All the “Cool” Houses Had This in the ’80s — Now I Want It in My Apartment

If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, you probably associate glass bricks with one very specific image: a steamy bathroom with a giant built-in block window, maybe framed by pastel tile and a brass shower door. For years, I mentally filed this material under “dated” without a second thought. Glass blocks felt bulky and stuck in another decade.

But lately, I’ve started noticing them again, not in a kitschy throwback way, though — not styled to look ironic. They’re showing up in thoughtfully designed apartments and modern renovations, and somehow they look … good.

What changed my mind is simple: light. Living in apartments has made me hyperaware of how precious natural light is (so much so that sometimes you have to fake it).  I have rearranged furniture to protect the sunlight streaming into my space. I have chosen rugs and paint colors around it. I have absolutely vetoed living room layout ideas because they blocked it. 

In smaller spaces especially, natural light is the difference between something feeling open and something feeling claustrophobic. And glass bricks are surprisingly good at protecting light.

Unlike a solid wall, glass bricks let sunlight pass through. Unlike a clear glass partition, they still give you some privacy. They blur shapes and movement without fully exposing what is behind them, and that balance feels especially relevant right now, when so many apartments and homes need flexible zones instead of fully closed-off rooms.

The newer versions look very different from the chunky blocks I remember from childhood bathrooms, too. Today’s glass bricks come in slimmer profiles with softer finishes and minimal grout lines. Instead of loud, wavy, high-gloss grids, contemporary glass block walls feel intentional and architectural (think: stacked half walls, curved corners, or narrow vertical panels that act like glowing dividers). 

If I had a studio, I would seriously consider using a low glass brick partition to carve out a sleeping area. I probably wouldn’t use a full wall, which might feel visually heavy. But I’d have enough stacked to create a substantial break between bed and living space. Glass bricks are a smart solution for that common apartment problem where everything feels like one big room with no differentiation of zones.

Bathrooms are another place where glass blocks make a lot of sense. A glass brick shower enclosure feels lighter than tile and less stark than a giant pane of clear glass. It diffuses light beautifully and adds privacy without making the room feel boxed in. If you have an awkward interior window that looks straight into your bathroom, replacing it with glass blocks can maintain borrowed light while eliminating the fishbowl effect.

I have also seen them used in kitchens to partially separate cooking areas from living spaces. In open floor plans, that subtle division can help contain visual clutter without sacrificing brightness. In long, narrow apartments, a partial glass-brick wall can help light travel deeper into the space while still defining zones.

Of course, glass bricks aren’t a fix for everything. If your apartment or home already feels visually busy, adding a grid of glass blocks might make it feel more chaotic. The repetition works best in spaces that lean clean and minimal, where the material can read as graphic rather than overwhelming. 

There’s also the practical side. Installation takes planning (this is not a peel-and-stick upgrade), and renters would need serious landlord approval to make this kind of feature happen in a space. Scale matters, too. In a small room, a pony wall or a slim panel will likely feel more balanced than a full wall of blocks.

Still, I love that something I once dismissed as hopelessly retro suddenly feels relevant again. It makes sense for how people live now. 

Many want separation without isolation and defined spaces that still feel open. Glass bricks, unexpectedly, deliver just that.