Enflame your imagination

When it comes to bespoke fine-art glass, whatever your heart’s desire, Jo Downs can meet the challenge.

Creating a beautiful home environment is what we all aspire to. In the spaces we occupy every day, each picture, chair and textile design can tell a story, and nothing says ‘you’ more than a specially commissioned work.

“There’s never been a bespoke idea I haven’t spun into something real for my client – into a work that delivers the essence of what they first imagined”

For glass designer Jo Downs, bespoke works are a passion. 20 years of creating spectacular installations for hotels, ocean liners, city headquarters and private homes have given her the skills and experience to create, as she puts it, “just about anything you can think of in fused glass. There’s never been a bespoke idea I haven’t spun into something real for my client – into a work that delivers the essence of what they first imagined.” Indeed, over two decades, Jo’s clients’ imaginations have truly put her to the test. Previous commissions have included room-sized installations, spectacular glass ceilings and intricate swimming pool surrounds. In 2017, Jo created her first multi-piece chandelier, wowing London design event, Decorex, with a showcase of elegant designs. Then, in 2018 she accepted a request from the United Arab Emirates’ Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl to create multiple giant glass oyster shells, complete with iridescent glass pearls.

“Every year new challenges come my way, allowing me to push the boundaries of what’s possible. I’m an artist first and foremost, so working to create unique pieces that are meaningful to my client is my greatest motivation.”

Mindful of the emotional investment inherent in the commissioning of bespoke works, Jo’s focus is on a close partnership with each of her clients, and the knowledge that clients wish to express something of their own identity through their design choices. “Corporate commissions, for example, must reflect the aspirations of that business,” Jo explains, “while domestic commissions are designed to reflect the interests and personality of the family who created that home. Each project is a partnership – a coming together of my clients’ hopes and what’s possible, even only theoretically – in the discipline of fused glass. Whatever the idea, there’s always a conversation to be started, and then taken forward with enthusiasm!”

To learn more about bespoke commissions, why not give Jo and her team a call?