Your manicure isn’t the only thing that looks good in acrylic. This glamorous material is the secret weapon of interior designers — its crystal clear coloring has the ability to fool the eye and make your space look bigger, brighter, and more beautiful.
Adding acrylic furniture to your space has benefits that range from style and sophistication to durability and functionality. Learn how to use this material in your home decor, from when to choose it over glass to what design benefits it can bring to your space. Then discover the looks we can’t get enough of right now.
Acrylic vs. lucite vs. plexiglass vs. glass
Before you go shopping for your first piece of acrylic furniture, you need this piece of acrylic knowledge: Acrylic, lucite, and plexiglass are just different words for the same thing.
Acrylic lucite and acrylic plexiglass are considered to be very high-quality versions of acrylic. But whenever you see a piece advertised as lucite furniture, know that it’s still acrylic furniture — the lingo has more to do with the marketing than the material.
Glass, on the other hand, is a very different material from acrylic, and you’ll often see furniture (especially desks and tables) made from a combination of acrylic and glass. Both materials have different strengths and weaknesses, so this combo can create higher-quality furniture with the crystal-clear style you’re looking for.
Acrylic is strong, shatter-resistant, and lightweight but it’s not as scratch-resistant as glass. As such, an acrylic tabletop — like the ones you’ll see on those seamless acrylic nesting tables that are currently trending — can get easily scratched.
Glass is heavier than acrylic but it’s much more resistant to scratches. With this in mind, a coffee table, side table, or dining table that features an acrylic base with a glass tabletop will give you the best combination of functionality and durability.
3 ways to use acrylic furniture in your interior design
Acrylic furniture has found its way into both modern and glam home decor styles. And the best interior designers (of both the professional and hobbyist varieties) know that acrylic shines in certain scenarios. Here are three ways to use acrylic furniture to elevate your space.
1. Let more light shine through
If you have a dark entryway, a room with few windows, or a corner where even the heartiest plants can’t grow, the last thing you want is to make the space feel darker with dark wood or black furniture. Instead, use acrylic furniture to make the space feel lighter, brighter, and more open.
Black furniture absorbs light but acrylic allows light to pass through, so you can maximize your minimal rays. Pair your acrylic furniture pieces with light and bright colors, like white, cream, and yellow to enhance the effect.
2. Make small spaces feel larger
Dark colors make a space feel smaller — light colors make a space feel larger. And it doesn’t get any lighter than clear acrylic.
If you’re trying to turn your space into a cozy study, then by all means, opt for dark wood and aubergine walls. But if you already have a small space, you can make it feel more open with light colors and clear furniture.
Visually, the room will be open — there’s nothing in the way of your line of sight. Letting more light into a space also makes it feel larger, and as we already know, acrylic furniture is ideal for maximizing the amount of light in your room.
3. Add a little glamor
We can’t deny that there’s something inherently glamorous about acrylic furniture. While this material can work its way into any style — even an organic modern home can make room for a subtle acrylic piece, like a clear coffee table under a favorite philodendron — acrylic is most often used with glamorous styles.
You’ll see acrylic pieces in sleek contemporary rooms, Art Deco designs, and Hollywood Regency homes. This material is even used to make faux crystals for chandeliers or for knobs on glamorous dressers and vanities.
4 acrylic furniture Ideas for an inspired space
We know you’re starting to envision all the ways acrylic furniture is going to make your space more stylish. Let’s add some clarity to that vision with acrylic furniture ideas for each room in your house. These are some of our favorite ways to use acrylic in home decor, plus the best furniture pieces to complete each look.
1. Add speakeasy style to your kitchen and bar
Acrylic is an ideal material for infusing Great Gatsby-era elegance into your kitchen, bar, or dining room. A signature of Art Deco style, acrylic’s clarity and shine pairs beautifully with that cut-crystal decanter you’re dying to show off. While we can’t help you build a pyramid out of champagne coupes, we can help you find the perfect acrylic barstools to sit and sip your cocktails.
These Acrylic Back Barstools in Grey and Chrome feature a curved back, chrome legs, and a grey leatherette seat. They’re also available as counter-height dining chairs to go with your counter-height dining table.
Complete the Roaring 20s theme by adding an acrylic and glass serving cart or a stationary bar with a black and white acrylic front panel in an eye-catching geometric design.
2. See things clearly in your home office
Acrylic can clear the way for more productive days in your home office. This clear furniture can make your space look less cluttered, and clutter makes you less productive. As we’ve mentioned, it can also help you improve the lighting in your room — and bad lighting? Yep, that’s bad for productivity too.
We also love acrylic office furniture for its ability to camouflage into the background of your room. If you have a combined home office and living room, then adding acrylic office furniture could make you feel less like you’re in the office all the time.
Try pairing the Amaturo Writing Desk with the matching Amaturo Office Chair with casters. This stylish ghost chair rolls, swivels, raises, and lowers so you can find an ergonomic seating position for your height. Complete the look by adding the Amaturo 4-Shelf Ladder Bookcase to create the illusions that your books are floating (because everyone loves magic books).
3. Create sturdy, modern style in the living room
Since you can’t choose an acrylic couch, the coffee table, side table, and accent tables in your living room are ideal places to lighten things up.
To keep things contemporary, choose a simple silhouette with clean, straight lines like the Claude Coffee Table With Lower Shelf in Chrome and Clear. If you want to stick with the speakeasy theme, you can simply refer to this acrylic coffee table as a cocktail table.
Much like acrylic, lucite, and plexiglass, coffee tables and cocktail tables are actually the same thing. Although cocktail tables typically have an extra dose of elegance, so this one definitely qualifies.
Make it the centerpiece of your living room and pair it with matching clear acrylic end tables and a matching acrylic console table (which would look equally elegant in your entryway).
4. Add an edge to your upholstered furniture
The contrast of hard acrylic and soft upholstery is an instant showstopper. It’s unexpected, yet elegant, and it fits perfectly with your glamorous home decor.
Look for pieces that pair acrylic legs with light-colored upholstery to keep with the theme of making your space feel lighter and brighter.
The Glacier Tufted Upholstered Sofa in Light Grey sets a glamorous tone for your living room furniture. Pair it with the matching loveseat and accent chair, or make an even more dramatic statement with this Faux Sheepskin Upholstered Accent Chair that would be ideal in any Hollywood Regency room.
Clear some space for acrylic furniture
Acrylic adds instant elegance and yet it can still be modern and understated. It lightens and brightens your space because its clear color allows light to pass through and keeps it from looking too solid. And yet, acrylic is solid — it makes a durable base for tables, chairs, sofas, and desks.
To find more acrylic inspiration for your home decor, head to your local Coaster Furniture store. You’ll support a local business and see things more clearly when you shop in person.
CoasterEssence
Anne Coffee Table with Lower Shelf Chrome and Clear
Claude Collection
CoasterElevations
Thermosolis Acrylic Back Bar Stools Grey and Chrome (Set of 2)
CoasterEssence
Amaturo Office Chair with Casters Clear and Chrome
Amaturo Collection
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