I totally agree, I don't think they work in every home. I like them in the photos you provided but wouldn't have them for myself! I prefer to admire from afar!

I like them in stairwells or hallways as you don't spend a lot of time viewing/looking out but appreciate the natural light and privacy.

You're right, they're not right for every home. They can definitely work for bathrooms, though! Maybe even staircases?

I agree with the comments above. If I lived in a beautiful art deco home I would keep it and work with it. Is there such thing as a simple art deco aesthetic?

I believe they have their place in the right setting as suggested above, yet as renovators we are more often then not taking them out. If filtered light is required opaque glass usually seems to go in their place.

Warm regards sB+

Hard to imagine where they would ever look good. Not a fan of Art Deco either.

Love them! Don't think they should be thought of in just an art deco setting.

We used them to great effect in a very modern home.

Like everything they are on their way 'in' I used them in a square box home Reno 35 yrs ago applied ceiling to floor to give light to a small dark bathroom. I have recently bought a 20yr old home with g/bricks in the stair well albeit I did paint the apricot grout white. I'm loving the look & no need for blinds

Used them for the bathroom for privacy as it borders our entrance - big blunder however, as not ventilation has proved a real problem and need to work out how to keep the room aired

Our early 50s home had glass bricks so when we renovated we updated with modern glass bricks. They work really well with the aesthetic of the house and provide a lovely filtered light - like reflected water, dappled and shimmering.

I like them once again, in the right setting, I think the benefits can out weigh the negatives.

Glass bricks and skylights can definitely be a positive in the right space. In a time when power prices are going higher every quarter to make use natural/free light has to be a bonus and for that reason I would not be surprised if they become back in vogue

For a bathroom wall they are great, but then you need an extractor fan to ventilate the space. Just don't have to bath too close... you will have spectators!

I love glass bricks and am always looking for new ways to use them. For one house I designed from scratch they became the shower walls, giving some privacy and lots of light. I am not a fan of glass showers because they need to be meticulously cleaned, but glass bricks are more forgiving. Once in a while a little bleach gets rid of mold.

I think the sculptural style of glass bricks would also work with modernist and 70s spare style homes, especially with raked ceilings. If I can work them in usefully, we will have them in our home for retirement, yet to be discovered.

I used them once for clerestory lighting in a very high ceilinged room with a sloping roof. The windows were all on the short wall, and I realised that the high part of the ceiling was going to be very dark. So I hada triple row of glass bricks put in while the building was still under construction. That room and it's bathroom is well lit during the day, but its counterpart, which did not get the clerestory, is awfully gloomy, and the bathroom is like a cave. It was hard to convince the very old fashioned architect that glass bricks were the answer. Security plus light plus privacy. ... what more can you want?

I like them, no matter what period, they are great for letting light in

They are excellent tool to create privacy whilst allowing the light to get in (say ... over the kitchen sink where the window overlooks the neighbour's bedroom or something like that). However they will increase the heat in a room if facing the western sun. This is a good thing if you live in the south but not in some northern areas of Australia.

Yes I was told that, but this was a north facing wall. So not a problem. Since the windows were too high to look out of the view was not an issue but security was. Glass bricks are very hard to break!

An architect friend designed a spiral staircase with glass bricks on the outer wall. The trade were very heavy touch end glass. Walking up and down was a rather out of world experience, but the feeling of light was amazing.

I have also seen a full bathroom inner wall made of glass bricks, a very innovative idea that divided a large room into two bathrooms. The bricks had a pattern that allowed light through but made it absolutely opaque,..very attractive and scattered the light beautifully. The only solid bit of wall was where the commodes were, on either side. I have wanted to do so et hinges similar ever since, but those bricks are expensive!