What does kiln-carved mean on a glass bar top?

Kiln-carving is a process in which glass is fired in a kiln over a textured bed — in this case, a hand-worked sand surface — so the heat softens the glass and allows it to take on the precise contours of the texture beneath it. The result is a surface that is permanently part of the glass, not applied to it. The texture lives on the underside, meaning the top surface stays smooth and cleanable while the visual depth lives below, amplified by the LED light source behind it.

How is a glass bar top supported without drilling through the glass?

Three cantilevered steel brackets, anchored into the bar structure below, carry the full load of the glass surface. The glass rests on the bracket faces and is bonded with ultra-clear silicone — no hardware passes through the glass at any point. This eliminates stress concentration points, aesthetic intrusion, and future maintenance issues caused by through-drilling.

How does the LED lighting system work inside a kiln-carved glass bar top?

The Ambiance Machine™ RGB LED system mounts along the interior edge of the bar structure and fires light upward through the glass. The carved texture catches and scatters that light, creating a surface that appears to glow from within. The system operates across 8 million color combinations at 0–100% intensity, with programmable scenes and optional photocell trigger that activates the bar automatically at dusk.

What are the maintenance requirements for a kiln-carved glass bar top?

The surface requires no special treatment. The top surface is smooth polished glass — cleaning is the same as any glass surface, a damp cloth or standard glass cleaner. No sealing, no waxing, no periodic treatment required. Low-iron glass is non-porous, does not stain, and does not react with alcohol, citrus, or cleaning products.

How was the wave texture pattern developed for the Mantoloking glass bar top?

The texture was designed interactively — client and craftsman working from the bar's geometry and the room's flow to arrive at a pattern that felt native to the space. Once the bar base drawings were confirmed, multiple textural iterations were developed. The client selected the wave pattern, which was then scaled and anchor-pointed so the hand-worked sand bed in the kiln matched it as faithfully as the process allows.

Custom Glass Surfboard

Last updated on October 11th, 2026 at 10:46 am

We recently engaged in a fun project creating a Custom Glass Surfboard. It was inspired by a recent trip to Newport Beach, CA where we installed a large kitchen and bar countertop. Surfing is a way of life there. Early in the am, I spoke with a few surfers about our project, and we discussed interesting ways to capture the dynamics of surfing in a static glass piece.

Over and over the word “cutback” came from them, and from there I set about to create the aura of the cutback in our glass. Hand texturing the kiln allowed us to achieve the desired “cutback ” texture in 1.5″ thick glass. From there we fired waterjetted the shape… about 8′ long.

We also wanted to illuminate the glass with LED’s…Our lateral lighting technique contrasts the peaks and valleys of the textures. By illuminate each side of the Surfboard, we can control the starboard and port light to provide an amazing dual-palette inside this one Glass Surfboard. This technique really shows off the beautiful hand-carved curves in the glass. To conceal the LED’s, we engaged the expertise of Doug Pringle of Pringle Guitars. Doug Pringle is a masterful craftsman, and creates hand-made guitars of the highest quality, and we were impressed to see him accept this challenge. It was great to see him working on the zebrawood and maple side-rails for our Glass Surfboard. We also wanted to create a set of fins that implied another word we heard from the surfers: “Watch out for Sharks”. So we decided to pattern our fins after a shark, and serrate the rear edges. After a few days of skilled fabrication, the resulting surfboard was spectacular. See the results below and judge for yourself.

Glass doesn’t have to stay on the countertop. Step into our world of surfboards, where the same kiln-formed texture, color, and light travel from the bar to the beach. Explore the Surfboard Collection →

Now if only we could convince Kelly Slater to try riding the unrideable/sinking/guaranteed to NOT float Glass Surfboard !!!

A two short videos are is available:

Downing Designs Glass Surfboard Video

Downing Designs Glass Surfboard LED color changes

Doug and Mike Pringle

Glass Shark fins

Glass Surfboard Fins

Glass Surfboard

Surfboard Nose

Jeff Downing

Founder, Lead Designer & Custom Glass Countertop Expert
Jeff Downing of Downing Designs, is a Tampa Florida–based design studio specializing in custom Glass Countertops, Glass Bar Tops, Glass Vanity tops and Glass Stair Treads. With decades of hands-on experience, Jeff is widely recognized for delivering textured glass surfaces integrated with LED lighting to create dazzling abstract statement pieces.

"Glass. Lights. Ambiance".

June 15, 2015

Custom Glass Surfboard

Jeff Downing

Custom Kitchen Counters Become Functional Art in Your Home

Glass Counter atop Robern Vanity

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