About us
A studio in the old bakery
Lichtspel is the studio of stained glass artist Charlotte Wijnalda, in the old bakery on Voorbeeldstraat since 2009. Together with carpenter Sietse Oudshoorn and apprentice Liselot we restore windows from all over the region and make new work.
here the bread used to be displayed, the light table now stands. The big shop window faces north. That light hardly changes during the day, and that’s what you need to choose glass: sunlight makes every amber look better than it is.
At the back are the racks. Four hundred colours, from clear cathedral glass to mouth-blown ruby. And the glass bank: crates of old glass from demolished houses, sorted by colour and thickness. That’s where we find the piece that fits your window.
In 2009 Charlotte had one work table and a soldering iron. Now there are three of us, and windows come from all over the region. Listed buildings, flats, terraced houses and now and then a church.
What we don’t do: rush the lead. A panel that’s been leaded properly will last another hundred years. So it’s fine to wait a month for your window.
Under a lamp every blue looks the same. That’s why we only choose glass in daylight.
Charlotte Wijnalda
Who’s at the table
Charlotte Wijnalda
stained glass artist and owner
Learned the trade on the stained glass course and spent twelve years working on church windows in a large restoration studio. Draws every cartoon herself.
Sietse Oudshoorn
carpenter, removal and fitting
Takes the panels out, fits the temporary panes and adjusts rebates. Knows every type of 1930s frame.
Liselot Veenhuizen
apprentice stained glass artist
Second year of her training. Already cuts faster than Charlotte, she says herself.
How we work
From photo to window, in six steps
This is how a restoration goes. For a new window, a sketch and a cartoon come in between.
- 1
Photo
Send a photo from inside, with daylight behind it. Then we can see cracks, loose joints and how far the panel bulges.
- 2
Visit and rubbing
We measure up and make a rubbing: an imprint of the lead on paper, so every piece goes back in its place later.
- 3
Temporary pane
Sietse takes the panel out and fits a temporary pane the same day. Your house stays closed up.
- 4
In the studio
On the light table the panel comes apart. Every piece is cleaned; what’s broken we replace from the glass bank. New lead, soldering, cementing.
- 5
Refitting
The panel goes back in the rebate, with new putty. Or in insulated glass, if that’s what you chose.
- 6
Check after a year
Twelve months later we check for free that everything still sits tight in the rebate.
Studio promises
- URL 4002We restore following the Glaspanelen-in-lood guideline of Stichting ERM (the Dutch foundation for heritage restoration standards). Everything we do can be reversed.
- We train stained glass artistsThere’s always an apprentice at the table. Otherwise this craft will die out.
- Your glass stays yoursEvery piece goes back in its place. What we replace, you get to take home.
- Insured transportPanels travel upright in our own crates, and are insured for as long as they’re with us.
Come and have a look on Saturday
On Saturday the door is open from ten till three. Bring a broken pane, or message us a picture first, and we’ll pick out some glass from the glass bank in advance.