As creators of architectural and decorative glass, Rolfe Designs has
been filling the specific needs of industry and business for over 15
years. Our specialty field is glass decorating; including etching,
glue chipping, gold leafing and painting.
We began as a design firm subcontracting to a local lighting
manufacturer that recreated historical lighting fixtures. We copied
the complex and beautiful patterning found on globes originally made
for the gas lamps used in the Victorian era. It was a time when each
fixture was unique and each part produced individually by hand.
Sometimes we had only a few shards to work from in recreating the
globes. We produced a resist masking to replicate the design on hand
blown globes, and custom formed panels so that a relief effect could
be achieved when we sandblasted the glass. Originally, hydrofluoric
acid and wax resists were used to achieve many varied effects,
however, using these acids is an extremely dangerous practice even
in a properly controlled environment. Commercial use has virtually
been replaced with sandblast etching, the preferred modern technique
used to achieve similar results. Our skills and interests have
grown significantly since we first started working for the lighting
firm. We enjoy being challenged with new projects as new effects
were required and have added gold leafing, mirroring, glue chipping,
and painting to our list of skills in meeting varied needs.
We believe it is in the technical details and commitment to quality
that sets us apart from others in this limited field. We can
provide the patterning off your model, or use your camera ready or
vector based art (.dxf,.ai,.cdr,.wmf file formats are preferred). We
also
have creative services available in house to match your needs, and we may be able to provide referrals to other artisans, if
additional sources are required.
We are proud of our work and can boast that it is hanging in some of
the most prestigious museums, state houses and fine residences
throughout the United States and some international locations as
well.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Include
a photo or sketch of your proposed project, so we may reference it
in our reply.