A cottage isn’t just a retreat; it’s also a major investment. Whether you’re preparing your property for resale or thinking long-term, the right updates can make a dramatic difference. One of the most overlooked but high-impact upgrades? Custom glass installations.

From glass railings on the deck to frameless shower enclosures and modern interior glass doors, these features boost curb appeal, maximize natural light, and increase your cottage’s overall property value. Here’s how investing in glass can help you get top dollar for your cottage.

Ontario winters are known for their snow, freezing rain, and sub-zero temperatures, all of which can take a toll on your home’s exterior. If you’ve invested in sleek outdoor glass railings, it’s essential to keep them protected through the harshest months. Without proper care, salt spray, ice, and moisture can damage even the most durable exterior glass installations.

The good news? With a few winter maintenance strategies, you can keep your railings clear, safe, and structurally sound all season long. Here’s how to make sure your outdoor glass survives the cold without compromising its beauty or safety.

Minimalist interior design is rooted in simplicity, clarity, and purposeful living. It's a style that favours clean lines, open spaces, and functional beauty over decorative excess. One material that embodies this approach better than most is frameless glass.

From stair railings to shower enclosures and room dividers, frameless glass provides both form and function. It supports the aesthetics of minimalist living while offering practical benefits that enhance the feel of a home. Here's how frameless glass elevates modern interiors and why it's a favourite among designers and homeowners alike

Glass railings bring openness, style, and professionalism to any commercial property. But like all building materials, they have a lifespan. Small cracks or worn-down fixtures might not seem urgent at first, but these signs can quickly shift from cosmetic issues to safety concerns. When your railing system begins to show wear, glass replacement becomes critical for protecting your tenants, staff, and customers. Here's how to spot the signs that your commercial railings need attention.

The bathroom has evolved from a purely functional space into something far more personal. In 2026, it's a retreat, a design statement, and a space where elegance meets innovation. This year’s leading bathroom trends are all about blending bold style choices with practical upgrades that elevate the everyday. From striking tiles to sleek glass showers, here’s what’s defining the modern luxury bathroom.

Installing glass railings and doors can modernize your home, but style alone won’t cut it. In Ontario, these installations must meet strict safety and building code requirements to ensure they’re secure, durable, and built to last. At Northvue Glass, we provide code-compliant glass railing and door systems for residential spaces, helping homeowners enhance their property safely and responsibly.

Homeowners today want spaces that are as safe as they are stunning. From panoramic windows to sleek stair panels, glass plays a vital role in how modern homes look and feel. But when beauty meets practicality, safety can never be compromised. That’s where tempered glass makes all the difference. It combines elegance with unmatched durability, protecting your family while elevating your space’s design.

The right glass can completely transform a space, turning plain walls, doors, or partitions into striking design elements that balance light, beauty, and privacy. Whether it’s a serene bathroom, a bright office, or a modern storefront, the finish you choose shapes the atmosphere of your entire environment. That is where etched glass and frosted glass stand out.

There’s something timeless about standing on a balcony that opens to an unobstructed view. Whether you’re taking in the sunset over the water or city lights from above, the experience feels more complete when the barrier between you and the view seems to disappear. That’s exactly what balcony glass railings offer: the perfect combination of modern design, open sightlines, and reliable safety.

In luxury home design, the materials you choose aren't just functional; they're foundational to the overall look and feel of the space. Low iron glass has quickly become a favourite among architects, designers, and discerning homeowners who want unmatched clarity and visual impact. Its crisp, ultra-clear appearance transforms everyday design elements into focal points that feel effortless, open, and refined. Whether it's a floating staircase, a frameless shower, or a sleek wine enclosure, low iron glass brings a level of precision and polish that standard clear glass cannot match. If you're designing a home that values light, detail, and timeless style, this is the glass to choose.

Glass is one of the most versatile and overlooked elements in commercial design. It’s more than just a barrier or a see-through surface: it influences how customers perceive your brand, how light moves through your space, and how safely people interact with it. Whether you're creating a sleek storefront glass display, adding office partitions, or designing a spa-like shower, each glass decision impacts your business's aesthetics, functionality, and long-term value.

Glass staircases offer a modern elegance that traditional materials can't replicate. Their ability to open up a space, highlight natural light, and create architectural impact makes them a top choice in contemporary home design. However, their visual appeal must be matched by structural integrity. At Northvue Glass, we help homeowners bring their vision to life with railing systems that combine form, function, and full code compliance.

You often sense an immediate difference when you enter an office today versus the cubicle farms of the past. Light flows unimpeded, conversation hums softly, and you can actually see your coworkers rather than merely hearing them from behind fabric-covered dividers.

Recently, the designs of modern homes have shifted towards a cleaner, more open aesthetic. Homeowners have shown interest in minimalism, favouring light-filled spaces, clean lines, and materials that dissolve the separation between indoors and outside.

Your bathroom should be a sanctuary, a place where you can gather your thoughts in the morning while getting ready or unwind after a long day. Thus, its design should reflect a sense of calmness and openness, which is what a frameless glass shower can help achieve. Traditional shower enclosures have bulky metal components or dated curtains, but frameless glass showers are made of thick, durable glass panels held in place with minimal hardware.

There is something about a cottage that compels you to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. So, why not design it to play up that sensibility? Adding glass elements to a cottage interior is one of the simplest, most effective methods of taking it to the next level. Glass not only contemporizes, but also opens your cottage to more light, views, and feelings of serenity.

Whether your cottage is a small lakefront retreat or a larger vacation home, well-placed glass features can make the entire space feel brighter, more open, and easily connected to the outdoors.

There is something undeniably elegant about a staircase framed in glass; it is clean, modern, and quietly luxurious. However, not all glass is created equal, and choosing the right kind matters just as much as the design itself.

If you are thinking about upgrading your staircase, the safest and most stylish choice is tempered glass. It is heat-treated to be up to five times as strong as regular glass, so it is tough enough for everyday use, random bumps, and even the occasional toddler tantrum. Furthermore, if it does break, it shatters into blunt little bits instead of nasty sharp pieces.

Sometimes, the signals that your home’s glass needs to be replaced are obvious, like a baseball coming through the window. However, most of the time, the signs are smaller, more subtle, and easier to overlook.

You might feel a small draft around a window, notice condensation accumulating between panes, or find a small crack that is working its way outward. Although these may seem like minor issues, they can have severe consequences on your home’s energy efficiency over time and even impact its security.

Your bathroom should be more than just a functional space—it should feel like a personal retreat. Putting in custom glass shower doors is one of the simplest ways to turn a bathroom that is otherwise quite ordinary into a haven that resembles a spa.

Thanks to their seamless design and clean lines, these doors create a sense of space that makes even the smallest bathrooms feel open and inviting, while also offering a level of sophistication that mass-produced shower options cannot match.

There is something undeniably uplifting about sunlight streaming through your windows and into your house first thing in the morning. Natural light does not just brighten a room—it transforms it. Naturally lit spaces feel more expansive and open, almost as if the walls have been pushed back a few feet.

Even the most compact rooms can seem larger and airier when bathed in sunlight, making your home feel more comfortable and welcoming. With a reduced reliance on artificial lighting, your home can also be more energy-efficient, and you can cut down your spending on energy bills.