KOVELS: Lucite has become a versatile material used in furniture, decoration | Community
It’s essential for designers to stay on the cutting edge of fashion, which often means finding innovative uses for new materials. Lucite, a clear acrylic resin made by DuPont, was available for commercial use in 1937. By the 1960s it was used in furniture. Designers often added accents made of smooth, reflective materials like chrome or brass or covered their pieces with shiny, colorful fabrics.
Another way to decorate Lucite pieces was to encase decorations, such as flowers, in the resin. The bright, shiny material made the designs – and the rooms they furnished – feel lighter. Some Lucite pieces were made in unusual shapes and styles. Others were more conventional, like this mid-century steamer trunk, which sold at New Orleans auction galleries for $531. This may have an advantage over typical wooden or leather trunks: the see-through material means you don’t have to open it to see what’s inside!
Q: What is the difference between cut glass and pressed glass? What is most valuable?
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