How to incorporate resin in your home decor
Resin floor, furniture pieces, chessboard, coasters, wall decor items, etc are getting into people’s decor choices these days. However, there is a fine line between a tasteful accent and making your living room look like a souvenir shop at an aquarium. The trick, as always, is in the application
There was a time, not so long ago, when the word 'epoxy' conjured up very specific, and largely unromantic, images. It smelled of that pungent, two-part adhesive used to fix a broken handle, or it reminded one of the bleak, grey flooring of a school gymnasium. It was practical, hard-wearing, and utterly devoid of soul.
But today, if you scroll through the curated feeds of Instagram interiors, you will find that resin has undergone a rather glamorous makeover. It has shed its overalls and slipped into something a good deal more glossy. From river tables that resemble sliced topography to ethereal lighting fixtures and dried flower coasters, resin has become the darling of contemporary décor. It is the liquid amber of the modern age — trapping light, colour, and objects in a state of suspended animation.
What makes resin so compelling is the contradiction at its heart. It is synthetic, born in a lab in the 1930s (originally to coat military equipment, of all things), yet it mimics the organic flow of water or the hardness of stone. It is fluid until it is not.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
In Bangladesh, this transformation is particularly fascinating. A material once confined to factories, warehouses, and swimming pools is now entering living rooms in apartments, duplexes, and even compact flats. The shift signals not just a stylistic trend, but a growing appetite for experimental surfaces in a market traditionally dominated by wood, marble, and laminated board.
Md Bilal in Mohammadpur's Beribandh area makes furniture pieces made with wood and epoxy resin, and according to him, "The pieces are more durable than traditional wood pieces, you cannot destroy them in 500 years, it's my guarantee."
"Also, this way you need less wood, which is in a way reducing timber use in the furniture industry", he added. The primary material is epoxy, which is imported from China and Canada, as Bilal said.
Apart from that, small entrepreneurs like Artstorebd, Creation Plus Decor, and Candid Decor make elaborate pieces such as coffee tables and conference tables, priced from Tk75000 to Tk80000.
In 2022, Artstorebd owners worked on a wood-and-epoxy-resin staircase in the capital's Jigatala area, and, according to the page, the project cost Tk6 lakh.
Nahiyan Tabassum Tinu, owner of the page Craftinu, started making resin jewellery pieces just for fun, and she now makes small decor items like clocks, chess pieces, and coasters. "I work on a small level, on customised orders, maybe one or two pieces a month. The price depends on the detail and time it takes to make", Tinu said.
Also, resin chess board, coasters, wall decor items, etc are getting into people's decor choices these days. However, there is a fine line between a tasteful accent and making your living room look like a souvenir shop at an aquarium. The trick, as always, is in the application.
The ground beneath your feet
Let us start from the bottom up. For decades, epoxy flooring in Bangladesh was strictly industrial — used in pharmaceutical factories, cold storage facilities, garment units, and parking basements. Its appeal lay in its durability, chemical resistance, and seamless finish.
But architects have woken up to the joy of the 'seamless' floor. Resin is poured in situ, self-levelling across the surface, bonding chemically to the substrate and eliminating grout lines. In humid climates like ours, where grout often darkens and harbours mould, this is no small advantage.
If you have ever spent a Saturday afternoon scrubbing the grout lines of a tiled kitchen with an old toothbrush, you will understand the appeal immediately.
Without the grid of tiles or the grain of wood to distract the eye, a room feels suddenly expansive. The absence of joints enhances spatial continuity — a principle interior designers increasingly value in compact urban apartments.
Here in Bangladesh, the trend hasn't quite exploded yet, but it is quietly gaining ground. Rofiqul Islam from Falcon Solution, a company that typically handles large-scale industrial projects, admits that the transition to residential work is a balancing act.
