Ledge Stone DeVerre Kitchen Back-Splash

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

“Great news!! The kitchen is FINALLY done and it looks AMAZING!! I am super happy!!!  Thank you again for everything, you really made this so wonderful, I can’t even tell you how outstanding it looks!”

*Comments and photos courtesy of the homeowner.

Bistro 71 opened in 2008, and is located in the historic downtown district of Chambersburg, PA.  The owners Larry and Barbara Lahr have committed themselves to bring the feeling of a Manhattan eatery to their small city’s main street.

Make your reservation soon or stop into the Bistro 71 to experience the unique bar, atmosphere, and food.  Located 71 South Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201.  It’s likely you’ll make a new friend there! ; )

Two warm slices of Seckel Pear and Brie Cheese Pizza~!  Crust is made from crescent dough and the the fruit sauce has sweet and savory notes including clove, nutmeg, and black pepper.  This dessert is “peared” with an Italian sparkling wine called Banfi.  Makes me want to curl-up next to the fireplace : )  Most enjoyable on those blustery winter nights.

Seen here on a cast glass dessert plate from Studio DeVerre…the Banfi is served in a hand-blown “bellini glass.”

Fisher working on a solid glass shark.

Resting one mile north of Venice in the Venetian Lagoon archipelago is the fascinating island of Murano. Known throughout the World as the epicenter of fine glass-making, centuries old techniques are still passed on from father to son, artist to artist. It was here, on the eastern shores of Italy, that DeVerre Elements founder Mike Fisher refined his craft and entered the realm of master glass designer. Through his experiences on Murano, the famed mecca of glass-making since 1291, Fisher’s fascination with the art deepened, eventually leading to his new collection of architectural glass tile coverings designed to mirror the traditional materials of stone, brick and wood. Fisher’s highly-unique DeVerre Elements represent the first glass tile surfacing products of their kind.

After leaving his native Pennsylvania with a Bachelor Degree of Fine Art from Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Fisher found himself immersed in this ancient glass-makers paradise, building on his prior expertise for two or three months at a time over the course of several years. Armed with advanced knowledge, new ideas and methods, Fisher returned to America and began the journey that culminated with the creation of an innovative, patent-pending process for hand-made glass elements to address what he describes as an innovation in the tile and stone industry. Stone, Brick and Wood DeVerre were developed by Fisher for spaces where the desired aesthetic of these natural materials proves impractical. Porous stone, brick and wood installations can be compromised by the presence of water, dirt, grease and a host of other nuances of everyday life, making them non-sanitary and difficult to clean and maintain. DeVerre Elements’ architectural glass tile coverings provide a unique look, and an inherently non-porous alternative for areas subject to these concerns. All three styles of DeVerre Elements tile can be installed anywhere tile or natural elements can be specified, whether interior or exterior, residential or commercial.

Fisher and his team at DeVerre Elements collect glass from several different sites, carefully selecting the finest pieces available to create products with a minimum of 20 percent recycled materials. Next, he begins the careful process of creating hand-made glass tiles with environmentally-friendly equipment. By using electricity, not gas, to power its furnace, DeVerre Elements manufactures elegant glass coverings without releasing harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Fisher begins by melting the glass before ladling out scoops of molten glass at 2,200-degrees Fahrenheit into proprietary molds.

DeVerre Elements architectural glass covering products are installed in similar fashion as regular glass, porcelain or ceramic tiles, direct-adhered to clean and sturdy substrates with a thin-set adhesive. Fisher recommends dry-stacking all of his elements over a scratch coat of thin-set for a look not interrupted by grout joints, accomplished simply by back-buttering each tile with adhesive and stacking one directly on top of the other. To achieve the traditional look of brick and to a lesser extent wood, the tiles can be wet-stacked and complimented with grout. For added flexibility and endless design possibilities, the thin-set adhesive and/or grout system can be treated with color pigments that show through the glass to create custom installations that match or contrast with the surrounding environment. DeVerre Elements materials are ideal for kitchen and bath walls, backsplashes, counters, bars, partitions and even ceilings. In addition, glass tiles from DeVerre can liven up landscape designs, hardscapes, water walls, fountains and pools.

Glass was a lot less common back then than it is today. It was very precious, and in the Bible glass has been compared to gold. (Job 28:17)
The art of glass making eventually reached Egypt. The Egyptians used a method called core-forming. A shaped core was made of clay and dung, then molten glass was wrapped around it and shaped by rolling it on a tool.

It was very much later, around the end of the 1st century BC, that a new method, glass blowing would revolutionize glass production. This art was probably discovered along the Eastern Mediterranean coast, probably in Syria. Blowing through a hollow tube, an experienced glassblower can quickly produce intricate and symmetrical shapes out of the “gather” of molten glass at the end of his tube (rod). Alternatively, he can blow the molten glass into a mold.
The glassblowing innovation, along with the backing of the powerful Roman Empire, made glass products more accessible to the common people. As the size of the Roman Empire increased, the art of glass making spread spread to many countries.

Glass Making in Europe.

After the decline of the Roman Empire in the 4th & 5th centuries AD, the craft of glass making waned in Europe. The industry continued to thrive in Iran, Iraq & Egypt.
In Europe, there was a limited revival of glass making in the early 12th Century, with the development of stained glass windows for cathedrals & monasteries.

A flourishing glass industry did not truly develop in Europe until the end of the 13th Century, when Venice became a major glass making center. They may have picked up their glass making techniques through their contacts with the near East countries during the Crusades. The Venetian provided the link between the ancient & modern glass making arts. Venetian glass was noted for its technically brilliant yet imaginative .

So by the 15th Century, Venice had become the major producer of glassware in Europe. So highly esteemed were the Venetian glass makers, that they were forbidden to leave the Island of Murano, lest their precious trade secrets be imparted to others.

However, it was to be another 2 centuries later that in 1676, an Englishman named George Ravenscroft made a discovery, that by adding lead to the glass that a far more brilliant sparkle was achieved.