A look at the beautiful American Social Bar and Kitchen in Tampa

 When the owners of the American Social Bar and Kitchen in Tampa visited us to initially discuss their bathroom sink ideas, we discovered they were interested in a very contemporary look for their new Harbour Island location. Our design center showed them exactly what they were looking for…floating sinks that offered their guests a real visual treat. The sink options they selected were designed to sync with the entire philosophy of their forward looking design that sets them apart from their competition. They delighted in specifying the exact material combinations (textured glass, seashell concrete) for their VIP room. The result is something that they can always proudly look back at and know the resulting sink perfectly represents their taste. 

They didn’t stop there. They were selecting countertops for their two large outdoor bar areas…often bathed in direct sunlight despite being under a canopy. Our design center has many outdoor-friendly countertop materials parked outside so clients can see just how hot they become in direct sunlight. They were very impressed with our White Glass Countertops, not only for their pure white composition, but even in afternoon sunlight, were relatively cool to the touch. We have referenced this in a prior blog showing just how well they stay cool in sunlight.

Installing these white glass counters with Arch Hardware stainless steel drink rails is a very contemporary look…and very practical. The combination looks terrific and is very easy to clean. No sealer is needed as white glass counters are non-porous. We laminated the edges to give it a thicker appearance. Because it a such a long bar, the 4″ thick edge maintains the sleek look.

These white glass countertops are very easy to maintain with simple Windex cleaner and are non-porous. They are the perfect material for the partial sunlight that impacts them. The clean contemporary look fits perfect with their overall design thesis, and brightens the space with its reflective brilliance. The colors in their food, wine and beers pop against the pure white backdrop. 

For those interested in a durable, zero-maintenance, contemporary bar top, we highly recommend taking a look at our white glass counters and glass sinks at the American Social Bar in Tampa. try the delicious Short Ribs while you are there…super tasty!

Jeff Downing, DowningDesigns.com

 

American Social Bar…Outdoor White Glass Countertop

Sleek Outdoor Bar in White Glass

 

SurfSink glass sink in VIP room at American Social

Stainless Drink Rails with White Glass Countertops

 

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White Glass Countertop Pricing Guide

How is it Made. White glass countertops are a fusion of glass and silica at 2700 degrees. It is poured into forms, cooled, polished to a gloss finish. It is as non-porous as glass.

COST.   The average retail cost of a White Glass countertop is between $150/psf and $250/psf depending upon:

Size. Large white glass countertops sized pieces are harder to fabricate and install. Expect to pay a premium when more manpower is required to forl big pieces over 300lbs.  1.125” thick white glass weighs 23lbs psf (per square foot) which is about the same as granite. Slab sizes are 61” x 111” x 1.125”  Maximizing the yield per slab lowers the cost.

Thickness.   1.125” thick is the standard white glass countertop thickness. Lamination of edges can provide any thickness desired.

Design Options.  Fabricating white glass countertops takes skill and time.

Polished edge. Polishing White Glass takes 6 steps and a great amount of skill and effort. Make sure you inspect the quality of polish that your glass fabricator is offering before signing a contract. Square polished edge with a roundover is standard.

Cutouts. Waterjet cutouts for holes for supports, sinks and faucets are recommended, but with care, diamond core bits can be used.  

Arcs, Circles. Waterjetting and polishing arcs and circles in white glass is more demanding than linear saw cutting and polishing. Cutting white glass is NOT like cutting any other material. It requires patience, a specialized set of diamond tools.  Waterjetting glass usually runs about $100 per hour for setup and cutting.

Color. It is pure white. See our comparison of white countertop options.

Lighting.  White Glass is opaque and cannot be underlit.

Durability.   White Glass has a Mohs Hardness of 7.0  Scratching, chipping are not an issue if using roundover tops. Repairs in field are possible. White Glass Countertops aka Nanoglass countertops are by far the whitest, strongest, most stain-proof, UV-proof, cigarette and hot pan-proof, hair dye-proof, solvent-proof acid-proof material we have ever tested. For outdoor kitchens, it is the perfect material because it is 100% inorganic…and unlike quartz, whose plastic resin binder will yellow in the outdoor light. It also stays very cool to the touch (96 degrees on a 93 degree day) in direct Florida sunlight…amazing! .The unbelievable strength of white glass allows you to create designs with MUCH wider cantilevers, and overhangs, without bracing. It is non-porous and you do NOT need to use expensive sealers on an annual basis, nor will you encounter expensive refinishing repairs like a natural marble or quartzite stones.

Installation. Challenging site conditions e.g. stairs, small elevators may necessitate a large crew to install the white glass. White Glass Countertop installations are not for for amateurs. Please make sure that your installers are THE BEST you can find.  

Best For:  Modern, Contemporary, Transitional, Coastal, Indoor, Outdoor, Kitchen, Bath, Tables.

Summary.

