Meet Debbie Bean | stained glass artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debbie Bean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debbie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own studio came from a deep need to create, but sustaining it has always relied on discipline. After years of working behind the scenes in the art world, I wanted to make something tangible with my hands again. Stained glass had been a childhood passion, and returning to it felt instinctive. What began as a small studio practice grew quickly as people connected with the work.
Creativity was only one part of the equation. I grew up around my father’s CPA business and learned early on that every successful studio rests on strong foundations. My early projects for restaurants and hotels taught me that constraints create better design. Working within specific budgets and timelines while solving spatial challenges showed me how to balance vision with responsibility. That combination continues to shape how I collaborate with firms such as AvroKO, LAUN, and The Bureau today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work explores how light defines space. I create stained glass panels and installations that merge traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary understanding of form and color. Each piece is designed to respond to its surroundings, shaping how people experience a space throughout the day.

What sets my work apart is the way I treat glass as both structure and atmosphere. I collaborate with architects, designers, and collectors who value intention and precision. My process balances technical understanding with intuition, translating how transparency, tone, and rhythm can quietly transform a room.

Recently I have been drawn to opaque glass, which shifts character between daylight and artificial light. Its dual nature invites a deeper study of perception and mood, creating designs that evolve as light changes. That ongoing exploration of materiality continues to expand how I think about form and reflection.

Building a creative practice is never easy. I spent years refining both the art and the systems that support it. Clarity around budgets, timelines, and communication has given me the freedom to focus on what matters most: creating work that endures. Sustainability comes from refinement and from understanding that discipline makes space for creativity.

What began as a small studio practice has evolved into a body of work for design firms, collectors, and individuals who value thoughtful craftsmanship and timeless design. When someone commissions a piece, they are investing in more than just fabrication. They are engaging a lifetime of observation. My designs draw from years of studying light: the volcanic glow of Iceland, the misted tones of Japanese hot springs, the landscape outside my window, the California coast in bloom. These experiences inform how I approach color, rhythm, and atmosphere, guiding how each work takes shape.

In the end, my goal is simple: to create pieces that feel inevitable in their environments, where glass, structure, and light exist in quiet conversation.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If traffic in Los Angeles didn’t exist, this would be the perfect visit ping-ponging from the foothills to the ocean. We’d start our mornings in Montrose at How’s It Going to End, a café in a converted dry cleaner that serves perfect cappuccinos and flawless pastries in a beautifully designed space. Brunch is at Carmel on Melrose for homemade frena and cocktails, sitting at the counter watching the chefs work their magic. Lunch would be Petit Trois in the Valley because we stan Chef Ludo.

Afternoons might be spent at The Huntington Gardens or Hollyhock House, taking in architecture and sunlight. Evenings could mean catching a talk by The Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design or stopping by The BAG at Bestor Architecture for an art opening. I love browsing Tortoise General Store for Japanese home goods or Mohawk General Store’s men’s shop for beautifully curated pieces for my husband. No Los Angeles experience is complete without late-night tacos from Taco Zone on Alvarado in Echo Park.

I spend most days in my studio, so my neighborhood walks are their own kind of gallery, from the pigs and horses down the street to Wendell Dayton’s sculptures, still on view at his family’s home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friend Lucy that just moved to Monterey and opened up her own shop in Carmel by the Sea. We are forever supporting each other near and far! https://www.instagram.com/lucymichelpottery/

Website: https://www.debbiebean.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie.bean/

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/debbie_bean/