How We Make Glass Countertops at Downing Designs

Last updated on February 12th, 2026 at 02:30 pm

What goes into how we make Glass Countertops ? Lots of people want to know how do we do it?   What am I thinking and feeling at that moment we prepare to make the first carving?  What am I putting inside my carving strokes in that flat sand bed that makes the 3-D glass countertop texture emerge and come alive?

Lots of prep work and discussions prior to making anything.

It starts with how does the client live throughout the day from working at the home office, cooking, entertaining?  We need it to have a purpose…function defines form.

The Kitchen countertop we believe has become the hub for ALL these activities during the typical day, and if we can bring that all together in harmony so that at each stage of the day it presents as a perfect surface for EACH of these activities then you have a valuable design: 

1. Workspace for home office during day

2. Restaurant: Food prep and service Breakfast Lunch Dinner

3. Lounge: Evening playground for parties w cocktails and friends at the Glass Countertop bar

 After we discuss and agree upon timing and price, its time to do the real artistic work.

How the Home layout determines how we make Glass Countertops Texture

We start with the size and outline of the glass countertop layout. Templates are used usually to create the framework for our “painting”.

Then we discuss with them how their space “flows”. Start with the clients ideas… and then we incorporate designs that reflect modern kitchen ideas . We always learn new things from our clients.  We have described in greater detail here.

Then the mental part enters…How will it become one with and energize the flow of the Kitchen,  Bath or Bar for which we are making this artistic glass design ?

We need to know how a person will enter the kitchen or bath, as this angle is critical to our design. From there we present a series of scale countertop sketches where the texture seamlessly flows with the room.

This is how we go about our signature design technique, and in our experience, it does two things: It “greets” people with an inviting  linear texture that “pulls” you further inside the glass work. Second, it elongates the room, enhancing its looks and value. This takes skill to thoughtfully execute correctly, while at the same time creating an original work. This is where the participation of our clients infuses our designs with fresh new ideas.

Client Customization is Invited

We create our textures right in front of the client, first lightly sketching in our sand bed, then deepening our kiln carving to create their centerpiece.

Opening the Downing Designs Glass Design Studio to our studio to clients is a great way to get a free preview of the work, and the client-artist interaction is assured to give the best result we can offer…and is very important to most of our clients.

The experience is highly interactive…as we become immersed in the design of the overall form that our glass will take. This gives them the opportunity to tell us just how they feel about their piece in terms of: curvaceousness, open space vs textured, Cat 1 or Cat 5 hurricane, etc, etcAll of our hurricanes are finished by the client “signing” the piece with their finger to create the eye of the hurricane…and then is forever named after them. Its great fun, and a memorable experience in the creation of their masterpiece. When looking into your next modern kitchen design, dont overlook the opportunity to co-author your commission…its one of the few areas where you will have ultimate control over the exacting look of your modern kitchen designs.

Visualizing before we Texture and Make Glass Countertops

We Visualize and Imagine the final result..and then…Add Emotion. What will it remind you of?  How does it illuminate your life?  Does it possess any magic whatsoever…or is it just  a piece of glass?  If it is just a piece of glass, please dont buy it just to put stuff on it like it was granite. Its too expensive to not thrill you.

Then we MUST be Bold, Daring, Powerful yet Graceful, Sequencing the Flow, Focus, Energize, practice air strokes…then Explode into the sand…let it fly! Dont stop!  Carve with a Purpose! Lots of motion…

Create Tension inside the piece…Deep textures are for the Courageous!

I want you to see it and feel it in perpetuity…literally crystallized in glass forever…What gateway does this artistic expression take you through?

It needs to possess gravity. It needs to uplift the conversational fluency of those in attendance.

Thats what a thoughtfully designed glass high bar can do for you and others…its transcendent in that respect. Its not a stamped replica as so many others offer. Its a one-of piece of art that you will experience and enjoy for the rest of your life. Like commissioning a painting for your living room  wall…it should be selected carefully to suit your space, color scheme, and lighting before commissioning your artist.

As I age, I feel the import of deep conversational fluency growing. I sense in our clients the same that forming true human connections, whether personal or professional, is an ever-increasing challenge. Im saddened when I think of the lost opportunities to share these objets d’art with my Grandfather, Father, and others who have departed Earth.  But at the same time I feel a renewed sense of urgency to create a conversational environment that is truly transcendent and elevates the feeling…the excitement of being in the presence of new friends and old…listening to others bare their souls, share their joyous feelings and tell their stories. How do you put a price on that???  I cannot. I

t certainly cant be expressed in terms of dollars per sq ft like a cold slab of granite. It is warm, alive, and is to be valued as a conduit to a higher order of interpersonal communication. The textured glass countertop that results is hand-crafted, thick, piece that is a sensational look in any kitchen or bath space.

 Long after we are gone, people will only remember how we made others feel.  Time to get started on that.

Jeff Downing,  DowningDesigns.com