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.
Our client is obsessed with skiing and spends much time skiing in the Swiss Alps. This board for his chalet in Switzerland is inspired by the Matterhorn.
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.
This bespoke marquetry backgammon board captures the journeys taken by The Last Drop Distillers to hunt out its rare spirits. Also incorporating personal elements including the founders silhouette’s toasting a
drink, an automatic whiskey pouring machine invented by the founders and their favourite
traditional glass decanter.
Celebrating the world of tweed, British craftsmanship and the British countryside, the board bring to life archived printed grey tweed designed by one of Hollywood’s greatest and most debonaire film stars, Gregory Peck printed on rich burgundy leather.
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 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. Inlaid with hundreds of miniature stars, the Celestial humidor interprets the sky at night in atmospheric wood marquetry.
Each box captures the essence of the client’s story and is interpreted through intricate sustainable wood marquetry. The Butterfly jewellery box showcasing the stunning art of wood inlay, a vibrant jungle scene of the Watches Box or bringing the joy of play to vibrant life with our double playing cards box.
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.
A 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. The second bespoke marquetry poker set commemorates a watch brand.
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, sourcing trade pieces, collecting antique pieces or making something truly unique. 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:
