A live edge table keeps the natural outer edge of the tree and lets the wood do all the talking. A resin river table adds a band of coloured epoxy resin between the slabs, or through the natural cracks and voids, for a bolder and more designed look. Neither is better: choose live edge if you love wood as it grows, and resin if you want colour and a centrepiece that looks unlike anything else in the room. We make both.

What the two terms mean

Live edge

A live edge (sometimes called a waney edge) is the natural outer edge of the slab, preserved rather than cut straight. It is our signature edge style. Every live edge is different, and we work with you during the build so the contour suits your taste, whether that is a subtle wave or something much wilder.

Any edge that isn’t live, such as the two ends of a dining table, gets a chamfered edge by default. You can mix edge styles too: a desk that sits against a wall can have a square back edge and a live front edge.

Resin river

A resin river is epoxy resin poured into the gap between two slabs, so that it runs down the table like a river between two banks. In most designs the live edges of the slabs face each other across the resin, so a resin river table is really a live edge table turned inside out.

We design each resin river to your specification, in the colour of your choice, then finish the whole top with multiple coats of Osmo high-gloss oil for depth and clarity.

Side by side

The honest practical differences

Sunlight

This is the biggest real difference. Epoxy, tinted or clear, does not have good resistance to ultraviolet light. Epoxyworks, the technical publication from Gougeon Brothers, makers of West System epoxy, puts it plainly: an epoxy coating exposed to UV will yellow, become opaque and eventually flake off. The same source notes that this takes a while, and that where sunlight exposure is limited a coloured epoxy coating will hold up for years.

So if your table will sit indoors out of strong direct sun, it isn’t a reason to avoid resin. If it will sit in a conservatory or right beside large south-facing glazing, tell us, because that changes the advice. Wood changes colour in sunlight too, but that is part of its natural ageing.

Movement

Solid wood takes up and gives off moisture as the air around it changes, and it shrinks and swells across its width as a result. Adding resin doesn’t change that. A resin river top still needs slabs that were dried properly before any resin went near them. Ours are kiln-dried to a moisture content of 8% or below. Our guide to why solid wood tables split and warp goes into the detail.

Everyday care

Day to day, the two are looked after in the same way: wipe up spills promptly, use mats or trivets under hot dishes, and keep the table away from direct heat sources such as radiators and log burners.

Changing your room later

A natural wood table goes with almost any colour scheme. A bright blue or green river is a stronger commitment, so if you redecorate every few years, a subtle resin colour or a plain live edge keeps your options open.

The middle ground: resin in the natural features

You don’t have to choose between a full river and no resin at all. Some of the most characterful slabs have natural cracks, voids and burrs. For French oak we can source slabs with large cracks and infuse them with resin, and the swirling figure of burr oak can be highlighted with resin in the same way. The result reads as a wood table first, with the resin picking out the character of the tree.

Cost and timing

Budgets for our bespoke tables run from roughly £2,000 to £10,000+, depending mainly on the rarity of the wood and the size of the table, and custom tables currently take 4 to 5 weeks to make. Every resin design is different, so the simplest way to compare is to ask us to quote both versions of the same table. Delivery is free and our team installs the table where you want it.

How to choose

Ask yourself four questions:

1. Do you want the table to be about the wood, or about colour and contrast?
2. Will it sit in strong, direct sunlight for much of the day?
3. How often do you change your room’s colour scheme?
4. Do you want a matt finish? If so, plain live edge gives you the choice of Rubio Monocoat Pure matt; our resin river tables are finished in high-gloss oil.

If you answered “the wood”, “yes”, “often” or “matt”, start with live edge. If you answered “colour”, “no”, “rarely” and you like a gloss finish, a resin river could be the right table for you. If you are still unsure what wood to use, our French oak vs English elm guide compares two of our most popular choices.

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