Acrylic

Cast for clarity and colour, extruded for tolerance and value: the grade follows the use.

Acrylic sheet is made in two ways. Cast acrylic is poured between glass moulds and cured, which gives a higher, more consistent molecular weight. It holds tighter colour, takes a cleaner cut and laser edge, polishes to a brighter finish and thermoforms with fewer faults, so it is our default for decorative and lit work. Extruded acrylic is produced in a continuous run between rollers. It is more uniform in thickness and lower in cost, and it bonds and vacuum-forms well, which suits volume components and signage.

Optical clarity is acrylic's defining trait. A standard clear sheet transmits around 92 percent of visible light, edges show little of the green tint seen in soda-lime glass, and the surface keeps its gloss without yellowing under normal interior conditions. Colour runs from water-clear through transparent tints, frosted and satin diffusers, opals and solid opaque tones, alongside pearlescent, stone-effect and patterned ranges. Tinted and opal sheet is well suited to edge-lighting: light entering the edge travels through the sheet and reads as a soft glowing line, while diffusing grades spread an even wash across a backlit panel without hot spots.

Acrylic's combination of light transmission, colour depth and workability makes it the material of choice for backlit decorative applications in hospitality and high-end residential interiors. Its gloss and lightness also make it a strong choice for contemporary furniture.

• Backlit bar back panels
• Hospitality ceiling features
• High-gloss furniture components
• Decorative screens and room dividers
• LED-backlit decorative walls
• Contemporary furniture with integral lighting

Cut, polished, formed and bonded by hand, so the joins disappear and the colour carries through.

Acrylic is cut by saw, router, laser or CNC. Laser cutting leaves a flame-polished edge straight from the machine, while sawn and routed edges are dressed back through progressive abrasives and either flame or diamond polished to a clear, glass-like finish. That polished edge matters in lit work, since it is the edge that carries the glow. Sheet is thermoformed by heating it to a pliable state and shaping it over a mould, which allows curved panels, returns and seamless corners. Pieces are joined with solvent or two-part cements that fuse the surfaces into a near-invisible bond rather than sitting on top as an adhesive line.

Within our workshop network these methods are combined to build backlit panels, glazing, furniture components and display pieces to a brief. We size and edge sheet to suit the lighting, integrate LED sources so the diffusion reads evenly, and match colour and pattern across a run. Our makers handle the cutting, forming and bonding in-house so that joints, edges and lit transitions are resolved as part of the piece rather than left as a fixing detail.

Acrylic is durable and light, but it is a softer surface than glass and will mark if handled carelessly. A little planning at specification keeps it looking right.

Yes. The surface scratches more readily than glass, so it is best kept off heavy-traffic worktops unless an abrasion-resistant grade is specified. Light scratches in clear sheet can often be polished out.

Wipe with a soft, damp cloth and a mild soap solution. Avoid solvents such as alcohol or ammonia-based glass cleaners, which can craze the surface, and use a microfibre cloth rather than anything gritty.

It is well suited to vertical panels, lit features, screens and decorative furniture. It carries more static and is less heat-resistant than glass, so it is kept away from direct heat sources and chosen by grade for any high-use surface.

16 pearloid acrylic colours with an iridescent, lustrous finish.

18 celluloid laminate patterns including tortoiseshell, confetti, crackle and shell effects.

10 stone-effect acrylic finishes mimicking marble and exotic stones.