Acrylic & Lucite: Classy, Not Tacky
Acrylic and lucite are essentially plastic. Plastic may not be what you think of first when it comes to a classy home. In fact, whenever I hear the word acrylic I myself can't help but think about tacky long red fingernails on over-dressed women. Nevertheless, these plastic materials are making a comeback in modern home design. And there's a good reason for that - done correctly, acrylic and lucite can be a classy addition to your decor.
The key is to know how and where to use acrylic and lucite in the home. A home done completely in acrylic would be tacky. A home done in many solid materials with complimentary lucite pieces would be classy. Choosing your pieces and their placement wisely will allow you to take advantage of these great modern materials in the decoration of your space.
The key is to know how and where to use acrylic and lucite in the home. A home done completely in acrylic would be tacky. A home done in many solid materials with complimentary lucite pieces would be classy. Choosing your pieces and their placement wisely will allow you to take advantage of these great modern materials in the decoration of your space.
Photos & Products
This great dining room wall uses acrylic to show off personal collections. The acrylic here has been lined with rice paper but you could use wallpaper or even fabric to show off whatever it is that you might collect.
This entire kitchen is a play of materials. The cabinets are made with acrylic but lined with beechwood and aluminum. This surprising combination of different materials could certainly have been tacky but it turned out wonderfully well.
These acrylic stairs could be tacky. After all, who wants plastic stairs right? However, the geometric pattern in black makes this a classy look for the home. A terrific dark stairway rug might add even classier contrast to the final look here.
You wouldn't even realize it to look at it but that's an acrylic tub that you see in this classy bathroom. Sometimes the surrounding decor is all that really matters when using acrylic in the home.
Here is another example of how the surroundings around the lucite or acrylic make the space. The lucite table would look too plastic-y in a boring living room but put it in a room with a fur rug and a lush purple chaise and it ends up being exactly right.
This appears to be a lucite dining set. When paired with the elegant large mirror and the glass ceiling, it offers a crystal-like quality of magic to the room.
This lucite coffee table is one of my favorite examples of a modern piece of lucite or acrylic decor. It is simple, straightforward and pretty. Paired with the chic low couch and the great curved chair, it's the ideal accessory for this room.
I'll admit that this clear acrylic side table or foot stool verges right on the border of tacky. What makes it work is its vintage-inspired shape that goes so well with the curvature of the unique tub and sink cabinet.
Here we have a bold orange kitchen. Equally bold bar stools might be too much for this room. However, the clear modern acrylic bar stools are exactly the right touch.
Not all acrylic in the home has to be clear. These pretty wall art hangings appear to be made of acrylic. Their colors, patterns and curvature are enhanced by the glossy shine of the material. It makes for an interesting hallway!
Comments (3)
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Sooner Spaces
Love lucite. Don't think it's tacky, ever. Really wanting some Louis ghost chairs someday! Thanks for the collection.
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designlonging
I've been looking at a desk made out of lucite kind of like the one in the fifth photo with the purple chaise but was wondering how practical it is--do you know how well these pieces hold up? It seems like they would scratch easily and thus become tacky quickly.....?
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Viv Middlebrook
Love your ideas for Lucite - I've worked with the brand for over 10 years, mainly in bathrooms, so great to see it shining thru elsewhere in the home and on the catwalk. To help stimulate more interest, I've been involved in devising 'CarryMe' a handbag design competition, which encourages students and designers to rethink the vintage icons -take a look at www.lucitelux.com
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