Questions & answers
Everything people ask before they commission.
Short, direct answers from Ray Sample on epoxy countertops, river tables, materials, service area, shipping, and cost. If your question isn't here, ask directly.
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Epoxy countertops
What is a custom epoxy countertop?
- A custom epoxy countertop is a kitchen, bathroom, or bar surface built by hand-pouring epoxy resin - either over a hand-selected hardwood slab or as a styled pour such as a marble look or an ocean scene. Every countertop from Beauty In the Wood is poured by Ray Sample with Leggari low-VOC epoxy, finished by hand, and installed personally in homes across Colorado.
Are epoxy countertops durable and heat resistant?
- Yes. The Leggari epoxy systems used on every countertop are heat-resistant up to 500°F, scratch-resistant, low-VOC, and food-safe once cured. Like any premium surface, they last longest with a little care: use trivets under very hot pans, cut on a board, and clean with mild soap and water instead of abrasive pads or harsh solvents.
Are the marble-look countertops real marble?
- No. The cream, black-and-gold, and white marble-look kitchens in the gallery are epoxy, hand-styled to look like marble. Each vein is poured by hand, so no two surfaces are the same, and the finished counter has the durability of epoxy rather than the porosity of natural stone.
Where do you install epoxy countertops?
- Countertops are installed in person across Colorado from the studio in Castle Rock. Regular install areas include Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Lone Tree, Centennial, Aurora, Englewood, Littleton, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Denver, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, and the broader Front Range.
How do I clean and care for an epoxy surface?
- Wipe epoxy countertops and tabletops with a soft cloth, warm water, and mild dish soap. Avoid abrasive scrub pads, bleach, and strong solvents, which can dull the finish over time. Use trivets for very hot cookware and a cutting board for knife work, and the surface will keep its depth and gloss for years.
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River tables, coffee tables, and resin art
What is a river table?
- A river table is a piece of furniture made from two live-edge wood slabs set apart with a channel of tinted or clear epoxy resin running between them, so the resin looks like a river flowing through the wood. Ray builds river dining tables, conference tables, bars, and statement living-room pieces from walnut, maple, and elm, sized to your room.
What kinds of wood do you use?
- Mostly walnut, maple, elm, and cherry, including live-edge, burl, and spalted slabs. Every slab is hand-selected for its grain, figure, and the story it tells, then matched to your room. If you have a species in mind - or a slab of your own - that is part of the first conversation.
Can you match a resin color or embed objects in the pour?
- Yes. Resin color and depth are custom on every piece, matched to your palette - emerald, smoked charcoal, ocean blue, clear, and metallics are all in the gallery. Inclusions such as river stones, driftwood, moss, shells, and sand can be set into the pour to build seafloor scenes, cresting waves, or a creekbed frozen in glass.
Do you ship outside Colorado?
- Yes. River tables, coffee tables, resin wall art, and cutting boards ship nationwide from Castle Rock, Colorado, with white-glove delivery for large furniture. Countertops are the exception: they are installed in person, so countertop work is limited to Colorado.
Do you make smaller pieces like cutting boards or coasters?
- Yes. Resin cutting boards are cut from a single piece of maple, walnut, or cherry, finished with food-safe resin and oils, and signed on the back. Custom monograms, colors, and inclusions are available, and smaller pieces like coasters and accent panels make popular gifts.
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Working with Ray
How much does a custom river table or epoxy countertop cost?
- Every piece is a commission, so pricing comes as a quote after the first conversation rather than from a fixed price list. Cost depends on size, wood species, resin depth and color, inclusions, the base, and whether installation is included. Inquiries range from small gift pieces to full kitchens, so the contact form asks for a budget range - from under $1,000 to $15,000 and up - to help match the piece to your plans.
What does the process look like from first call to finished piece?
- Three steps. First, a conversation about your room, palette, and the slab you have in mind, after which Ray comes back with a plan, a timeline, and a quote. Second, slab selection - the wood is hand-picked and matched to your space. Third, the pour and finish, layer by layer, followed by personal installation for Colorado countertops or nationwide shipping for tables and art.
What is Leggari, and why do you use it?
- Leggari is an epoxy system built for countertops and tabletops. Ray uses it on every pour because it is low-VOC, food-safe once cured, heat- and scratch-resistant, and made to last a generation - the material serious resin artists reach for when a piece has to hold up to daily use.
How do I commission a piece?
- Send an inquiry through the contact form with your project type, location, budget range, timeline, and a description of the space, or call or email the studio directly. Ray replies with questions, a plan, and a quote. Photos of the room and rough dimensions speed everything up.
Commission a piece
Still have a question? Ask me directly.
Send a note with your space, your palette, and your timeline. I'll come back with a plan, a timeline, and a quote.