I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Home design (really, home redesign) has become the biggest trend of the third lockdown here in the UK. Before, we were baking banana bread and hosting Zoom pub quizzes to varying levels of success. Now, everyone is tired of our online existence, and the cold weather has turned our interests to the interior. 
 
We’ve fallen for it here at The Plastic People too. The interior design bug has bit practically everyone in our team and, as a result, we have published a wide range of content over recent weeks, detailing our top design tips and predicted design trends for 2021. If you have missed any of the previous design blogs, you can check them all out by clicking here. We’ve covered everything from minimalism to bathroom remodelling and even how to build a summerhouse! 
 
Now, this week, we thought it was time to mix it up. We could have brought you a blog on kitchen design or even man caves, but we are going to focus on materials and, in particular, plastic materials. 
 
The downside of home renovation and improvement has always been the price tag. A full kitchen remodel could set you back tens of thousands of pounds--and after Christmas, none of us has that type of money lying around. That’s why we’ve focused on providing cost-effective design solutions that can fit any budget. 
 
In this blog from The Plastic People, we are going to focus on and detail the benefits of the material that makes all of these cheap renovation hacks happen: acrylic. More specifically, clear acrylic has become the star of the show for us. 
 
Describing Acrylic 
 
If you couldn’t tell by the name, we are the UK’s plastic experts--and so it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about acrylic. It is perhaps the most versatile material we stock on our website and also the one that customers say is the easiest to work with. So before we dive into the world of home design with acrylic, we are going to highlight some of the key characteristics of the material. 
 
In short, acrylic is shatter-resistant and cheaper glass. It may be a plastic, but acrylic can be as clear-as-glass and is ten times stronger than glass. You do not have to worry about any acrylic products breaking and having to be replaced any time soon. 
 
Acrylic is also ideal for home design and DIY projects because it can be cut to any size or shape. Glass will shatter and/or crack if it is cut into particularly intricate designs but acrylic can withstand a lot of pressure. Whether you want a simple square panel cut or a more complex shape like a star, acrylic is the plastic that will perform for you. 
 
Replacing Glass
 
With all of those stats and figures in mind, it won’t surprise you that the key use of acrylic is as a replacement for glass--and this works in a range of environments, including as:
 

 
Whatever glass product you need to replace, acrylic can likely fit the job description with ease. Click here to check out our range of clear acrylic materials and options. 
 
Perspex Splashbacks 
 
Another favourite in plastic home improvements here, are acrylic splashbacks for your kitchen and/or bathroom. Tiling and grouting are expensive and time-consuming jobs that require experience to complete. This has become an even bigger issue in lockdown as labourers are less keen to visit clients. 
 
Acrylic splashbacks are the solution. These panels can be cut to any size and shape, and then simply glued into place using specific plastic adhesives. Yes, it’s that easy. Plastic can also be dyed any colour, so we have a rainbow of options available for you to choose from. 
 
Our customers are always keen to use acrylic behind sinks and faucets to protect the wall from water damage. Other uses of these acrylic splashbacks include shower/bath panelling and even to protect walls behind shoe racks. Click here to find out more. 
 
Picture Framing 
 
Updating any home space is always aided by the introduction of colour. If you are not keen to paint a whole feature wall, adding artwork or photos to a blank wall is a great alternative. Again, acrylic is the perfect material for picture framing--instead of glass--because it is ten times stronger and shatter-resistant. 
 
Acrylic framing also lets you create a gallery-feel in your home. There is no need for clunky borders or edging when you opt for plastic. Click here to check out how some of our customers have used clear-as-glass acrylic frames in their home. 
 
Furniture Protector 
 
Tables and desks do a lot of hard work in our homes at the moment. They are the surfaces we use as dining tables, homeschooling desks and even as social spaces. It’s easy for wooden furniture to be damaged through routine wear-and-tear. Scratches, chips, white rings from hot drinks--we’ve seen it all before, and it can really make a quality oak or vintage table less appealing to use. 
 
Acrylic is, once again, the solution to damaged furniture. To prevent new furniture from being damaged or to cover-up previous mistakes on older surfaces, you can attach a made to measure acrylic panel. At 3mm, these sheets are barely noticeable and will keep your furniture looking spick-and-span for years to come! Click here to see how our customers have used our furniture protectors in the past. 

Cleaning Acrylic 
 
Once you have finished your home improvements and the dust has begun to settle, you might want to start thinking about how to maintain your new acrylic products. Thankfully, this plastic material is easy to manage and keep clean. 
 
Acrylic can be washed like any regular appliances: warm soapy water and sponge go a long way and will remove any dust, lint and the majority of marks/smudges that appear on the surface. 
 
If the acrylic surface is scratched, it can still be fixed and return to its brand-new condition. This process takes a while to explain in detail, so we put together a longer blog a little while ago about how to remove both light and deep scratches from acrylic. Check that out by clicking here. 
 
Well, that brings us to the end of this blog post, and we hope you are now as big fans of acrylic as we all are at The Plastic People. If you want some ideas for DIY projects to complete with acrylic, you can check out our latest Pinterest board by clicking here. 
 
We would love to see how you are using acrylic in your home! Get in touch with any photos of your home design projects, by messaging us on Twitter or Instagram: @barkstonplastic. You can also sign-up for our newsletter to receive any more tips and tricks straight to your inbox. Do that by clicking here.