When we found this piece of burr oak, it was clear that this should be the key feature for our evolved take on a cooking island. Our vision for the piece began as a series of wonky-edge planks with gaps as cladding. Imagine looking across a field at night and seeing an old barn with gaps between the boards and light peeping through. The mystery of what lies behind and the darkness all around provides a comforting feeling as well as a desire to know more. We tried to capture that quality in this design.

The glass panels behind the burr panels are hand-cast, which blurs the impact of the concealed LED lights and creates a texture like captured water. The natural concrete is the same composition as that used in garden sculpture and incorporates the colour variations and natural imperfections found in the mix.

Leila Ferraby and Johnny Grey worked on this piece. It was made by Chris Thorpe and Adrian King.

Editor’s note: Each day this week, we will be unveiling one of the new designs in our collection, Five Easy Pieces, launched at Decorex interior design trade fair.

When we first started designing the modern cottage collection, we wanted to have each piece of furniture incorporate its own lighting, becoming a light experience itself. The dresser was the most serious attempt to do this. We felt that a modern version of the traditional Welsh dresser could use light to magnify the pleasure and experience of seeing this object.

We were inspired by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey where the walls of the space station glowed, the lighting being concealed in the surface and the effect close to enhanced daylight.

We created a dresser that celebrates light by situating a light box behind the back and the underside of the countertop.  The light dresser glows within the kitchen with the colour and brightness selected by remote control.

Miles Hartwell and Johnny Grey designed this piece with assistance from Leila Ferraby. Nigel Brown, an independent and distinguished cabinet maker made the Light Dresser.