Our Blog

Summer Glass Pulls Home Improvement Special

2026-06-15T12:16:58-05:00

Summer Special

Welcome to summer from Glass Storm Studios!

It’s the season of barbecues and baseball, lawnmowers and swimming pools and, yes, home improvement projects.

To celebrate the warm and lazy months we are having another contest. Last time we gave away two free knobs. This time we’re doing pulls!

Buy more than four pulls of any style and we will add a free one to anyone placing an order in the United States. Special ends June 30th at midnight EDT.

So, if you want to do some home improvement with glass and upgrade your home decor, now’s your chance! If you want five or more pulls order now and we’ll throw one in free! Why wait?

Remodeling with new cabinet hardware can transform any room in your house for a fraction of the cost of painting or refinishing.

Let us change your living space with handmade glass art!

Trombone Shorty at Artis Naples

2026-04-30T08:59:54-05:00

Trombone Shorty at Artis Naples

In another in our ongoing series on what we do when we’re not working, here is a picture of Trombone Shorty and the band on stage at Artis Naples.

Trombone Shorty is a musician from New Orleans who started playing trombone at the age of four. He, along with his group, plays a really energetic combination of jazz, rhythm and blues, pop and various combinations of styles. If you like good music, check him out:

https://www.tromboneshorty.com/

The Artis was sold out and the place was alive throughout the show. It was great to see Naples dancing!

Artis Naples is a performing arts venue in Naples that hosts all types of musical and stage events, from jazz to opera and ballet. It is extremely well designed and very comfortable. We really feel really fortunate to live in a place with this kind of art available.

https://artisnaples.org/

March Glass Knobs Special

2026-03-17T10:58:00-05:00

Welcome to Spring from Glass Storm Studios!

It's a beautiful time of year and to spread the joy we are having a slightly different event.

We are giving away two free knobs of any style to anyone placing a knob order over one hundred dollars in the United States. Special ends March 31st at midnight EDT. So, if you want to do some home improvement with glass, now’s your chance!

If you want fifteen knobs, order thirteen and the other two are free. Why wait!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and congratulations on once again surviving The Ides of March.

#glass #knobs #SpecialOffer #HomeImprovement #remodel #StPatricksDay #TheIdesOfMarch

Working with Color in Home Decor

2026-02-11T10:45:52-06:00

Working with Color

Two of the keys to working with color are complement and contrast.

You want your knobs or pulls to contrast with your cabinet color so that they stand out. You also want them to complement the color of other items around them such as backsplash or tiles.

These are the key principles to apply in selecting the color of your cabinet handle glass.

For example, in the knobs pictured here the blue and white will contrast nicely with all light colored cabinets. The lea will pop and the white will ties in with lighter backsplash or flooring.

Not sure which knobs to choose Ask a friend! Second opinions always help, in knobs as in life.

December Contest

2025-12-15T10:43:00-06:00

Christmas Contest

Merry Christmas and happy new year from Glass Storm Studios!

We are very happy to celebrate the end of hurricane season without having gone through even a tropical storm or losing power for any length of time. Now we are entering our second season, spring, and watching all the people fleeing back here to avoid something unknown to us - winter.

We have been having a great time experimenting in our studio in between our orders and next year will probably see some new additions to our collections. Now’s the time! If you have any suggestions, send them in (be nice).

To celebrate our good fortune and hopefully yours we are giving away Christmas colors. You have your choice of Pearl, Gold, Emerald or Ruby. We are giving away two knobs to the first person placing an order over one hundred dollars in the United States.Contest ends December 31st at midnight EDT.

When we’re not working, we have also been checking out local activities. We would particularly recommend the Christmas lights at the Naples Botanical Gardens. Check them out!

September Contest

2025-09-01T12:17:10-05:00

To celebrate the trailing edge of summer we’re having another contest – more free glass knobs!

This month, to celebrate heat and mourn its imminent demise, we are giving away three Painted Desert knobs and two oblong Painted Desert knobs to the first person placing an order over one hundred dollars in the United States.Contest ends September 15th at midnight EDT.

Painted Desert knobs have dramatic swaths of purple, red, yellow and sand like the vast painted deserts of the west. Each piece will have a different combination of colors, some darker and some lighter, unique just as in nature. Please check them out along with the rest of the Limited Collection.

In addition, for those who prefer something else, we are offering an alternate prize of a small dish in the colors of earth and sky. Just let us know which one you would prefer!

