June 15, 2019

Text: Anna Gibertini

Back-Painted Glass Is The Sleek Solution For Inspiring Spaces

Teal back-painted glass (Lacobel T) used as wall cladding for a pop of color. Photography courtesy of AGC North America.

Thanks to increasingly impressive technological developments, designers today have an astonishing array of surfaces to specify for their projects. From completely new materials, such as technological quartz, to ancient options that have been improved with modern tech, like glass, the variety can make a designer feel like a kid in a candy shop. Despite all this abundance of choice, a designer’s task still comes down to the same riddle for every project: what material will look the best and stand the test of time?

Back-painted glass is one such material that is extremely prevalent around the world, and is gaining in popularity in North America. It retains the sleek, modern appearance of glass while also enabling designers to insert fun pops of color and texture into their projects. Back-painted glass is equally at home in residential or commercial settings as wall coverings, tabletops, shelving, partitions, furniture, and doors.

In this Prague hotel, three different colors of back-painted glass (Lacobel) are combined for a bold, modern look. Photography courtesy of AGC Glass North America.

AGC Glass North America, the world’s largest glass company, recently unveiled four new back-painted glass products for the North American architectural market: Lacobel, Lacobel T, Matelac, and Matelac T. These products are not only aesthetically pleasing, but environmentally friendly, as well. They are produced using high-quality, low-VOC paints and are certified Cradle to Cradle Silver.

Back-painted glass (Matelac) can serve as a functional design element, such as these kitchen cupboards. Photography courtesy of AGC Glass North America.

The Lacobel T and Matelac T product lines are comprised of float glass that are back-painted and can be quickly and easily tempered to create a true enameled glass. They are both coated with a high-quality temperable paint that can result in either a glossy finish (Lacobel T) or an acid-etched satin finish (Matelac T). Each line comes in an attractive palette of 10 design-forward colors. Both Lacobel T and Matelac T are heat, UV, and shock resistant, making them suitable for indoor or outdoor applications.

A motif can also be applied to back-painted glass (Lacobel) which serves as the wrapping for a Prague airport refreshment kiosk. Its clean, contemporary lines make a statement in the busy terminal. Photography courtesy of AGC Glass North America.

AGC Glass North America also carries two interior-exclusive lines: Lacobel and Matelac. Similar to the aforementioned products, Lacobel is a float glass that features a glossy finish. Metalac is a float glass that has been acid-etched on one side, rendering a satin-like finish.

The differences between the tempered and non-tempered product lines comes down to the color and customization options. Lacobel and Matelac come in 20 trendsetting colors (of those 20, 14 are shared between the two lines). There is also an option for designers to specify a custom color for Lacobel or Matelac, which is ideal for someone working in the commercial sector.

Lacobel, Matelac, Lacobel T, and Matelac T are available for specification now.

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