The real benefit in owning White Glass Countertops is that they are pure white, non-porous, hygienic and luxurious material. They make the apparent size of each room they inhabit appear 25% larger. In an era where we purchase countertops and homes by the square foot, adding 25% to the visual volume of your home adds tremendous value.

They are also a very contemporary and modern countertop option that is great for outdoor countertops. When combined with stone or reclaimed wood paneling, white glass gives a very pure and interesting Jetsons-Flintstones juxtaposition.

 

 

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Lighting Glass Countertops…Which Method is Best?

Kohler Vault Apron Front Sink…The Best Sink for your Glass Kitchen Countertop.

There are hundreds of options to consider when choosing a kitchen sink for your glass countertop. For the contemporary or modern kitchen, we have almost exclusively recommended one sink: the Kohler Apron Front sink. The Kohler Vault and Strive are very similar. We love them for several reasons, several of which may not immediately concern you…but could down the road.  Facts: I have owned the Vault since 2013. I have recommended them to hundreds of home owners. I also get zero money from Kohler to write this article.

For the contemporary kitchen, whether you are using new cabinets or remodeling old ones, the Kohler Vault and Strive under mount sinks are great choices.  Foremost, they are beautiful, well-made of thick stainless steel, with a terrific brushed finish. Theyhave clean lines which complement our contemporary countertops perfectly. They feature a self-trimming design which makes sink installation a breeze in a new kitchen or a remodel. Their documentation and videos are terrific as well, something sorely missing from other major brands. The self-rimming feature means that in a remodel, the cabinet top rail must be cut. The Kohler apron front design overlaps these cuts with a wide flange. This is very smart.  Many other apron-front sinks do not have this overlay flange design, and require the cabinet to be cut perfectly and then trim or caulk the cut line…nearly impossible in a remodel without chipping the wood and/or laminate.

See the video below to see this simple installation.

 

As a custom glass countertop manufacturer, our view is that the design of the Vault sink eliminates the risk of cracking and chipping of the slim countertop piece in front of under mount sinks. This is smart because if you crack this non-structurally supported piece, you will need to replace that entire section of countertop. Ouch! The Vault design removes an expensive potential failure point. Further, glass countertops are usually LED illuminated from the rear edge. However, if you have an under mounted sink, the light will not hit the front of the sink and create an unsightly dark spot. This front countertop piece is also the place where pots, pans, etc must fly over when placing inside the sink for cleaning. This is a high traffic area much more suited to a resilient stainless steel apron front sink material vs a fragile countertop such as glass or granite. We have observed that many countertops, in many materials, suffer damage in this area. This is due to the narrow width of the countertop, as well as the usually thin, flexible rail that is underneath the front of the cabinet. These wood rails usually are subject to wetting from water splashing and this weakens them over time. Getting rid of this risk is smart. 

When choosing sinks for your glass countertops, we recommend you go with a top-mounted sinks vs undermounted sinks. This is because the glass will show the silicone seam…not pretty! 

Top-mounted and Apron-front sinks solve a tricky issue with glass countertops and under-mount sinks i.e. glass is a transparent surface unlike stone.

Undermounting sinks on glass counters leads to a very time-consuming installation process…which is why we do not recomend undermounted sinks EVER.

A simple, elegant solution involves the use of Kohler’s  Vault Apron-Front Sink 

 

Kohler Vault Apron-Front Sink

 

Installation of these sinks is easy and creates very clean lines. Kohler has great “how-to” videos on their site that walks you through the process. It takes less than 30 minutes to install, and can be done by anyone.

Apron-front sinks also solve a much more critical issue: The front edge of most sinks is a thin countertop piece. Do the math…if a typical cabinet box is 24” deep, the countertop is normally 25.5” deep. If the sink is 20” deep, this leaves only 5″ of countertop…divided by two for front/rear leaves only a fragile 2.5” wide countertop piece in the front and rear of the sink. And the rear piece will be drilled for a 1.375″ faucet hole, and maybe air-switches, soap dispensers, ect. Not good. Cabinet fronts are usually nothing more than a non-structural decorative trim element. Disaster looms if you should press down too hard on the front countertop piece. The counter will crack and need to be replaced with a matching color/pattern.

When using LED’s along the backside of the glass, any sink is going to prevent the light from illuminating the front glass piece…creating a dark piece of glass. By using an apron-front sink we eliminate that imperfect situation. We can also place an LED around the perimeter of these sinks to cast lighting outward, eliminating dark spots. In some island pieces, this may be the ONLY lighting option available, and is a simple, elegant solution.

Apron sinks are also much better at taking the impact from pots/pans reducing the risk of chipping an exposed glass surface on the front.

We like these sinks so much I installed them in my own home, and suggest that they be given your highest consideration when shopping for your kitchen countertop sink.

Contact:   Jeff Downing     800-486-3650             email:   Jeff@DowningDesigns.com

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