Project Showcase · Lake Norman, North Carolina
White Glass Island Countertops — Lake Norman, NC
Over 300 inches of kiln-formed porcelain-enameled white glass across two islands and a continuous sink run — fabricated in Tampa, installed by hand on the shores of Lake Norman. Featured on the cover of Augusta Homes magazine.
Project Summary
This project features an extensive white glass countertop installation fabricated and installed by Downing Designs, Tampa, FL for a private lakefront residence in Cornelius, North Carolina, on Lake Norman — one of the most desirable waterfront residential markets in the Southeast.
The commission included a main island surface at 50 inches wide by 118.5 inches long by 1.2 inches thick, a continuous 118-inch sink run fabricated in a single piece, and additional surrounding cabinet surfaces — all in kiln-formed porcelain-enameled white glass. The kitchen was part of a comprehensive whole-home renovation built by Augusta Homes, one of the Lake Norman region's premier luxury home builders. The project was featured on the cover of Augusta Homes magazine and in their active portfolio as "The Ride."
The commission was the direct result of the client's experience with an earlier Downing Designs installation at their Chapel Hill condominium. Kim Toothman, in the email commissioning this project: "I absolutely love the white glass countertop in our Chapel Hill condominium."
White Glass Island Countertop — Augusta Homes Magazine Cover — Lake Norman NC
Project Specifications
Fabrication & Installation Detail — Lake Norman, NC
| Project Type | White glass island countertops and continuous sink run |
| Location | Private lakefront residence, Cornelius, NC — Lake Norman |
| Main Island | 50″ wide × 118.5″ long × 1.2″ thick |
| Sink Run | 118″ continuous — single piece fabrication |
| Additional Surfaces | Surrounding cabinet countertops throughout kitchen |
| Glass | White glass — luminous gloss finish, non-porous, maintenance-free |
| Builder | Augusta Homes, Lake Norman, NC |
| Press | Augusta Homes magazine cover; portfolio project "The Ride" — augustahomesnc.com |
| Fabricator | Downing Designs — Tampa, FL — sole craftsman, personally templated and installed |
| Timeline | Templated and installed within 21 days |
What is white glass and how is it different from quartz or marble?
White glass is a glass-like mixture fired at 3000°F and poured into a mold, polished to a luminous, permanently impervious bright white finish. It is not painted. It is not coated. The white is integral to the glass itself — fired in, not applied to the surface.
The result reads completely differently from quartz or marble under natural light. No veining. No particulate. No pattern repeat. Instead, a quiet luminosity that responds to light rather than simply reflecting it. In a kitchen with large windows and a lake view — as in the Cornelius project — that quality is what distinguishes the surface at every hour of the day. Morning sun reads as warm white. The blue-grey of an overcast Lake Norman afternoon pulls it cooler. The surface is alive in a way engineered stone cannot be.
White Glass Island Countertop — Lake Norman Waterfront — Cornelius NC — Downing Designs
Why was the 118-inch sink run fabricated as a single piece?
A seam in a countertop surface is a maintenance point, an aesthetic interruption, and a permanent reminder that the surface was assembled rather than made. For a 118-inch sink run at this level of project, fabricating in a single piece was the only acceptable outcome.
Single-piece fabrication at this scale requires installation logistics that most fabricators cannot support. The piece traveled from Tampa to Cornelius, North Carolina intact. Installation required three craftsmen to place the main island surface correctly — not because of carelessness, but because a single piece of 1.2-inch glass at these dimensions demands that respect. And it's heavy.
White Glass Countertop — Cornelius NC — Lake Norman — Downing Designs
How does a craftsman in Tampa template and install a project at Lake Norman?
Jeff Downing flew from Tampa to Charlotte, drove to the Cornelius residence, and performed the on-site template personally. No subcontractor. No template service. The fabricator who would build the surfaces took every measurement himself — in the actual space, at the actual cabinets, with the actual sight lines to the lake.
He returned to Tampa, fabricated all surfaces, and drove back to Lake Norman with a crew within 21 days of templating. Three craftsmen were required for the main island placement. The finished surfaces arrived ready to set — no field cuts, no shimming, no adjustment. That outcome is only possible when the same person who templates the space builds the piece.
What did Augusta Homes specify and why does it matter?
Augusta Homes has been building luxury homes on Lake Norman since 1997. Every material decision in an Augusta Homes project is visible — to the client, to the architecture community, and to the market. Kim Toothman brought the white glass specification to the project based on her experience at Greenbridge, and Augusta Homes coordinated directly with Downing Designs throughout fabrication and installation.
The result was featured on the Augusta Homes magazine cover. It remains part of their active portfolio as a showcase of the renovation's design ambition and material quality. When a builder of that reputation chooses to feature your work on their cover, the endorsement is more durable than any award.
See the Chapel Hill illuminated glass bar top that started it all →
What are the maintenance requirements for a white glass countertop?
None beyond ordinary cleaning. White glass is non-porous, permanently sealed by the kiln-firing process, and does not require sealing, waxing, or any periodic treatment. It does not stain, does not react with citrus or alcohol, and does not etch the way marble does. A damp cloth is sufficient for daily cleaning. Standard glass cleaner for anything more.
Kim Toothman has lived with white glass in two homes across two different projects. She commissioned the second installation based on her experience with the first. That is the maintenance record that matters most.
Start a Conversation
Every Downing Designs project begins with a drawing and a conversation. If you have a space and an idea — that's enough to start.
Get in Touch with Me