Electric Bakelite Clock

Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.

From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.

When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.

Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.

Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.

A sophisticated clock design, whether it’s a desk clock, mantel clock or large wall clock for your living room, is a decorative object to be admired in your home as much as it is a necessary functional element. This is part of the reason clocks make such superb collectibles. Given the versatility of these treasured fixtures — they’ve long been made in a range of shapes, sizes and styles — a clock can prove integral to your own particular interior decor.

Antique and vintage clocks can whisk us back to the 18th and 19th centuries. When most people think of antique clocks, they imagine an Art Deco Bakelite tabletop clock or wall clock, named for the revolutionary synthetic plastic, Bakelite, of which they’re made, or a stately antique grandfather clock. But the art of clock-making goes way back, transcending continents and encompassing an entire range of design styles and technologies. In short, there are many kinds of clocks depending on your needs.

A variety of wall clocks can be found on 1stDibs. A large antique hand-carved walnut wall clock is best suited to a big room and a flat background given what will likely be outwardly sculptural features, while Georgian grandfather clocks, or longcase clocks, will help welcome rainswept guests into your entryway or foyer. An interactive cuckoo clock, large or small, is guaranteed to bring outsize personality to your living room or dining room. For conversation pieces of a similar breed, mid-century modern enthusiasts go for the curious Ball clock, the first of more than 150 clock models conceived in the studio of legendary architect and designer George Nelson. 

Minimalist contemporary clocks and books pair nicely on a shelf, but an eye-catching vintage mantel clock can add balance to your home library while drawing attention to your art and design books and other decorative objects. Ormolu clocks dating from the Louis XVI period, designed in the neoclassical style, are often profusely ornate, featuring architectural flourishes and rich naturalistic details. Rococo-style mantel clocks of Meissen porcelain or porcelain originating from manufacturers in cities such as Limoges, France, during the 18th and 19th centuries, exude an air of imperial elegance on your shelves or side tables and can help give your desk a 19th-century upgrade.

On 1stDibs, find a range of extraordinary antique and vintage clocks today.