Claytongrayology : Lucite 101

Lucite also known as acrylic or Poly(methyl methacry­late) (PMMA) is a trans­parent ther­mo­plastic, often used as a light or shatter-​​resistant alter­na­tive to glass. It is some­times called acrylic glass. Chem­i­cally, it is the syn­thetic polymer of methyl methacry­late. The mate­rial was devel­oped in 1928 in var­ious lab­o­ra­to­ries, and was first brought to market in 1933 by Rohm and Haas Company.

Lucite first appeared on the design scene in 1937 and has con­tinued through the decades to be asso­ci­ated with Hol­ly­wood Regency glamor. Soon after its cre­ation, inte­rior and stage designer, Ladislas Medgyes, used lucite to dec­o­rate the high-​​profile New York City apart­ment of Helena Rubin­stein. This helped solidify lucite’s place in the world of decor. In the ‘60s designers Karl Springer, Vladimir Kagan, Charles Hollis Jones and Gae­tano Sci­o­lari con­tributed to its pop­u­larity. A well-​​known lucite piece, the Louis Ghost Chair, reemerged in 2002 when Philippe Starck col­lab­o­rated with the man­u­fac­turer Kartell to rein­tro­duce this form.

Lucite has stood the test of time espe­cially during WWII when it was com­monly used for mil­i­tary appli­ca­tions due to its high dura­bility, low den­sity, resis­tance to wind, water and UV rays. Lucite is easy to clean and care for and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Bring some Lucite into your home with our Deer Antler Lucite Chandelier.