Epoxy furniture, pros and cons, decoration methods

Furniture developers delight us with more and more interesting novelties, original ideas in the field of interior design. Recently, furniture made of epoxy resin has gained popularity, which, thanks to the unique appearance of the material, transforms the home environment.

Pros and Cons of Material

The working surface of the epoxy table has many advantages, the positive points are as follows:

excellent performance. The material is highly durable and does not undergo deformation, its surface is not afraid of mechanical damage, during operation, it does not form cracks or chips;
affordable cost - due to the fact that the price of primary raw materials is much lower than that of other analogues, it becomes possible to reduce the cost of the final product;
moisture resistance is one of the main advantages over a wooden surface, which is especially true in a kitchen where a humid environment is present;
convenient care - the furniture is not subject to the negative influence of most cleaning products, its care is convenient and does not require additional costs;
wear resistance - epoxy furniture with such a surface does not collapse due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation, it retains its impeccable appearance for a long time;
variety of design solutions. Wizards create real masterpieces using this material. In combination with wood, unique landscape compositions, imitations of water spaces and other interesting designs are obtained. The molten material is very pliable, so you can give it any shape. Well, and the cured resin is easily processed by a grinding or polishing machine, if necessary, grooves are easily turned out or holes are drilled;
visual expansion of space. The glossy finish gives the impression that space is increasing. Optical illusions, an incredible play of light, a sense of volume - this is what epoxy resin products guarantee.

Despite the availability of raw materials, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the cost of design objects is considerable. Therefore, when purchasing furniture from a master, you need to be prepared to give a considerable amount for it.

The disadvantages of such a material for furniture include the following:

defects - incorrect manufacturing techniques and non-observance of proportions can lead to the formation of a white precipitate inside the furniture fill. This nuance must be taken into account for those craftsmen who want to make their own countertops or other furniture;
the ability to spoil the furniture material when processing with abrasive compounds or powders;
the release of toxins - they usually evaporate under the influence of high temperatures.

It is strictly forbidden to put hot objects on this furniture. However, under normal conditions no harmful substances are released and there is no risk to human health.

Varieties

As already mentioned, the manufacture of furniture from epoxy is, first of all, the implementation of countertops. They come in several forms:

made of epoxy resin - usually they do not have a supporting surface, they are a transparent or multi-colored cube or other geometric shape. Inside, a beautiful ornament is laid out from dried flowers or other materials. Such furniture accessories are used, as a rule, as a coffee, coffee table or other item that is not supposed to be subjected to excessive load;
wood or chipboard coated with a layer of resin - in this case, epoxy resin has a protective function, as it protects the main material from damage. For the main material, designers prefer to choose paneled surfaces, solid wood, multiplexes and even old countertops;
combined - these are fragments of wood, alternating with elements of resin. The basis is materials of any shape: round, rectangular, with sharp corners - they are located in a specific or chaotic order. The natural structure of solid wood looks great, although many craftsmen use woodcarving, milling, marquetry for decoration. To create a countertop, a container with bumpers of the required height is used, workpieces are laid out in it, then it is completely filled with a resin composition. After solidification, a smooth surface with smooth sides is obtained.

Interesting design decisions

For the manufacture of furniture, skilled craftsmen use matte and transparent varieties of glue, and each of them can be given different color shades. Transparent mixes go well with wood or other included objects. They emphasize all the details of the decor: array fibers, inscriptions or badges on metal elements. Even the smallest elements will be clearly visible even through a thick layer of fill. Color dyes slightly reduce transparency, but the fill acquires a saturated color. Both those and other types of resin mixtures are used for the manufacture of exclusive countertops and other furniture. Interesting ideas can be found below:

