Domestic Display: The Light Box
-
1/2
A versatile light box can be used for colorful mood lighting, or to put a favorite poster or graphic on display. -
2/2
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by David Pierce; photos by Jeffery Cross
I made my first illuminated display after stumbling across an old sign that showed a beer logo rising and setting over a city skyline. I removed the picture and voilà: a blank box ready for my own art! It’s a great way to create passive light while eliminating one more piece of visual clutter. Use a fluorescent bulb for a cooler look in the bathroom or kitchen. Add a piece of colored paper for a warmer glow or another bulb for added luminescence. I made a 2' x 2' light box here—suitable for wall mounting or as a side table—but you can adjust the measurements to any size that suits your space.
Skill Level
Moderate
Active Time
Weekend
Cost
$$
- 10' x 10" knotty-pine plank, cut into four sections:
- 2 24" x 10"
- 2 22 1/2" x 10"
- 2 10' x 1/2" x 1/2" pieces of square wood trim, cut into
- 12 sections:
- 6 22 1/2"
- 6 21 1/2"
- 1/4" x 22 3/8" x 22 3/8" white Plexiglas sheet
- Optional: white silicone adhesive
- 1/4" x 24" x 24" plywood sheet
- 1 1/2" #8 construction screws
- 1 1/2" 16-gauge finish nails
- 12" under-cabinet fluorescent fixture
Materials
- Saw
- Tape measure
- Hammer
- Power drill with screw bit
- 1 1/8" spade bit
Tools
Assemble the box by nailing in three finish nails to hold each corner of the box together. (The two shorter planks will sit inside the two longer ones.) To make sure the box is square, measure from corner to corner at a diagonal across the box. If both measurements are the same, you’re set; if not, adjust as necessary, then drill three screws into each corner. (Mad respect to my ninth-grade geometry teacher, Mrs. Blaney!)
Take a breather. If it looks like Photo 1, reward yourself with a refreshing beverage.
Nail four trim pieces inside the box, flush with the edge—two longer ones first, and parallel to each other, then two shorter pieces between them (Photo 2).
Slide the two pieces of Plexiglas into place against the trim (Photo 3).
Nail another four pieces of wood trim just like the first four against the back of the Plexiglas, holding it in place. (Try to avoid leaving any gaps, as light will spill through and and you’re no sloppy modernist. If you end up with extra space, use a little white silicone to fill them in.)
Screw in the light fixture, closer to the back of the box (Photo 4). Remember to leave enough room for the last four pieces of wood trim, which will hold the back panel in place.
Using your spade bit, drill a big hole for the cord and slip the plug through it (Photo 5). Consider how and where you will use the box to determine cord placement.
Nail the last four pieces of wood trim flush with the back edge of the box.
Plug it in, sit back, and finish that beverage by the soft glowing light.
Put the plywood backing on the rear of the box and attach it with small finish nails.
