Lucite is a material often associated with either Hollywood Regency glamor or Disco-era, stripper-shoe 'glam,' but 80 years after it was first created, it is still a versatile and beloved material in interiors. Let's take a look at the history behind this material, and some of the iconic furniture designs that have taken advantage of its properties.
Lucite is actually a brand name for a kind of acrylic resin that is basically the same thing as Plexiglas, Perspex and other trademarks, but, just as the brand name "Kleenex" has come to denote any tissue, I will hereafter refer to all these things as Lucite. These materials were first developed in the early 1930s, by DuPont (Lucite) and Rohm & Haas (Plexiglas).
Lucite was commercially available by 1937, and the material was soon being used in various designs, from jewelry to handbags to furniture. One of the earliest and most famous suites of Lucite furniture was commissioned for Helena Rubinstein's New York City apartment (images above and right). The suite was totally unique and almost comically glamorous — no surprise that it was designed by the artist Ladislas Medgyes, who was not only an interior decorator but also a stage designer who had started a school of stagecraft in Paris that helped promote a Surrealist aesthetic. Rubinstein's acrylic furniture was manufactured by Rohm and Haas (sometimes erroneously credited as "Roman Haas," but the company was actually named for a Mr. Rohm and Mr. Haas, both of whom were coincidentally named Otto) around 1939-1940.
During World War II, lucite was in common use for military applications, including airplane windshields, bomber noses and submarine periscopes. After all, it was highly durable, low in density, and resistant to wind, water and UV rays, which are definitely the qualities you look for when you're building a military aircraft (at least, it's what I look for).
After the war, manufacturers needed to find non-military uses for Lucite, so they licensed it widely. It became a favorite material for handbags and jewelry, and by the 1960s it was often found in furniture, as well. Karl Springer, Vladimir Kagan, Charles Hollis Jones (image above) and Gaetano Sciolari (image below) are just some of the designers who are well-known for their work in Lucite beginning in the '60s, but they were not the only ones who found the material simultaneously flexible, durable and chic.
Like so many other things, Lucite could have been totally ruined by the '80s, Vegas, and the aforementioned stripper shoes. But manufacturers like Kartell have kept acrylic furniture classy through the decades. The recent Lucite renaissance can probably be traced back to 2002, when Philippe Starck introduced his Louis Ghost Chair (image at very top), produced by Kartell. Today, Lucite is used in interiors of varied styles, its light touch belying its military past.
Images: 1 Philippe Starck "Louis Ghost" chairs and a Lucite table in a Palm Springs interior designed by Michael Moloney and photographed by Joe Schmelzer for Elle Decor
2 Helena Rubinstein's illuminated Lucite bed, designed by Ladislas Medgyes and produced by Rohm & Haas in the late-1930s, in a photograph from a 1941 Life magazine, via Peak of Chic
3 Helena Rubinstein's Lucite chair, originally from a set of 8, designed by Ladislas Medgyes and produced by Rohm & Haas in the late-1930s, now in the collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh
4 World War II military plane with Plexiglas parts, image from the Rohm & Haas archive
5 Original waterfall barstool by Charles Hollis Jones (1963), designed for Playboy Magazine's Pip's Club in LA. Available at R Gallery
6 Lucite, brass and chrome chandelier by Gaetano Sciolari, via Apartment Therapy
7 A Miami interior by Jennifer Post, from the July 2009 Architectural Digest
Originally published 6.15.11 - JL
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i just love the look of lucite furniture but have never owned a piece. I'm curious about how it's to be cleaned and if it needs to be cleaned often (finger marks in particular concern me). And what about scratches?
I love lucite! I'm drooooooooling over the dining table and ghost chairs.
I have seen Lucite actually in alot of old movies..before I realized it was the thing..and it did look very glamorous. Though I probably would not have it in my home, I love how it looks in some of the homes featured on Apt Therapy and other Home Magazines.
So you know, I have NEVER worn Lucite heeled/soled shoes...smh- I hated those =D
I have a cb2 peekaboo c-table (used as a laptop stand when in my platform bed), and want a second one, as well as the media console. I got it used, so there are some scratches, but it doesn't upset me. YMMV.
I less-than-three Lucite.
Does any one have any suggestions for reparing a crack in a Kartell Ghost chair? My arm on my chair cracked, but did not break and I wanted to reinforce it as to avoid it breaking further.
let me know!
