the existing room, I realized that there was a support column in the middle of what would be the new kitchen holding up the second floor. By adding the second column and centering my island between them, I gave a reason for there to be columns, A WONDERFUL COOKING CENTER.”

Patricia Davis Brown is an award-winning interior designer whose work has been featured in Florida Architecture, Traditional Homes & Design, Florida Design, Qualified Remodeler Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas and The Kids Space Idea Book. Beginning her career in the kitchen and bath industry in 1985, she went on to form her own design studio, Patricia Davis Brown Fine Cabinetry Inc. in 1992. In 2010, Davis Brown took her passion and expertise in space planning and design to a national level with the launch of ProfessionalKitcheandBathPlans.com and her online store, PDBhomestore.com.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Patricia Davis Brown about the Vero Beach kitchen project.

PL: The ThinkGlass countertop looks wonderful. What feedback have you received about the glass countertop from your client?

PDB: They LOVE IT! When my client entertains, their guests can’t believe it. They have never seen anything like it. My client gets the biggest kick out of watching their reactions.

PL: Decorative glass companies are looking for new ways to reach the interior design community to promote their decorative glass products. I’m curious about how you learned about ThinkGlass?

PDB: I’ve been creating unique glass countertops for many years and one day a rep brought me ThinkGlass, and I loved it! I loved the fact that it did not scratch like the glass I had developed with other glass companies. I also, LOVED the thickness and the textured edge. I live on the coast of Florida and ThinkGlass countertops give the feel of water which fits in great in a coastal community.

PL: Keeping up with design trends is a big part of your job. D you think decorative glass as a surface material is trending upward these days?

PDB: Absolutely! People want unique materials and glass is unique. During the housing boom granite was used to death and has become rather ordinary and people are wanting something FRESH, I know I do.

Davis Brown advises, “glass countertops are expensive and I recommend using a kitchen designer to design and engineer the supports to hold the weight properly. Your designer should have the right professionals to template and install the top correctly. This is NOT a do it yourself project and could not only be expensive, but dangerous to try to install on your own.”

Photo Credits: Patricia Davis Brown Designs, LLC©