The Comeback of Lucite Furniture: How Plastic Became Chic Again
With its retro-futuristic vibe, Lucite acrylic furniture epitomized 1950s aspirations of space-age design.
Though it fell out of favor for decades, Lucite is now experiencing a major resurgence among vintage lovers who appreciate its lighthearted charm and creativity. Let's take a look deeper into Lucite's history and renewed popularity.
The Revolutionary Material Called Lucite
In the 1930s, chemists developed an early form of acrylic resin that could be molded when heated into a flexible, crystal-clear plastic. DuPont coined their formula “Lucite” in 1937 and began mass producing the acrylic sheets and rods.
Lucite captivated designers with its versatile properties:
Crystal clarity - Its transparent, glass-like finish lent a sense of illumination and lightness.
Shapeability - Lucite could be cast into dramatic biomorphic curves via thermoforming that were impossible with other materials.
Strength - Despite its visual delicacy, Lucite was highly shatter-resistant and durable.
Affordability - Less costly to produce than glass or crystal, enabling creativity.
Lucite's balance of utility and delight made it a radical new material for creating affordable, otherworldly furniture and decor items just as the Space Age was dawning.
Lucite in Mid-Century Pop Culture
By the 1950s, Lucite was embraced by forward-thinking designers for its embodiment of space-age aspirations:
Charles Hollis Jones - This “King of Lucite” became renowned for handcrafted acrylic beds, vanities, lamps and chairs lavished with metallic details. Jones even created a wraparound acrylic bed for Elvis.
Pierre Cardin - Cardin's 1960s Lenticular furniture series took optical illusion further by embedding wavy patterns inside molded chairs and tables.
Sidney Mobell - Working in Palm Beach, Mobell pioneered biomorphic Lucite furnishings etched with seashells, dolphins, and tropical motifs.
Beyond avant-garde designers, Lucite found its way into American homes through mass market decor items like serving trays, catch-all bowls, and costume jewelry in playful shapes. Department stores deployed Lucite in displays to conveyed modernist flair. The material became a new emblem of 1950s flair and novelty.
The Return of Retro Appeal
By the late 1970s, the initial craze for space-age plastics had waned as Lucite became linked with kitsch and excess. Its popularity dwindled until a renewed appreciation for mid-century chic in the 1990s spurred vintage collectors to re-examine Lucite.
Once seen as dated and cheap, Lucite has now been reappraised for its innovation, fun spirit, and embodiment of Sputnik-era dreams.
The DIY design revival has also boosted interest in small batch, artisanal Lucite pieces. And as retro colors and textures come back in vogue, Lucite's unabashedly bold effects have fresh appeal.
Today, Lucite endures as a postmodern symbol of 1950s flair and fantasy. As designers continue to rediscover Lucite vintage on sites like Etsy, its creativity and retro futurism lives on.
