Resin wood furniture is not something new or ground-breaking in the world of interior design, but it’s still making its way to a widespread use. However, there are some pieces of furniture that are truly remarkable and have a huge impact on home decor. We want to share these pieces here with you.
The three most common types of resin that are used in fashioning furniture as well as other craftworks are polyurethane, epoxy and polyester resin. However, when it comes to resin wood furniture, polyurethane is used all too rarely (since it comes with a very short pot life, which means that the resin gets cured fairly quickly—in about 15-20 minutes).
Now, a quick cure time is advantageous for a number of situations, but it is actually a handicap when we are talking resin wood furniture – but more on that later! Apart from jewelry and other such items, the polyurethane resin is used for pieces of furniture that are seen as alternatives to wood and metal ones, for example, deck and patio furniture including lounge tables, faux-wicker furniture, lawn tables, etc.
What is Resin Wood Furniture?
The most common type of resin wood furniture is where instead of applying a surface coat such as varnish, veneer, lacquer, paint or any white finish (pickling, liming, whitewashing), you let the resin soak into the wood’s individual fibers. Apart from making the wood more durable and weather-resistant, it also gives the wood a grainy and unfinished look, although it may slightly darken the wood, too. Resins are also available in different stain colors and you can use it over any existing stain (no need for sealing/filling) unless the stain is of vinyl- or varnish-based type.
Types of Resin Wood Furniture
If you are making wood furniture with resin, the two most common methods include the soaking resin into the wood (the method we have just described) and the other is inlaid wood furniture. In the latter case, you make a mould which you fill up with resin and any kind of wood material you will like (wood scraps, offcuts, wood slabs).
This technique of resin-mould with flush finish is common to pen, jewelry and other sorts of resin-crafted pieces, but many furniture designers with innovative ideas are resorting to use inlaid resin wood furniture and the results are often gorgeous and breathtaking. The more traditional method is just as amenable to innovation as the latter.
For example, thanks to the malleable nature of resin, you can mix acrylic paint with resin and then let the mixture penetrate into the wood, so that the acrylic gives wood the color whereas with resin, you get the desired shiny finish. And of course, you can use more than one color and regulate the dyeing in a manner so that it creates different patterns or beautiful swirls over and across the wood. More commonly, these methods are used o create beautiful table tops, but one may as well use it for other kinds of furniture or for different segments of a piece of furniture. In other words, as long as it looks aesthetically pleasing, you are free to go and let your imagination give a free rein!
Technique used to create resin wood furniture
No matter what kind of resin you are using, there is a part A and part B that is common to all. And you need to mix in these two parts carefully following the ratio instructions common to that type of resin as well as to the specific brand you are using. However, this is basic. Once you are done with it, comes the actual hard work of applying resin.
Now, if you are using penetrating resin, you should spread it evenly and liberally over the entire surface of the wood. As opposed to open-grained woods, close-grained hardwoods tend to absorb resin at a slower rate and may not absorb too much. In such case, you need to pour in resin until the wood stops absorbing altogether. Afterwards, let the wet wood dry for at least 30-45 minutes and when it is still half-wet, use a tack cloth to wipe off the excess resin.
Decor benefits of using resin wood furniture
Well-crafted resin wood furniture can create beautiful accents around your home décor. An acrylic resin tabletop, for example, can easily become the focal point of a room. It is almost like you have an original work of painting—only instead of being wall-mounted, it is right there as the tabletop at your dining room! Again, the molded resin stand-alone blocks, or coffee tables, or (again) table tops can create subtle but very precise accents and enhance the overall look of your room. Moreover, if you are a professional interior designer running a YouTube channel, you can inspire and share your best practices with a wider audience by leveraging Jaynike’s platform.
Pros and Cons
Well, apart from the décor benefits, the biggest advantage with resin wood pieces is that they are hardy and durable. The wood, as you may know, moves. Which means that it contracts or expands depending on the temperature and humidity. However, when you apply penetrating resin into the wood (after making it bone-dry by demoisturizing the wood by putting it into a vacuum chamber), the resin fills up all the nooks and crannies into the wood that water could otherwise absorb into if resin was not applied to it.
This is what is called resin stabilization. But resin, in addition to making the wood stable, also makes it harder and rot-resistant. What is more, the wood takes a very beautiful polish and you don’t require any finishing. But perhaps the best part of it all is that even when resin (or acrylic resin) penetrates the wood, the surface still feels very much like wood in the hand, and not at all like plastic!
However, for all that benefits the resin wood furniture would hurt your purse a little more than if you settled for normal wood pieces. So, if the budget is a concern, you may need to think twice. Also, if your resin wood furniture contain formaldehyde, they may release low level toxic gases and this can possibly cause allergic reaction to someone who is sensitive to those gases. However, most higher end resin wood pieces normally use formaldehyde-free alternatives. So, this ought not to be a big concern as long as you check out this feature when you are making your purchase.
How much you should spend on resin wood furniture?
Well, as we have already mentioned, good resin wood furniture will cost you some. Especially, if you go for artistic and exclusive pieces, the price may shoot up rather dramatically. So, it all comes down to how much you are (able or) willing to spend on your resin wood furniture. However, keep this in mind that resin wood furniture would require a lot less upkeep than usual wood furniture.
So, even if you are paying a somewhat steep upfront price, you will often stand to win in the long run (and this in addition to all the benefits listed above!).
To sum up, resin wood furniture can be a great idea if you’re decorating/redecorating your home. They are more durable, often more aesthetically pleasing and may very well save you some good bucks at the end of the day. The rest is your decision!