Sweeney Todd by The Naples Players

2025-07-26T11:35:00-05:00

Sweeney Todd

Continuing our adventures into what we do when we’re not working on home improvement, this blog features The Naples Players, a local theater group that perform in downtown Naples. The theater is recently refurbished and is a beautiful two-story building with clean lines and great views from any seat.

Last week we went to their production of Sweeney Todd. When we came out of the play, we were both shocked at the quality of the production, and I don’t mean this as a left-handed compliment.

While I was sitting in the audience, I felt I could just as easily have been in New York or London. Not only was the acting and singing beautifully done, but it was accompanied by a live 18-piece orchestra. Yet this was all put on by a local theater organization.

Like I said, this is the kind of things that make a place a community and not just another anonymous collection of streets and buildings.

Find what’s special in your community and support them! And if you come to Naples, check it out!

https://naplesplayers.org/

https://naplesplayers.org/show/sweeney-todd/

FCNaples

2025-06-21T09:51:04-05:00

FCNaples

While not making glass of one kind or another we find time to participate in other activities going on in our area – the kind of things that make a place a community and not just another anonymous collection of streets and buildings.

Recently, Naples welcomed its very first professional sports team: FC Naples. We found ourselves first going to these games as a social event but found that we became more and more enamored of the game itself.

The game of soccer is subtle and sudden, requiring skill and creating drama without interruption. As the team website says “Of all the languages spoken in Naples, only soccer is universal. Its energy. Its movement. Its fierceness. Its ability to gather”.

The bonus for us is how incredibly friendly and helpful everyone associated with the team has been.

Check out their site at the link below and if you’re in or around Naples check them out!

FCNaples.com

You might even run into a couple of glass makers.

Also check out their stadium at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex:

ParadiseCoast.com

April Contest

2025-04-14T10:32:38-05:00

Welcome to April! Time for another contest from beautiful Naples.

This month we are giving away two aqua mist knobs, one of our most popular styles, to the first person placing an order over one hundred dollars in the United States. Contest ends April 30th at midnight EDT. Also, congratulations to our last winner, Louise from Massachusetts.

Aqua Mist knobs are a very light textured blue on a white background, evoking images of the sea and sky. These knobs go beautifully with white cabinets as well as other light backgrounds. Thy would also make a striking contrast with dark blue. Please check them out along with the rest of the Mist Collection.

In addition, for those who prefer something else, we are offering an alternate prize of a square-on-square dish, approximately five by five inches, as seen below. Just let us know which one you would prefer!

We’re going to run these contests periodically, just for fun. Also, we’re thinking of starting a separate line selling glass dishes – what do you think? Thanks in advance for the feedback.

February Contest

2025-02-16T11:02:00-06:00

Happy Valentine’s weekend! Let’s have a contest.

In the spirit of the month, we are giving away four rose-colored knobs, not to be confused with glasses, to the first person placing an order over one hundred dollars in the United States. Contest ends February 28th at midnight EST.

A soft and strong pink with swirls of white mixed in for interest, these knobs are gorgeous on dark or light cabinets in any room. We call them Pink now but are considering renaming them Rose. What do you think? Either way, please check them out along with the rest of the Auroras Collection.

In addition, for those who prefer something else, we are offering an alternate prize of a rose-colored dish, approximately four by five inches. Just let us know which one you would prefer!

White Crystal

2024-12-22T10:07:00-06:00

White Crystal

We are pleased to introduce a new style, White Crystal, as part of our Coastal Collection.

This cabinet hardware combines classic white with a cloudy covering to create a depth of color. These ribbons of white layered on a white background give this glass a unique, upscale feel.

One of the great things about this style is the wide variety of cabinet colors it can work with. Anything from black and gray to light birch or oak will look great when paired with these handles.

Check out this great new product and the entire costal collection!

White Crystal

The Coastal Collection

On a personal note, Kim and I would like everyone who reached out during our somewhat dramatic hurricane season. We really appreciate the concern.

Fortunately, we only received a couple glancing blows and were able to carry on designing and producing new styles for your enjoyment.

Happy Holidays!

An Ancient Art

2024-09-23T12:05:57-05:00

An Ancient Art

Pictured above is a kiln formed glass bowl from the eastern mediterranean. It is made using basically the same techniques we use today to make kiln glass, such as our knobs and pulls.

Kim and I were pleasantly surprised a few years ago when we visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and discovered a collection of kiln glass. This bowl is part of that collection. It gave us a great sense of continuity, of being part of a tradition much larger than ourselves. Kiln glass is one of the oldest forms of glass and many pieces have been found even older than this one, which was from the third century BC.

