Lightbox
I won’t lie. When I was initially asked to make a lightbox, I had something smaller, fit-on-a-desk-size, in mind. But my client wanted a cabinet that would fit in a specific space in front of a couple comfy chairs. And I’m so glad she did. Her idea was much more fun to work on than mine would’ve been.
This was one of my first projects. At the time, I was helping my dad build kitchen cabinetry for someone else, so I based the design on elements he was using (frame in panel, the feet). He showed me how to draw the design on paper and create a cut list (list of each piece of wood and its dimensions).
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The final piece—red oak from local property, frame in panel, resawn front panels, clear water-based finish.
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Figuring out how to make a soft light was fun. Ended up using frosted glass to help diffuse the light. Interior is covered in aluminum foil to help reflect it.
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Used thin LED strip lights that can be replaced when needed (they should last a long time) and put a switch in back to easily turn the light on and off.
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The final dimensions of the piece were 6’ long x 24” high x 10 1/2” wide. Built to fit within the space between two rooms, across from a couple cozy chairs.
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These three panels are resawn and glued together so they are bookmatched. Where possible, I like to bookmatch pieces in a project.
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Two of the front panels up close. The figure looks like mountaintops to me.
