Tuesday 25th March

I have just got back after a magical trip to the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. I was won over by the city within a day. I was there to visit Vault Prive, a new boutique who represents my work.

They asked me to create a limited edition bespoke designs, and the pomegranate board was born. The “NAR” will be sold uniquely in Azerbaijan in a limited series of ten boards.

The american black walnut backgammon box is decorated with the burr ash, fumed oak and madrona burr marquetry pomegranate on the lid.

The artwork is hand painted onto walnut and then lacquered to finish. The playing pieces are brass inlaid with mother of pearl and pomegranate seed red glass, the other side is inlaid with a leather disc. The dice are precision cut. The shakers and compartments are lined with leather.

Thursday 27th February

Gaming in Venice - drawings for a games table for a Palazzo in Venice. We worked up options in book matched burr walnut, and also american black walnut.

The backgammon playing surface will be hand painted with the client's favourite sights in Venice, and the playing pieces gold plated brass, inlaid with mother of pearl and murano glass. It will have a lid with an marquetry chess board on one side, and we're sourcing beautiful antique chess pieces.

Wednesday 29th January

This is a recent bespoke backgammon commission as an anniversary present for a client's wife. I love the design and so much thought went into every detail. The playing surface is printed with an aztec design and painted with important dates, their pets and hobbies and her love of knitting - in the form of balls of her favourite coloured woods and knitting needles. We fastiduously made sure that the colours were right. The playing pieces are mother of pearl and turquoise and each is engraved with an important date or person in her life, and the box is inlaid with a horseshoe and date in darker wood.

Wednesday 22nd January

Last week I met with the very talented and inspiring Paul Antonio at his magical workshop. He is a master caligrapher and illustrator. Shelves of ground pigments and minerals in their natural form; quills and brushes and a vast library of calligraphic history. It was  a wonderful lesson in colour, as well as lots of ideas. 

We are going to start sampling Paul's beautiful letting on our bespoke playing pieces for personalised commissions, and also on the boards.

Can't wait to return for the next meeting.

Wednesday 30th October 2013

One of my favourite backgammon designs so far has been this collaboration with Alice Temperley. Alice gave me digital images of prints from past collections and I had so much fun turning them into designs for backgammon boards. The case is laurel burl and the playing pieces are polished brass faced with bright green and orange stones.

We had a magical weekend at her house in somerset with games under the trees with lamas and cider and discussions about what it is to be a British designer. I also brought my Louisa table down for a short film that Jaguar were filming on Alice.

Monday 7th October

A recent bespoke commission for the client's husband's 30th. The artwork documented their life together - trips they made, where they met, their loves and happiest memories. I love creating these pieces that are laced with so much meaning and will be played on for years if not generations to come.

Monday 30th September

A recent commission for the birthday of a client's Chinese mother. I used their own special fabrics to create the women's outfits, and the orchids were very important to her as a sign of good like.

Monday 23rd September