When I look at this bowl, I can imagine the hands that shaped it and feel the ghostly echoes of those hands around the bowl. And even though we would never claim to be qualified for display in the V & A, which would be like getting a like from Taylor Swift, thousands of our knobs and pulls are in use throughout the country. It gives me great satisfaction to know that a small piece of me is in those places and that the echoes of our hands will remain there.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is a great place to visit if you go to London. It has a wide variety of art, a nice cafe and a really peaceful feeling. It makes for a good day, especially if you include the Natural History Museum next door. If you can’t make it there, have a vacation in your mind and check out their web sites!

https://www.vam.ac.uk

https://www.nhm.ac.uk

Veskan Glassware

2024-06-23T11:48:34-05:00

Veskan Glassware

Recently I read a great trilogy of books called Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab which was recommended by our friend Lena.

It’s a great work of imagination, conjuring up worlds and characters vivid and unique. The series is a work of speculative fiction so it may not be for everyone, but I really enjoy getting to live in a different universe for a while. In my opinion one of the things that makes us human is our ability to do so, to see not just what is but what could be.

In the series there are three countries, one of them being Vesk. As I was reading, I was struck by the Veskan colors of silver and green. Their clothing, their pennants, their sails were all silver and green. Suddenly, while I was reading, I decided that I had to make some glass in those colors. It was not an option. I couldn’t stop until I had done it.

The result is the glass pictured is this blog. For better or worse, it wouldn’t have existed without V. E. Schwab, and by extension Lena.

So thanks Lena!

Spring

2024-04-03T09:14:32-05:00

Spring

We have a new resident, pictured above, in the backyard this spring – just showed up one day.

This was our announcement of a new season. Spring arrived in a burglar mask.

A lot of people use spring as an opportunity to look forward, do new things and meet new people, or animals. I also use it as a time to look back. The winter here was beautiful this year, with many days of blue skies and perfect temperatures. I will always be grateful for those days.

It was also a very busy time for us. We had many orders and even a few visitors. I will also appreciate the good glass work they allowed me to do and everyone who chose us to add color to their homes.

Soon things will warm up, I’ll be inside more and will be adding some new products. Pictures will be posted.

Hope Rocky sticks around!

Thoughts on a New Year

2024-01-30T09:56:53-06:00

Thoughts on a New Year

Most things in life seem out of our control, or at best we have a minority influence.

Sickness, economic variations, international events, and many others seem like things we can only read or hear about without affecting their outcomes.

When this gets frustrating to me, I try to concentrate on the things I can control. By making small changes or improvements I feel calmer because there is a small sphere where I can experience that satisfaction of getting something done.

Recently, one of our customers told us they needed an order by a certain date because they were having a reception in their house and wanted our knobs and pulls installed for their guests to see.

I started imagining who these guests might be, what they might talk about, and how many would actually notice our glass during their evening. Then I thought of them leaving, remembering the event, and there in the background would be our work, a tiny part of the pictures in their mind.

It gave me a strange satisfaction to think that even in a very minor way we could be part of people’s lives by getting this order done. I think everyone should find something that gives that small increment of peace.

A Lost Month

2023-10-31T07:31:41-05:00

A Lost Month

One day early last September I woke up with a tickle in my throat. A day later, I had a cough. No big deal, I thought. It’s just a cold and I’ll ride it out. Four days later I was in urgent care testing positive for RSV.

I am very lucky in that I haven’t been sick a lot in my life. This one got me though. I was down and out for a month. For a few days I couldn’t lie down to sleep and sat up all night coughing. I’m still feeling kind of weak.

So, no blogs, no newsletters, no walking the dogs, no going to the store, no nothing. Being sick is very isolating, and the opportunities for introspection were a bit much.

Strangely, the only thing I could do while I was sick was make glass. I would go to the studio and work as long as I could, then go pass out. I even did a few orders while I was sick.

I have no idea why this was true, but I really like some of the glass pieces I did while I was ill. So, if it seemed quiet on the Glass Storm front, that’s because it was! But now I’m back in the studio and ready for more orders.

Remembering Old Lahaina Town

2023-08-31T09:44:21-05:00

Remembering Old Lahaina Town

This is a picture of Lahaina we have hanging in our house. I believe that large tree in the background is the banyan tree.

We have gone to Lahaina several times over the years. We have celebrated birthdays, weddings, Christmas and New Year’s there. We have gone in February just to go out in a catamaran and watch the whales. We have sat in restaurants overhanging the ocean and felt the waves. We have just hung out on Front Street. It has always been a special place for us.

