Glass Design Solutions Ltd

21/10/2026

“Can you actually lock glass doors?”

Yes. And on a w**e wall like this one, that matters.

Swipe to see the before. Beautiful bespoke shelving, a serious collection, and nothing between it and the rest of the house.

Our client wanted to keep it on show but protected, so we made and fitted a full-width glass screen with a pair of sliding doors in the middle. Discreet floor locks at the bottom of each door mean it can be locked whenever needed.

Rather than clear glass, they chose bronze tint. It adds warmth, picks up the brass detailing on the shelving, and softens the view through so the w**e wall feels like a deliberate feature rather than a cupboard with the doors left open. The shelf lighting glows through it beautifully in the evening.

We also offer grey tint, which gives a cooler, more contemporary look.

All the glass was processed in-house at our Brighouse workshop.

A few things we planned with the client:
🔹 Sliding rather than hinged, so nothing swings out into the room
🔹 Which panels stay fixed and which ones slide, so every shelf is easy to reach
🔹 Where the locks sit, so they’re secure without spoiling the look
🔹 Making every panel to the exact opening, as no two alcoves are ever quite the same

Yes, that’s a Christmas tree and a snowy garden in the reflection. This was a past install, fitted just before Christmas. But the planning started long before that. Our client came to us early, so there was plenty of time to agree the design, make everything to measure and get it fitted well ahead of their celebrations.

Thinking about glass doors for a w**e room, bar or display area, and want them in place before this Christmas? Now’s the time to send us a message.

19/10/2026

Two alcoves. Same shelves, same space, completely different feel.

Before: bare, patchy walls that made both alcoves feel dark and a bit unfinished.
After: antique mirror (No 18) fitted behind and between the shelves.
What's changed isn't just the look. The mirror bounces light back into the room, makes each alcove feel deeper than it really is, and the aged finish means you get the brightness without it feeling like a bathroom mirror.

A question we often get asked about jobs like this: "Do I need to take my shelves out to have mirror fitted?"

Not necessarily. Here, each panel was cut to fit the spaces between the shelves, so the alcoves keep their storage and gain the mirror.

And if you spot little black bits at the bottom of the panels in the after photos, they're meant to be there. We explained why in our post last week.

Got an alcove that feels like wasted space? Send us a photo and we'll tell you honestly whether mirror would work.

15/10/2026

In our defence, they did invite us in. 🕵️‍♀️

Every bespoke mirror we fit starts with a survey: lasers, measurements, photos of every socket and skirting board that might get in the way. Then we head back to our workshop in Brighouse and make it to fit your space exactly. No standard sizes, no guesswork.

The only thing we’re guilty of is making you look good. 🪞

Thinking about a mirror for an awkward alcove, a bathroom or a whole wall? Drop us a message.

14/10/2026

“Do you only do mirrors?”

We get asked this a lot. Mirrors are a big part of what we do, and we’re proud of them. But we’re Glass Design Solutions, not Mirror Design Solutions, and mirror is only one of the glasses we work with.

These black-framed glass doors are a good example. The client came to us with their own design, and we made them in-house at our Brighouse workshop and fitted them on site.
A few things we always talk through with clients on a job like this:

🔹 The opening. Older homes are rarely square, so every door is made to the exact measurements of that space, not a standard size.
🔹 How the doors open. These pivot rather than hinge, which changes how much floor space you need when they swing.
🔹 The detailing. The inner frame line and long bar handles were the client’s choice, and they’re what make the doors feel considered rather than off the shelf.

The result lets the light flow from the front of the house right through, while still separating the space.

So if you’ve been wondering whether we can help with something that isn’t a mirror, chances are we can. Doors, partitions, splashbacks, shelving and more. Send us a message and ask. If it’s not something we do, we’ll tell you, and point you to someone who does.
(Eagle-eyed followers might spot our van parked outside. 👀)

12/10/2026

Straight edge or wavy edge?

12/10/2026

Remember the light antique mirror we showed you last week? This is what it did for a tired old cabinet.

We lined the back and the roof of the display shelves with light antique mirror, cutting it precisely around each of the downlights so they sit neatly in the roof. The old wooden shelves came out and we made glass shelves to replace them, held on clear supports so they almost disappear.

With the LED strips running down the sides, the light bounces off that soft, aged mirror and through the glass. And because the roof is mirrored too, the shelves reflect upwards and the whole cabinet looks twice as tall.

This one was finished in a workshop, so we never got to see it in its new home. We’re confident it looked stunning though.

(Yes, that’s one of our team in the reflection. Mirrors make it very hard to hide.😂)
Got an old piece of furniture that deserves a second life? Send us a message.

08/10/2026

06/10/2026

Mirror or glass splashback?

Here's why we went with mirror on this one.

This bar area sits in a loft conversion. Sloped ceilings, and less natural light than the rest of the building.

A coloured glass splashback would have given a flat block of colour on the wall.

A mirror works harder. It reflects the room back at you, so the space feels bigger and brighter.

It picks up the LED lighting in the ceiling and alcoves, so you get more light without adding a single bulb.

And importantly it's just as easy to wipe clean as glass.

In a room like this, that makes all the difference.

Thinking about a splashback? Ask us anything.
📞 01422 310329

04/10/2026

"Why are there little black bits at the bottom of my new mirror?"

If you've just had a mirror fitted, or you're about to, you might notice small black pieces sitting underneath the glass when the fitter leaves. That's exactly what you can see in this alcove we finished recently.

They're called packers, and they're doing an important job.

Glass expands.

Every mirror needs a small expansion gap around it so it has room to move.

Packers hold that gap in place while the mirror sets to the wall.

Without them, gravity takes over. The mirror can slip down and end up resting on the surface below, or on the panel next to it. Then, when the glass expands, it has nowhere to go... and it can crack.

So what should you do with them?

Leave them alone for 24 hours. After that, they pull out very easily.

Not before 24 hours, though. It's tempting to take them out straight away so everything looks perfect, but patience here protects what you've paid for.

And if your mirror is fitted without packers or any gap at all, it's a fair question to ask your installer why.

We're also sharing this photo because, with so many perfect AI-generated images around, we think it's useful to see what a real installation looks like on the day it's finished.

Perfection that lasts is always worth waiting for.

02/10/2026

"Can you get a mirror made to fit inside wall panelling?"

We get asked this a lot, usually by someone who has spent a small fortune on mouldings and doesn't want a standard rectangle of glass ruining the look.

The short answer is yes, and this hallway is a good example of why it's worth doing properly.

Look at the corners. Each mirror has curved, cut-in corners that follow the shape of the panel moulding exactly. That isn't something you can buy off the shelf. Every piece is cut to that specific panel.

So how does it work?
We measure (and where needed, template) every panel individually. Walls are rarely perfectly square, and panels that look identical often aren't, even by a few millimetres. A few millimetres is all it takes for a gap to show or a mirror not to fit.

The shape is then cut and the edges finished in our factory, so we control the quality from start to finish.

Fitting at height, like the upper panel here, needs proper planning and access. It needs to be part of the job, not an afterthought.

What affects the price?
- The complexity of the shape (curved corners take more work than straight ones)
- The size of each panel
- How many panels there are
- Access, especially on double-height walls
- The type of mirror you choose

The result? A hallway that feels twice the size, bounces light around, and looks like the mirrors were always meant to be there.

If you've got panelling and you're wondering whether mirrors would work, send us a photo and we'll give you an honest answer, even if that answer is "probably not".

📞 01422 310329
📧 [email protected]