The choice is clear

Small spaces demand design clarity. Almost nothing provides that better than furniture made from transparent materials, which exhibit a visual weightlessness that almost makes them disappear -- even in the most cluttered rooms. Though glass tables and plastic seats may seem like bachelor-pad hangovers, they long have been a part of the Modernist aesthetic. Classic midcentury glass-topped coffee tables by Mies van der Rohe and Isamu Noguchi are just as popular as Philippe Starck’s recent acrylic dining chairs. But if you don’t care for retro or contemporary looks, no problem. There are more styles out there than the eye can see through.