Like a photograph album or leather-bound biography, a bespoke Alexandra Llewellyn game tells a thousand stories, with every element of the unique design imbued with meaning and significance.
Inlaid with hundreds of miniature stars, the Celestial Chess, Backgammon & Draughts Set interprets the sky at night in atmospheric wood marquetry. The limited-edition design was created as an exclusive for The Vault by Robb Report, a new shopping destination offering access to one-of-a-kind products from the finest makers and companies in the luxury sector.
A love letter, crafted in wood marquetry, the client wanted to show her appreciation of her husband through the design, which tells the story of a dedicated sportsman and depicts the actual landscapes he trains in. Captured in one corner, his fleet-footed silhouette is accompanied by a cheetah, representative of his wife wishing him speed.
Created for ‘The Journey of Life’ exhibition at the Michelangelo Foundation, in partnership with Homo Faber, this bespoke marquetry backgammon board was inspired by the hypnotic qualities of Venice’s canals. Combining an ancient technique with a contemporary subject matter, thousands of miniature slivers of wood are arranged to mimic the interplay of light on water.
Full of hidden messages and meanings, this bespoke marquetry backgammon board was inspired by the client’s love of psychic readings. Weaving in a fairy, the entwined lovers from a tarot card and inlaid brass triangles, engraved with the zodiac signs of the client and her family, each of the playing pieces is engraved with a guiding word or mantra.
Commissioned by a client who has a deep love of hippos, this bespoke marquetry backgammon board journeys to sub-Saharan Africa. To complement the colours on the board, the owner chose turquoise and pink agate playing pieces, inspired by her memories of African sunsets, each engraved with the location of a hippo sighting.
Designed to commemorate a specific place and time in the client’s life, her love of Moghul design and romantic memories of the Taj Mahal inspired this opulent wood marquetry backgammon board. Redolent with the colours, flowers and patterns of India, the inlaid tulip and carnation flowers emulate the marble inlay decorating the walls of the Taj Mahal.
A tribute to a client’s beloved garden, this bespoke backgammon board recreates favourite flowers in wood marquetry, paired with the gentle presence of bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. Set against a creamy, warm-toned wood background, the ethereal design is enhanced with white and black mother-of-pearl playing pieces.
To celebrate the opening of Club 1755, a private members’ club on London’s Old Bond Street, Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin commissioned bespoke “Day and Night” tabletop backgammon sets. The “Day” design features pigeons and swans, sunburst inlay inspired by a pocket watch from the brand’s archives and guilloché playing pieces, engraved with the same traditional methods used for watch dials.
This limited-edition set takes the concept of our convertible games tables and translates it into a tabletop format. An exclusive for The Vault by Robb Report, listen to Alexandra as she introduce one of her newest bespoke designs.
Think of anything that comes in a box and we can create it, be it a poker set or humidor. Explore some of our custom designs below.
ALEXANDRA llewellyn
Alexandra hosted a backgammon tournament at the Four Seasons Surf Club hotel in Miami in 2019 and fell in love with its history, architecture and Atlantic Ocean views. Commissioned to create three bespoke humidors for the Club, this custom design sets the scene with flamingos, palm trees and banana plants, capturing the old Miami glamour of relaxing with a cocktail in this legendary oceanfront setting.
Reflecting the sophisticated, tropical ambience of the Surf Club in Miami after dark, another design for a bespoke humidor interprets the view from inside the iconic Surf Club Restaurant. Looking out through the hotel’s carved stone arches to a clear sky, dotted with stars, the laser-etched vents inside the box are inspired by the waves on the Surf Club’s logo.
A bespoke commission for the Hotel Eden Rock St Barths, this one-of-a-kind wood marquetry poker set reflects the glamorous, tropical vibe at this iconic Caribbean hotel. The vintage-inspired design is perfect for a hotel that has played host to many Hollywood stars since it opened in the 1950s.
This bespoke marquetry poker set was created for members of The Ocean Club St Barths to enjoy. Inspired by the quiet beauty of the island after dark, the cloudless, midnight-blue sky is illuminated by stars, with red-billed tropicbirds soaring above the waves and rope entwined around the box, all painstakingly inlaid by hand.
One of Alexandra’s all-time favourite private commissions, this bespoke circular marquetry backgammon set is a celebration of family, love and Africa. Inspired by gin and tonics enjoyed beneath the magnificent night sky, the design weaves in numerous personal references, including the client’s favourite African wildlife, inlaid around the edge of the board.
Playing pieces, cast in solid silver, resemble the cratered surface of the moon.
The central bowl is inlaid with the family’s insignia in blue Madrona Burr wood and the star signs of their children.
We love to find new ways to inject a little piece of the client into a design. Explore some of our creative customisations below.
ALEXANDRA llewellyn
Alexandra encourages clients to share personal effects so that she can form a clear idea of her subject. It might be a photograph or, in this case, a collection of river pebbles, gathered by the client in Aspen and transformed into backgammon playing pieces.
Beyond playing surfaces and boxes, the possibilities of wood marquetry are limited only by your imagination. Recent commissions include inlaid artworks and these wonderful playing pieces in different colourways, with the option to engrave something personal around the edges.
When a client’s horse came first in a prestigious race, Alexandra came up with the perfect way to celebrate the win: take some strands of hair from the victorious horse’s mane and suspend them for eternity in a bespoke backgammon doubling cube.
No detail is overlooked at Alexandra Llewellyn, down to the colours of your playing pieces. These bespoke verdigris and gold lacquered traditional Staunton chess pieces were created for a private client and can be finished in the coloured lacquer of your choice, including silver, rose gold and even gold leaf.
Commission a bespoke jewellery box, decorated with a personalised design in wood marquetry and lined with velvet for the safe storage of your most precious pieces.
Collaborate with Alexandra, our marquetry artist and our master cabinet maker on the ultimate piece of bespoke furniture, inlaid with a design that harmonises with your home.
A beautifully crafted piece of furniture, this private commission flips from backgammon to a checkerboard for chess or draughts. Engraved with the names and dates of birth of the client’s children, the marquetry design captures the thrill of a game of cards, with full hands of Aces inlaid into the blue Madrona Burr backgammon board.
If you are interested in working with Alexandra on a bespoke design, please get in contact with us today. We would be delighted to talk you through the process in greater detail and discuss ideas with you.
Please email any inspiration files to info@alexandrallewellyn.com, call us on +44(0)207 183 1058, WhatsApp us, or use the enquiry form below:
