Wood has been the most dominant material used in furniture making over the years. With times changing, it’s only natural that there are even more options available to make beautiful pieces. Steel, bamboo, cardboards are useful materials used for furniture pieces. An even more colorful and beautiful option is acrylic material.
Acrylic furniture first gained its peak popularity in the early 1970s. Sadly, acrylic furniture had a drop in popularity until the early 2000s, when vintage upholstery pieces experienced a revival in the furniture industry.
Here, we will discuss the major differences between acrylic and glass, lucite, and plastic. You’ll also learn how to incorporate them into your home design. Let’s go!
What Is Acrylic?
Acrylic is a type of plastic, and when used for furniture, it’s made into a transparent or sometimes translucent finish. Clear modern acrylic furniture sometimes comes in various colors that add an exquisite touch to your home. Acrylic has a slight resemblance with glass from afar, but beyond looks, they’re significantly different from each other.
Acrylic vs Glass
When dealing with glass, you have to worry a lot about its fragile nature. It could easily crack when something heavy is dropped on it. Also, there’s the worry of manhandling glass furniture.
The moment furniture made of glass is dropped, they’re likely to shatter. Acrylics are more durable so you don’t have to worry about damaging them. Also, clear modern acrylic furniture is thermoplastics that look like glass but are far less likely to shatter.
Acrylic vs Lucite
There are no significant differences between acrylic and lucite, lucite is just the best version of acrylic. Its strength and durability is a key factor that puts lucite ahead of acrylic. Lucite furniture is also quite lighter and even clearer and significantly more expensive than acrylic.
Lucite and acrylic being plastics have slight similarities with other plastic materials used for furniture making, especially clear plastic materials.
Acrylic vs Other Plastics
Considering that there are various transparent plastics including acrylic in the market, it’s no surprise that people often misunderstand the different types. Although similar, each type is composed of different materials, therefore they’re of different prices.
First of all, acrylic is a type of plastic, but unlike most of its counterparts, it’s not made of Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is a commonly used chemical in the plastic industry, and it’s quite harmful to the human body.
With this in mind, you have little to worry about even when you purchase cheap acrylic furniture. It’s advisable to go for clear modern acrylic furniture when you have the intention of buying clear plastic furniture.
Applications of Acrylic in Furniture Making
Besides being a wonderful choice when making furniture, acrylic material tends to stand out from other materials and can apply even to the most common pieces of furniture we know.
Some applications of this material in the creation of acrylic modern furniture are:
Acrylic Chair
Lucite or acrylic is commonly used for making chairs. Not only does the see-through nature of clear acrylic chairs give an air of spaciousness in your office or home, but they are also lighter and easier to move around than wooden chairs.
When used in a restaurant, these pieces of furniture are eye-catching and colorfully attractive to customers. You might want to consider getting a chair mat if you have wooden or carpet floors, to avoid getting scratched by the acrylic chairs.
Acrylic Trays
Serving guests is a common hospitable practice in offices and homes. Metal and wooden trays are often used to perform these tasks, but compared to acrylic trays, they are much heavier, and these transparent trays are a beauty to behold as their transparency and various appealing colors complement glass and silverware. Restaurants are not left out. Using these trays is a fashionable way of serving customers, and it is often appealing to the eye.
Acrylic Shelves
The importance of shelves can’t be overemphasized. Having a see-through shelf will not only save a lot of space but also improve the look of the room.
An acrylic shelf is quite a decorative element in an office. It not only stores your books, but it also stands out among furniture pieces and gives the room a modern look.
Acrylic Wall Shelve
Wall shelves go a long way to turn empty walls into exhibition spaces. These floating shelves are occasionally used to hold flower vases, fancy decorations, and art pieces. Acrylic material makes a significant light and sturdy hanging shelf that can accommodate a handful of objects while adding even more beauty to the room.
Other Furniture Applications
Clear modern acrylic furniture is a suitable replacement for every type of furniture in your homes, offices, hotels, etcetera. Acrylic desks, acrylic legs, and side tables can substitute other common pieces of furniture you have.
So if you’re wondering, “where can I get acrylic furniture near me?” You should consider online furniture shops like Clear Home Design. Clear home design has a variety of acrylic and lucite furniture for sale at cheap and very affordable rates.
Why You Should Have Acrylic Furniture
There are several reasons why acrylic furniture is a good choice in your homes, offices, and bars. Some of these reasons include:
- Appealing in looks
- Quite durable
- Easy to maintain
- Lightweight
- Transparent
- A safer and better alternative to glass
Conclusion
It’s necessary to consider how well your furniture will fit into your homes, offices, restaurants, etcetera before you go ahead to make a purchase. Acrylic furniture is a wonderful combination of durable and beautiful pieces that can stand out amongst other furniture pieces.
Undoubtedly, clear modern acrylic furniture can change the atmosphere of a room by making the room appear spacious and well decorated. Due to their durability, they’re not prone to easy damage, so you barely have to worry about losing your chairs and tables early. Furthermore, this furniture is quite light and easy to move around. It’s safe to say, having acrylic furniture pieces in your home or office is quite convenient.