With streamlined silhouettes, acrylic furnishings are functional and add no visual weight. Also known as Lucite or Plexiglass, these pieces are clearer than glass and quite a bit lighter. Cleaning is a breeze: just use a soft cleaning cloth and warm soapy water, rinse with clean water, and allow to air dry.
Here in L.A., you see them used at a lot of homes in the Hollywood Hills, Malibu, and in more traditional settings to help lighten the overall scheme or create contrast against more vintage pieces. In New York, almost every new high-end development has them in their model units. And editors at design magazines like Elle Decor and Architectural Digest love them.
What we know for sure: if you stick with well-made pieces, they’ll give any space an instant boost of glamour. Here are some of our favorite ways to use them:
1) In rooms where you don’t want furnishings to compete with the view.
2) In smaller spaces (desks in small nooks, console tables in hallways). Tuck a chair under a makeup table, and it virtually disappears.
3) To showcase a special feature in the room (like that that gorgeous rug you got in Marrakech). Collectors love them next to contemporary art pieces. In the kitchen, acrylic stools are a much sleeker alternative to bulkier upholstered seating.
4) In bathrooms, where you could always use an extra perch.
5) As an occasional piece. Whether it’s a bar cart or a backgammon table, an unexpected piece crafted in acrylic always becomes a conversation piece.
6) To avoid competing with other strong elements in the room. And as an added bonus: mixed with shearling or leather, they’re the definition of chic.
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