Coloured Lives of Plastic: A History of Colour in Plastic Furniture Design

Abstract

This article examines the evolving relationship between colour and plastics in furniture design, tracing a trajectory from mid-20th-century innovators such as Charles and Ray Eames to contemporary designers working with recycled plastics and bioplastics (renewable plastics). It examines how the expressive and functional roles of colour have been shaped—and reshaped—by changes in material technologies, cultural aesthetics, and environmental ethics.

Beginning with the ‘truth to materials’ approach adopted by Eames, the discussion moves through the saturated technicolour, glossy exuberance of Space Age design, exemplified by Verner Panton. Falling out of favour during the oil crises of the 1970s, plastics were reintroduced to furniture and reimagined at the end of the twentieth century. More recently, ecologically motivated designers are exploring the new aesthetic experiences offered by renewable plastics. This discussion highlights how designers interrogate both the material limits and symbolic capacities of colour in plastic objects.

The article critically contrasts functionalist approaches with more expressive or politicised uses of colour. It responds to renewed interest in the affective, psychological, and sustainable dimensions of colour in design, and argues that contemporary colour practices in plastics both reflect and challenge traditional theories. The paper concludes by contending that a pervasive shift towards muted palettes across product and interior design has inadvertently overlooked established insights into the psychological impacts of colour, advocating for a reintroduction of more vibrant and emotionally resonant colour applications in interiors.