no end to the trend
allo darling friends, ça va? i hope your week is winding down and you’re gearing up for a great weekend doing wHaTeVeR it is you want to do!
i’m tying up loose ends before the architectural digest show which is in less than two weeks. i’m mainly showing our lucite collection and by day have been getting the grunt work done. at night i’ve been turning if off when i’m here just to shake my brain up a bit. but when the editor at large did an article on lucite’s 75th anniversary, i got reinvigorated and hit google.
of course in this day and age you can’t get too far without uncovering something beyond expectation. i found this photo of helena rubenstein in her lucite bed, holding court in the 30s as if she’ was madame de rambouillet. and all around her everyone is sitting on lucite chairs. mme helena was a trendsetter who loved the invisible and playful furniture that was being created with the new, modern, crystal clear and versatile acrylic. how is it that lucite still has a fresh new feel and even seems trendy at 75?
helena was such a diva. she had a set of these chairs scattered throughout her apartment. katie holmes used one in her glam shoot and it’s as fierce today as it ever was. i guess lucite has a futuristic quality makes it seem timeless.
today, we make them to order, without the etching. (below).
thepeakofchic.blogspot.com amy fine collins’ apartment
but helena’s bed, egads, that bed is bordering on obscene but has become a legend!
in fact it’s the centerpiece of 1st dibs’ brand new showroom new york city! (below)
the way they staged it is so depressing it looks like a funeral home. they did NOT do it justice in my opinion. ug. i can barely look at it.
anyway i came across all sorts of fun old ephemera which is like finding treasure maps.
twolia.com/blogs/heres-looking-like-you-kid/category/jayne-mansfield
i love the envelope, it’s a great way to store all those love letters and postcards from the paris flea markets.
flickr.com/photos/sugarcubevintage/5389687502/sizes/z/in/photostream
and it’s fun to wear
gonefunky.com/product/vintage-lucite-shoe-scarf-clip-gold-confetti-retro-button-lapel-dress
no one is immune from this invisible trend, even dogs have lucite beds
gucci-lined at that
and it makes a pretty good desk
thefrencheye.blogspot.com/2010/03/clear-lucite.html
madonna!
there is truly no end to this ingenious material.
(lamp base)
porterandplunk.bondandbowery.com
and by the by, it holds its value. if you see one of these ice buckets while you’re out thrifting, nab it. check out the ransom they can fetch at the link above. i found two in palm beach just last week and should have grabbed em!
i’m a sucker for these tacky little makeup caddies from the 40s. when i found the magazine that showed the crafty guy how to make them i just about melted.
morninggloryantiques.com/JewelChatCarving.html
anyway all this makes what i’ve been doing the past couple days a little more fun cause i have some new layers to think about. i’ve been working on making sure the website is tight, adding new products, creating sample boards and having all the pieces upholstered.
here’s a sneak peek at the new bath line. below is our faceted towel bar. it’s chunky with sparkly edges and is like a big jewel.
well, i could ponder the lucite phenomenon all night but whatever the reason, clearly, it’s here to stay.
i think it’s time to decompress for the day so i’m tuning out and turning in. have a great night!
the paris apartment 
beverley christenson replied:
Dear Claudia Wow what a post ,just fab cant wait for you to post lately they are so interesting.
Have a great weekend Beverley xxx
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March 4, 2011 at 6:50 am. Permalink.
Iris replied:
Oh My God!!! That Chair!!! Gorgeous!!! Great post. Love your blog. Love Paris :-) Have a wonderful weekend.
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March 4, 2011 at 7:32 am. Permalink.
Kirsten Muhle replied:
Nice pictures as always: ) Thank you again!
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March 4, 2011 at 8:52 am. Permalink.
suzanne replied:
This is a fantastic post!!!Thanks for doing all this research and posting it! I enjoyed it so much. Have a great day.
~Suzanne.
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March 4, 2011 at 2:15 pm. Permalink.
Style Maniac replied:
Just one Lucite table can add a fresh, modern touch to practically any decor. And those shoes! Like Cinderella come to life.
I was so excited to read that 1stDibs has opened a showroom, but you are right–the staging of it is depressing. With all the talented designers who shop there, you’d think they’d call on one to do a fabulous, stunning space.
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March 4, 2011 at 2:26 pm. Permalink.
Shelly Gregory replied:
I am in a dream state with the shoes! (won’t deny my love for the furniture pieces either!)
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March 4, 2011 at 2:55 pm. Permalink.
FAY HART FLORENCE ITALY replied:
Hi Claudia thatwa really interesting and i agree madaes bed is er rrrrr…..
i like the side table it would mix in with anythinhg i think Have agreat weekend Fay xxx
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March 4, 2011 at 4:08 pm. Permalink.
Roberta replied:
Sleek and schwanky! Love the desk. Great post Claudia, thanks.
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March 5, 2011 at 2:32 am. Permalink.
meg manion silliker replied:
wow. i just love that chair. and helena’s bed – amazing. i agree, the way they staged it – horrid. i think a touch of lucite is perfection.
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March 5, 2011 at 12:45 pm. Permalink.
wanda replied:
always loved the lucite…started with the mirror handles on my grandmothers hairbrush sets…I have collected a couple of purses as well.. I would just love to have the Envelope to hold cards and letters…you wake up our minds to such wonderful things..
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March 5, 2011 at 12:56 pm. Permalink.
Cynthia replied:
Claudia, I am a lucite lover. I’ve always wanted to have a lucite business desk – but the beds, never seen those before – divine! The ring is what I want now.
Love your photo montage, as usual. Thanks for sharing.
Have a great day!
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March 6, 2011 at 2:36 pm. Permalink.
le petit cabinet de curiosites replied:
I’m always loved lucite
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March 7, 2011 at 7:59 pm. Permalink.
Mandy [à la parisienne] replied:
I really hope to invest in a wonderful lucite chair one day-one like Amy Collins’ apartment would be fabulous!
Her apartment looks gorgeous.
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March 8, 2011 at 8:08 pm. Permalink.
Alesha replied:
You cannot go wrong with lucite! I love to wear it or use it for practical things like that cerulean bath tub… Sigh… ❤️❤️❤️❤️💋
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January 16, 2023 at 12:32 pm. Permalink.