Unlike their Christian-themed predecessors, which told biblical stories through pictures, the colorful architectural stained-glass windows in Craftsman, Queen Anne, and Tudor houses were used for their beauty and function. Installed as sidelights flanking a front door, as transoms above standard double-hung or casement windows, or even in place of an operable window in a dining area, stair hall, or bathroom, stained glass provides privacy and can obscure a view without blocking natural light.
Many residential stained-glass designs were inspired by masterworks from artists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose depictions of autumn landscapes and cascading wisteria vines are still copied today. Arts and Crafts–style oak trees and cherry blossoms by the California architectural firm Greene & Greene and stylized chevron patterns popularized in the early 1900s by Frank Lloyd Wright have also been widely imitated.