I've been planning to get a pair of ghost chairs to flank ether side of a console table. Also that chandelier is crazygorgeous.
I checked. It's a word.
I have a lucite bookcase. They one major problem with Lucite is that you have you to dust it CONSTANTLY. If there is even a spec of dust or pet hair on it, it looks terrible.
See, this is my thing with many materials: does age result in a) patina/character or b) just looking crappy? Which is why I tend to avoid, among other things, plastic and all things in the melamine/MDF/particle board family. If it doesn't look good unless it's new, pass.
I just wanted to add that I enjoyed the writing in this article. :)
Charles Hollis Jones pieces are amazing. They age beautifully, are widely sought after, and are wonderfully timeless in their design. They should NEVER be lumped in with "Melamine/MDF/Particle board". The entire point of the article was to show that Lucite is not just Vegas & stripper shoes. I, too, love patina and character but all furniture needs to be cared for to keep it beautiful; some more & some less. Google Charles Hollis Jones and check out the beautiful pieces he has made. He is represented in the Smithsonian & Norton Simon Museums, among many others. Also, if the designer is still active (as Charles is) they may "touch-up" their own pieces. You can also ask any reputable dealer who specializes in a certain material. They will surely have craftsmen who can repair broken or damaged Lucite as well as other materials.
you know what's cheap? taking shots at strippers.
I have a beautiful lucite waterfall table, a lamp and a large lucite frame. My tip for cleaning is DON'T use windex. Windex will cloud the lucite. Just a wet washcloth will do. I haven't had any problems with scratches.
@Goodkathryn is right, ammonia fogs Plexiglass, so I presume it will Lucite as well.
I thought there were some hardness and clarity differences between Lucite and Plexiglass, though. No? Plexi scratches very easily, so I wouldn't want furniture made from it -- real life would be hard on it, at least in my home...
Lucite can be cleaned with an acrylic polish, such as Novus. Nocus also has anti-static properties since this type of material can be very staticky. Use a VERY soft cloth - repeated cleaning with a too-abrasive cloth will cause the Lucite to become dull (from tiny scratches).
My grandfather's company, Swedlow, Inc. was an industry leader in the application of acrylics to furniture, airplanes, aquariums and more. He is a member of the Plastics Hall of Fame and family legend claims that his company was the first to create massive sheets of acrylic for commercial uses in aquariums, windows, and other molded plastics applications. It was such a magical place. As a child it felt like walking through a crystal castle- where nothing was breakable. From the tables, to the placemats, to the tissue holders, and the wall panels (bubble patterned acrylic over aluminum foil for shine!), every detail of his home was filled with custom made pieces of furniture and decor. Papa was truly passionate about plastics and it showed.
Growing up I thought everybody had acrylic furniture- Every relative had at least a dining table and chairs, a coffee table, side tables, and backgammon tables, as well as miscellaneous carvings and objects suspended in clear acrylic. (a personal favorite is a perfect hot pink rose that I use as a paperweight) Many of these pieces still remain in the family, but many have been given away by my parents' generation, and the few that remain are "well-loved."
As I've become an adult, I am perpetually drawn to acrylic pieces. They remind me of my Papa, and of his love, and warmth, and passion.
At this stage in my life my budget only allows for the few hand-me-downs my parents have decided to part with, but I dream of creating my own little crystal castle. Someday, maybe!
Yes, beautiful, but sadly, not bio-degradeable; these scratched and broken pieces will
find their way to the new subcontinent of Plastic.
I LOVE lucite!
"After the war, manufacturers needed to find non-military uses for Lucite, so they licensed it widely." - BAM! Telling truth to power.
Great article. Thanks for the research.
whitswanderlust - Any pictures/tour potential? Sounds like a wonderland, indeed.
This is just what I needed on a Sunday morning! I've never understood the appreciation of lucite furniture (step one: learn that it has a name... and is not to be referenced in public again as 'that grotesquely expensive plastic furniture').
Everything has a history, and there's no shame in liking something more for it. For me, Lucite falls into that category. Plus I'm digging the Helena Rubinstein commission! Is that back-lit? Dear god, I hope it's back-lit.. it is at least in my fantasy.
Great article!
Impractical, impersonal, unrepairable -- what's not to love?