It was unique in its ability to retain the feeling of a funky seaside town despite all the usual pressures of tourism. Even if there were tacky things for sale or visitors behaving badly, it still had a happy, optimistic feel with music and the smell of good food mingling with sea spray and sun. It was still a real place where real people lived, and it was beautiful.

It was a place of respite. No matter how badly things were going, how horrible things were at work, when we were in Lahaina, we felt a sense of peace. Just knowing that it was there and that we could go back to it tinged the future with hope.

All the places we have been to are gone. All the buildings, shops and restaurants are burnt. The feeling remains though. Somehow I know that it will be rebuilt and that it will still be that place of hope. We plan on going back.

Mark Twain once said of Lahaina “I never spent so pleasant a month before or bade any place good-bye so regretfully.” I couldn’t agree more. The only thing I would regret more is not returning.

July Contest

2023-07-18T08:18:33-05:00

Happy Summer from Glass Storm Studios!

Like much of the country, we’re suffering through some very high temperatures with heat indexes between 105 and 110.

So, we’re staying indoors and making glass. This July we’re having a hot (I make no apologies) contest. The first U.S. order of over a hundred dollars will receive two free Light Amethyst oblong knobs with their order.

Light Amethyst glass knobs and pulls have currents of white and amethyst running through them, giving them an understated, classy color suitable for many backgrounds such as green, gray, or blue, as well as white or black. This color is subtle and light, but with the right contrast the impact is striking.

Please check out our Light Amethyst products and the rest of the Coastal Collection.

Contest ends midnight July 30^th EDT.

Glass Storm Studios is a small business creating handmade glass cabinet hardware in Naples, Florida. We create eclectic contemporary handmade art glass hardware for cabinets and furniture that provides a unique combination of modern colors and styles.

Trade accounts are available – contact us for details!

We offer free shipping on all orders over one hundred dollars in the United States.

Please forward

Thank you!

Tom & Kimberly McCarty
glassstorm@me.com
www.glassstormstudios.com

Summer in Southwest Florida

2023-07-03T10:14:29-05:00

Summer in Southwest Florida

Winter and spring are beautiful in southwest Florida – clear and sunny and mild. Then one day you walk outside and slam into a wall of heat. Summer has arrived.

It’s not the humidity, it’s the UV index. It’s not just that its hot and humid, it’s that the sun feels like it’s just a few hundred feet up in the sky and is aiming specifically at you, following you around.

In Southwest Florida this is the norm all summer. The low at night is between 75 and 80.

This has been a new experience for us, but I now have a much greater understanding of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Anything that you want to do outside you should do before about 11 a.m. Walking at seven or eight is still nice. From about noon to four it’s mad dogs and Englishmen. Siestas aren’t lazy, they’re a survival mechanism!

Recently we experienced the ultimate Florida disaster: our air conditioning went out. Fortunately, companies down here are geared to rapid response. We were uncooled for just a day or two, but long enough to know how completely unbearable it would be without AC.

And yet there are a lot of people who work outdoors in the summer: gardeners, roofers, highway pavers, insulation installers (can you imagine?). If you know any, give them some sympathy, and plenty of water breaks!

Have a happy and safe Fourth everybody.

Savannah

2023-05-25T11:40:06-05:00

Savannah

Last month we took a break and visited Georgia. Our last stop was one of our favorite places – Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah is a great combination of the historical and the contemporary. It is one of the best cities we have ever been to for walking. If you don’t want to make any plans you can just spend the day going from square to square and enjoying the atmosphere.

Savannah’s original squares were laid out in 1733 and have mostly survived intact until this day. Our favorite is Johnson Square, where the declaration of Independence was read out loud to an excited audience in August of 1776. Forsyth Park is also a great spot to hang out.

And of course, if you like to eat, and you do, there are a lot of great restaurants in the city. A few of our favorites are

http://hueysontheriver.net/menu/

https://www.vicsontheriver.com

https://www.theoldepinkhouserestaurant.com

https://thegreyrestaurant.com

https://www.poestavern.com/savannah-ga

Hope you enjoy yourselves as much as we did!

Now here we are back in southern Florida, making glass and getting ready for the summer heat and storms. Outdoor activities before noon please!

A New Color?

2023-04-30T11:02:17-05:00

A New Color?

Recently we had the good fortune to meet Pam from Fort Myers. While we were discussing her remodel we went through a long list of possible shades and patterns.