While the heavy-duty industrial work has been their bread and butter for years — and remains the more profitable side of the business — they are beginning to cater to homeowners. "Recently we have started doing houses as well, though these are still not quite as profitable for us. But we can do whatever the customer demands, provided it aligns with us."
On the other end of the spectrum are smaller contractors offering cost-effective solutions. By pasting intricate wallpapers or printed graphics and sealing them with a clear epoxy topcoat, they achieve the illusion of a fully poured decorative floor at a fraction of the cost.
Jamal, an independent provider, sees this as the future. "I take orders for homes and give them services according to their preferences," he says. "Whether it is wallpaper or a filled colour floor, I can work depending on what the customer wants. It gives a 3D finish, it is waterproof and easy to clean, so it will become a popular choice soon."
Affordability, waterproofing, and low maintenance are strong selling points in a country where flooding and dampness are seasonal realities.
The statement table
If redoing the floors feels drastic, furniture is the natural next step. The resin 'river table' has become something of a modern classic in Bangladesh's boutique carpentry scene.
The concept is simple but striking: two slabs of live-edge wood are separated, and the void is filled with tinted epoxy. The result resembles an aerial view of a river cutting through land.
It works because it merges the raw warmth of timber with the sleek finish of resin. In Dhaka's custom furniture workshops, local hardwoods are often paired with deep azure or smoky charcoal pours. Some clients request botanical inclusions—dried leaves, jute fibers, and even calligraphy fragments embedded within clear resin.
Md Bilal makes circular centre tables with red Mahogany wood and blue resin. Abstract-shaped wood pieces are kept while the gap between them is filled with resin and then the surface is polished when the entire thing dries.
These pieces are undeniably statement-making. The surface is hard, waterproof, and heat-resistant, making it both functional and sculptural. But restraint matters. One river table is a focal point; multiple resin-heavy pieces in the same room can overwhelm the eye.
Art on the wall
Resin has also liberated art from the constraints of canvas. Because it is self-leveling and cures into a high-gloss surface, it creates extraordinary depth. Pigments do not merely sit on top — they suspend within layers.
Bangladeshi artists are experimenting with geode-inspired wall panels, ocean-wave abstractions, and metallic pours that shimmer under directional lighting. The finish catches light differently throughout the day, adding dynamism to otherwise static walls.
However, this medium is demanding. Temperature control, humidity levels, mixing ratios, and curing times must be precise. Bubbles are the enemy. The blowtorch is the weapon. A single miscalculation can cloud the finish or create surface imperfections.
Still, when executed well, the result feels almost liquid — as if the wall itself is still in motion.
Lighting the way
Perhaps the most sophisticated use of resin in Bangladesh is in lighting design.
Because resin can be cast translucent or opaque, designers are embedding natural elements inside pendants and table lamps. Leaves, shells, dried flowers, even industrial fragments become suspended silhouettes.
When illuminated, these inclusions cast layered shadows, creating atmosphere rather than mere brightness. In a market saturated with crystal chandeliers and generic glass fixtures, resin lighting offers something more tactile and contemporary.
The small details
For those unwilling to commit to floors or furniture, smaller resin accessories provide an accessible entry point.
Coasters, trays, jewellery organisers, and serving boards are flourishing in Dhaka's online craft economy. Social media entrepreneurs have turned resin into a micro-industry — producing customised colour swirls, marbled effects, and personalised pieces.
These items are durable, waterproof, and surprisingly resilient — an appealing trait in busy households.
They are also gift-friendly. There is comfort in something that looks delicate but is structurally tough.
Ultimately, the rise of resin in Bangladesh signals a broader shift. The local interior market is maturing. Homeowners are becoming more experimental. Materials once reserved for industrial use are being reinterpreted through a decorative lens.
Whether you invest in a seamless epoxy floor or simply introduce a translucent tray to your coffee table, resin has the power to capture light, bend perception, and transform the atmosphere of a room.
It proves that even the most industrial of materials can, in the right hands, become something rather beautiful.