coating from a composition with a luminescent dye - furniture made with the use of epoxy glue and luminescent dye looks spectacular. Experienced craftsmen fill all the cavities that have formed, voids in the sections of the knots with this epoxy grout, then fill the main mixture. When illuminated, such a masterpiece will glow. Well, in modern interiors, such furniture will emphasize the style and impeccable taste of the owners;
wooden trimming or a shield framed by a layer of pouring - this idea has been successfully used by many craftsmen creating designer furniture. As a basic element, wood is used. It is covered on all sides by a small layer of the prepared composition;
water penetration - an interesting effect is obtained when the adhesive composition is combined with drops of water. In a colored mixture, such streaks resemble cosmic nebulae or milk streaks. Often, masters create a multi-color coating, filling it with portions of the composition, painted with various colors. It should be noted that the mixtures are beautifully stained with gouache, ink, oil paints, that is, these components do not harm human health. For partitions, thin plastic barriers are used. Usually the top of the whole composition is filled with a thin transparent layer;
imitation of marble - an unusual solution that allows you to get a coating resembling marble. For this, chipboard is used, which is covered with colorful patterns, as well as other compounds, however, the last layer must be epoxy. This technique opens up new horizons for furniture designers, allowing them to experiment and get new interesting surfaces;
a table with a surface in the form of a picture - such furniture looks great in the interiors of living rooms. Tea at such a table will undoubtedly be pleasant. It is important that this furniture attribute fits into the overall interior of the room and harmonizes with other objects. The drawing stretches, as a rule, along the entire length of the countertop - the manufacturer offers a great variety of still lifes or other images that are pleasing to the eye. The legs are made of wood and should be concise in shape - rectangular or square;
stump with moss - an epoxy compound filled with previously prepared stump with moss, you can get an absolutely unique chair. Numerous cracks, other “defects” will only add sophistication to the accessory. Such furniture is absolutely safe, so it will organically look in an eco-interior, and the product can be made with your own hands;
Gradient travertine and resin table tops - the compositions used are painted using the gradient technique from light blue to deep dark blue, combined with a calcareous durable material, are used by some designers to create unique designs. Epoxy layers are alternately applied in a specific order. The composition imitates a lagoon with its coastal light zones and dark colored water spaces.

Dressing

The unique characteristics and impeccable appearance of the material inspire the craftsmen to create exclusive furniture. There are grades of material with a reddish, brown, yellowish or whitish color, and the color is preserved throughout the depth of the consistency. There are absolutely transparent compositions that are also used for decorating furniture. By adding various components to the composition, specialists are striving to improve the properties of the material, to maintain an absolutely even surface, which is why the resin is very popular in creating furniture decorative elements.

The shape of furniture attributes with epoxy can be very different. Resin casting repeats the bends of objects, covering them with a thin transparent layer without bulges and other flaws. This allows you to create unique furniture of any configuration.

The fill layer can cover surfaces on which interesting patterns and ornaments are applied. The coating perfectly captures other decorative elements: shells, pebbles, cones, dried flowers, coins and even buttons. In this case, the surface looks three-dimensional.

Fans of all beautiful things will definitely appreciate furniture made using shabby pieces of wood or branches with natural flaws that are corroded by bark beetles. Unrealistic special effects are obtained if coarse sand mixed with sawdust is placed inside the composition. Original furniture is created using a variety of investments: cutting boards, round cuts of various diameters, split wood blocks, old wood or beautiful wood chips. Immersed in the fill, they put on an incredibly beautiful "robe", which, moreover, can glow.Marble chips, foil, glitter, beads, semiprecious stones are used as investments. Creating such a masterpiece with your own hands, you can use even souvenirs as a decor.

Not a single interior designer misses such a decorating and functional furniture element as legs. They are of no small importance in the design of furniture items. Belonging to their shape, type and material, belonging to one or another style depends on the compatibility of furniture with other interior items. So, the legs can be wooden, stone or carved stone. They are decorated with carvings or forged elements, their quantity also varies: there are interesting specimens with one, two, three, four legs.

Furniture, for the decoration of which epoxy resin is used, fits perfectly into the interior of residential premises and office. It will complement the loft style, which is characterized by a predominance of rough textures, metal, glass and wood. Such products look great in the design of restaurants, hotels and hotels.