After some back and forth and looking at samples, she came up with exactly the design she wanted. There was only one problem: it wasn’t on our web site.

So, we combined colors and styles from a couple other products and came up with something new. This isn’t always possible, but it came out great in this case. It was the perfect shade and design.

The result is pictured above.

So, the question is should we add this to our web site as one of our products? If so, what should we call it? We were thinking of Dusk. Let us know what you think. We love hearing from people.

After a long stretch of gorgeous winter weather, we were under a tornado watch last night and now its windy with intermittent rain. The perfect day to sit down and write a blog!

St Patrick's Day Contest

2023-03-17T08:42:29-05:00

St Patrick’s Day Contest

Update: We have a winner! Congratulations to Coleen from Ormond Beach, FL.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Glass Storm Studios!

To celebrate this spring holiday, we’re having a contest. The first U.S. order of over a hundred dollars will receive two free emerald knobs with their order.

Contest ends midnight March 31^st EDT.

Emerald glass knobs and pulls are the rich vibrant green of a verdant field. This color makes a great companion for backgrounds of white, natural wood, gray and blue among other possibilities.

Please check out our Emerald products and the rest of the Jewel Collection.

Jewel Collection

Trade accounts are available – contact us for details!

We offer free shipping on all orders over one hundred dollars in the United States.

Thank you!

Introducing Painted Desert from the Limited Collection

2023-02-17T09:04:27-06:00

Introducing a New Product – Painted Desert

Seen above is our new inspector, Misha, checking out our newest product, Painted Desert from the Limited Collection.

Painted Desert combines a large swath of colors from red to tan to grey to blue in an endlessly changing variety, just like its namesake. Hopefully, the picture on our banner page gives a flavor of this rich variety.

This new style is another one I believe is going to be very popular. What’s interesting to me about Painted Desert is that I think it would go with almost any color of wood. I’m going to be posting some examples on Instagram, including oak, brown, green and white. The only limit here is your imagination.

So please welcome Painted Desert, the newest member of our Limited Collection.

Misha has replaced our original inspector, Coco, who sadly left us after sixteen years. Sadie is still here as our inspector emeritus. I don’t know what it is about dogs that gets to me so much, but they do. I will say, though, that in her whole sixteen years Coco never did anything mean. Would that we could all say that.

Also, give a warm welcome to our newest trade partner. If you are in the Yarmouth area, contact Roger and check out Expert Closets!

Expert Closets

1 Atlantic Ave.

South Yarmouth

MA 02664

expertclosets.com

(508) 778-6656

Hurricane Ian

2022-10-13T09:24:10-05:00

Hurricane Ian

Thank you very much to all of you who reached out and asked about our safety and well-being.

As you probably know, Naples, Florida – our home – took a near direct hit from Hurricane Ian, which made landfall just a few miles north of us as a strong category 4 storm.

We are very fortunate to have sustained no long-term damage. For the first three days after Ian we were without power, internet and cell service. Once those were back we were able to fire up our equipment, resume more or less normal life and take new orders without delays.

Unfortunately, many people near us were not so fortunate. Many of those living near the beach or in a flood zone had their houses either destroyed or filled with so much water as to make them unlivable.

It seems that no matter where you live there is the potential for some kind of natural disaster. When they strike, those of us who are unaffected are often the only remedy. We are literally all we have.

In addition to the usual charities like Red Cross that do such a great job, we are highlighting a friend of ours who lost everything. Please give if you can.

https://gofund.me/24843516

Introducing Petals from the Nature Collection

2022-07-28T11:29:00-05:00

Introducing a New Product – Petals!

Designing a new product is always a challenge. How do you know which of the thousands of possible combinations of color and form will be the most appealing to our customers?

I have barely ever, if at all, gotten a request for a specific design, or even a general concept such as certain pair of colors. So we make our best attempt to design attractive new knobs and pulls.

And some of my favorite styles have been among our slower sellers. A lot of them involve some shade of green. I love Green Mist, for example, but only some people share my enthusiasm. Why?! What’s wrong with green?! Ah well.

This new style, though I believe is going to be very popular.

Petals is bright like the blossoms of spring, The pink of April blossoms against the white of fresh clouds and the, yes, fresh green of first shoots. It will look great against virtually all cabinet colors, and it will transform a room into a place of beauty, newness, and hope.

Even though they are small in size they can affect the architecture of an entire area, transforming the space into truly unique.

So please welcome Petals, the newest member of our Nature Collection.