Alexandra Llewellyn Geometric Walnut Backgammon Set
€10,835
FREE DELIVERY on all orders over €300 and FREE RETURNS
FREE DELIVERY on all orders over €300 and FREE RETURNS
“I launched the business 14 years ago and I feel it has been a steady resurgence. Games are an antidote to the noise of life, but you also enjoy a very different conversation with someone when playing a game, much like being in a car with someone… it’s somehow more free-flowing. The psychological element is also fascinating, sussing out your opponent and knowing if you are going to win or lose.”
“Yes! I love creating a functional design object, but games are also about creating memories. All my travel boards are specifically designed for play first: we have a board which is incredibly stable, hard walls that you can throw the dice up against, and laser-cut precision dice which are evenly weighted. To my mind, our boards are the smallest size you can play on, but which still allow you to enjoy the game.”
“My perfect games night would be curating a great mixture of people who don’t necessarily know each other. There are always delicious cocktails, sashimi canapés, little eats and, depending on the crowd, Otis Redding or Alt-J for music. And a really considered space that is tasteful and beautiful and creates an atmosphere.”
“They say backgammon is the game for kings and the king of games because it’s the easiest to learn but the hardest to conquer. People spend a lifetime perfecting their play but it’s also an incredibly accessible game. And while you can get incredibly academic about the mathematic probability, remember it’s about having fun. I love the way the dice changes the game at every turn, and that you have to think on so many levels.”
“I believe it’s about the resistance to the speed and superficiality of our time. Board games aren’t only a pastime but a way to slow down and create space for dialogue and connection. Every games session is an experience, much like every artisan piece we create—destined to last and to tell a unique story.”
“Objects passed down through generations are symbols of togetherness. They are timeless, just like Italian artisanal creations. When we craft a game set, we think about how it will be admired and used by future generations, keeping the connection between past and present alive.”
“Conviviality is the soul of a games night. Add a good glass of sparkling wine, accompanied by Ligurian flavors such as Taggiasca olives and slices of freshly baked focaccia. And music is a must—from Ennio Morricone to Ludovico Einaudi—to accompany the evening’s rhythm with an artistic touch.”
“The secret to enjoy rummikub is to approach it as an exercise in patience and precision. There is no need to rush: observe, analyze and act at the right moment. Its growing popularity lies in its blend of challenge and light-heartedness.”
“Covid did allow families to connect more, but I also think that previously in design, games were never a category that were very considered; they were something relegated to the basement. There’s been a movement of reinterpreting games tables and ensuring they are a protagonist in the house rather than something which is hidden away.”
“As well as being functional, our boards are also pieces of art. They’re numbered so we think of them as collectibles: there’s a longevity and you want to pass them on. A true mahjong player wants 3D symbols so they can read the tiles by touch without revealing their hand. Our tiles are engraved with a graphic design team in Hong Kong.”
Aperol spritz (anything heavier and it could be harder to concentrate!) and salami. Also, good wine and cheese. And a light room ambience—it’s the opposite of what you would want for a poker night.
“Absolutely! There is something so special about playing backgammon with your grandfather, and then 50 years later playing it with your grandchild. That’s quite a few generations connected on the same board. Conversations are captured in the board and pieces which years later are brought back to life.
It’s definitely something I think about when I create one. I interview my clients and try and put their energy and interests into the creation, so it’s really bespoke. Highly considered boards are a joy to play on: the slide on the board, the noise as you bring the checker down to hit the side of the wood.”
“Friends, a rib of beef, local beers and Billy Paul’s track Only The Strong Survive.”
“Anyone can beat anyone, so don’t think that because someone is a better player you can’t beat them. My seven-year-old son once beat a Grand Master, and at 16-0 too—he thrashed him. Also, you have got to believe in the dice. Don’t just throw them thinking ‘I’m going to roll these die and some numbers will just come out’—you’ve got to want those numbers, to will them out.”
Guy Haslam, Founder of Bone Club
“During the pandemic, people became couch potatoes more than ever before and watched Netflix until they were sated… so playing games, well it’s about having a good connection with other people. Our dominoes set is usually played by three or four people. We’ve made it in this great leather bag; the pieces are made from brass tubes and are very light.”
“I think so. We try to make things that are such great quality that they can be passed down. I met a collector recently who said so many of the families he knows in Vienna have our games and have been enjoying them for a long time.”
“Ha, I think dominoes is due to luck and what tiles you have… so be lucky, there’s less strategy involved.”
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