Lucite... A Retrospective

I spent all weekend estate sale shopping and purchased yet again several gorgeous pieces of vintage lucite and I began to wonder why I love lucite so much.  Hence a quick study of lucite was in order. Lucite a very Regency type material associated with several glamourous decades of the 20th Century has apparently, no pun intended, been around for over 80 years.  Lucite is in fact a type of Acrylic resin which was developed in the 30's by manufacturing giant Dupont.  One of the very first uses of Lucite began in 1937 when it became available for commercial use and appeared in none other than Helena Rubenstein's New York apartment furnishings. During World War II due to its resilience and high durability Lucite was often used in military aircrafts.  Soon after the war this material was licensed out to jewelry makers and handbag manufacturers alike. Finally in the 60's furniture manufacturing Gods such as Karl Springer, Charles Hollis Jones, Gaetano Sciolari and many others began using lucite to create jaw-dropping, one of a kind clear furnishings, lighting fixtures and sculptural art.  Whenever I stumble upon Lucite I feel a sense of nostalgia and dream of an era of glitz and glamour long gone.... So here is to my love affair with lucite and to the newest interpretations of such, by Philippe Starck with the "Louis Ghost Chair" and Jonathan Adler with his brass and Lucite "Jacques Bench".

Image Courtesy of Elle Decor.  Living Room design by Cynthia Frank

A lucite hourglass cube I stumbled upon this weekend at an estate sale's

Jonathan Adler's Jacques Bench

Another great estate sale find: Carole Stupell's 60's Ice Bucket

Kartell Louis Ghost Chair designed by Philippe Starck.  I love having this chair in my office as it sits in front of a vintage hand painted screen which I would not want to mask with any other element.