Photograph courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Jamie Gray, proprietor of the New York design store Matter, on how to pull off the grown-up Playskool look. Monica Khemsurov

Q: What should you look for when buying plastic furniture?
A: Make sure the piece you want feels solid. If it looks like something you might find in a frat house, keep shopping. Let your nose guide you too. I once opened a box with a plastic stool in it that reeked of resin—never a good thing.

Q: What's the best way to incorporate high-end plastic furniture into your aesthetic?
A: I like to juxtapose plastic with more natural materials. A set of Grcic's Myto chairs—in yellow, maybe—alone would be pretty bold. But when paired with a walnut dining table, the color is toned down the the dark wood.

Q: What else is making a comeback in the design world?
A: Marble and brass seem to be on the upswing. The right plastic piece would be in good company with either of those materials.