Why old brick and new timber get on so well

An old brick wall is never flat. It has uneven joints, over-fired bricks and a century of stains. Put a perfect finish in front of it and it looks dirty; put timber in front of it and it looks warm.

Two materials that move

Timber and brick both breathe: they take up and release moisture. That is why we never fix them rigidly together. The cabinet stands two centimetres off the wall and is anchored to the floor, so each material can go its own way.

The cabinet doesn't hide the wall: it frames it.

We use oiled oak, never varnished. Over the years it darkens towards the tone of the brick instead of drifting away from it.