For the Love of Lucite

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By Karen Kelly
December 31, 2007 @ 07:00 pm

A New Look For A New Year..

{title} Sleek, sheer, strong, sturdy, sexy, sophisticated, and sparkly . . . Lucite has so many admirable qualities that every room, including traditional ones, should have a bit of it (like flocked wallpaper and chocolate truffles, all good things in moderation please!) – even if it’s simply a tray or a pair of candlesticks, preferably vintage versions from Dorothy Thorpe (bidding wars are waged on eBay everyday for pairs and singles). And, there’s no better way to break up the monotony of wood and heavy upholstery or inject some humor into a serious modern room with a light, bright, Lucite coffee or side table, lamp, bench or side chair.

{title} Clear Lucite is a versatile material – it can be molded into a dizzying array of forms, from desks to tables to iconic Thorpe pretzel candlesticks. Otherwise known as Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Lucite is just a trade name for acrylic or, God forbid, plastic, the generic terms that are sometimes preferred by those who think Lucite is passé (A TV producer recently told me the word passé is passé, so go figure).

{title} As luck would have it, you can call it any number of things, since it’s also sold under other trade names such as Plexiglas, Limacryl, R-Cast, Perspex, Plazcryl, Acrylex, Acrylite, Acrylplast, Altuglas, and Polycast. And it’s classic – I just don’t see it going out of style. Or if it does, it will only be for a few years…so hide it away and bring it out again in 2010.

{title} How could clear Lucite/acrylic/plastic home furnishings be a passing whim? The material was developed in 1928, and brought to market in1933 by Rohm and Haas Company. It has enjoyed several revivals including in the 1960s and 1970s, the 1990s, and today, which is why you can find Lucite or acrylic accessories and furniture from various periods on eBay, in antique stores, flea markets, and high end furniture “galleries” like 1stdibs.

{title} You can find deals if you look hard and if you are shopping in the middle of nowhere (translation: not within 50 miles of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, or Miami). To wit: I found a 1-inch thick Lucite vanity bench on silver ball rollers with original faux white leather seat at a consignment store for $16.00, and a Dorothy Thorpe Lucite tray for $1.00 at a tag sale. Such deals can still be found, especially when you are in the middle of nowhere but generally they are getting harder and harder to come by. These two recent scores were made in Northeast Pennsylvania, where home décor trends still runs more toward plaid recliners, gun racks, porcelain figurines, and knotty pine coffee tables.

In the marketplace, new Lucite is fairly easily found, and at a variety of prices. I do not think this availability is Lucite’s death knell – how could something so beautiful and simple ever go out of style? Although I do understand that many people feel as soon as the masses can afford something it is no longer worth having. Please, as exception for Lucite.

Overstock.com has a set of three classic Lucite “waterfall” nesting tables for $139.00, which seems like a great bargain – reviewers say they are on the small side, perfect for occasional use or a small apartment. Others may feel small is not beautiful. You decide. They material itself is sturdy – now swaying or bending. Agilest offers a set of the same dimensions for $175.00. Crate and Barrel also has a similar set, just an inch or so bigger, for $199.00. Aaron R. Thomas sells a set, also somewhat larger than Overstock’s version, for $298.00. Overstock also has a molded Lucite coffee table and end table, both of which hold magazines, for $259.99 and $99.99 respectively. Pick one of these items for your room, not all three!

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The ultimate yummy Lucite table might be The Clair Coffee Table designed by Craig Van Den Brulle. It’s topped with mirror and positively glows. I can see it sitting beautifully in either an ultra modern 1930s setting, all white leather and chrome or creating havoc and just the right amount of tension in a classic chintz or tapestry upholstered living room. If this table were food I would be eating it right now. Van Den Brulle also has an amazing Lucite desk – if I had it I think I might actually write a novel. Until then, it’s strictly nonfiction for me.

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The Paris Apartment has a fabulous collection of Lucite furniture, including a $1600 scalloped edge coffee table and sexy side chairs for $3200. Pricy but your future granddaughter will covet them 30 years from now, when I predict they will no longer be available quite so easily.

Aside from the sources mentioned above, a few other good places to find newly made and vintage Lucite (there are loads more but this is a good start):

Acrylic Innovations (new)
Agilest Collection (new)
Aaron R. Thomas (new)
Jordan Cappella (new and restored vintage)
Modern Furniture Classics (new)
Muniz (new)
Swank (vintage)