A Custom Backgammon Board can add the Perfect designer touch!

It’s not uncommon, particularly when designing a fully-custom piece, that the customer will furnish us with “inspiration” in the form of paint chips, fabric swatches and even photos of where the piece will reside in their home.  And, this is particularly true of the #LuxuryInteriorDesign trade who is well practiced using these tools in their work. Aside from being incredibly helpful it’s exciting for us to play this important a role when helping with #highendinteriors.

A backgammon board or table (we also create chess boards and tables) has a lot of interesting qualities that drive us – to be sure – in what we do every day.  If it’s not the oldest game in history it’s one of them, having been played for over 5,000 years. 

Because we ask the question an uncomfortable amount “do you play…” we hear the answer, most commonly, “I used to” or “I played with my Mom (Dad, Uncle, etc.)”. It takes on the heirloom moniker, to be sure.  The game invokes fond memories and often we are asked to create a piece for a #Gameroom, a #Billiardsroom addition or, in some cases a #luxurymancave .  Legacy Boards  brings several other aspects to a custom project that could be an #interiordesigners’ dream date

• Each of our pieces is one of-a-kind bringing a completely unique quality to your project and to your customer’s home.

• We create playable works of art!  Our boards and tables are in several art galleries yet are designed for tournament play, a grueling standard for furniture let alone “Art”. 

• Each piece is completely hand-made and, where possible, we deliver and “install” our work

• A backgammon board is an explosion of color:

  • Points – the triangles – and the playing surface are three, often contrasting, colors\

  • Checkers – at least two colors

  • Dice – we have a lot of fun picking our dice

  • Doubling cube – aside from making custom doublers, we source a vast range of colors

  • We use live-edge wood – the cross section of a tree – and carefully select each piece for its unique qualities. We are the only people on the planet doing this!

Each of these elements is fully customizable and enable us to engage a vast array of possibilities for any #architecturaldesign and for almost any #customdesign.

We love working with Interior Designers for their professionalism and for their unique style challenge. And, we find ourselves in wonderful company and among some incredible crafts people like #AlexandraLlewellyn and the folks at #Hectorsaxe, among others. We create our works completely domestically (we live and source our stuff in North Carolina and up and down the East Coast) and we can be incredibly nimble in our design and our timelines!

Reach out to us! We’d love to play a role in any project and we’re really easy to work with!!! Let us help you with your next #awardwinningdesign!

wanna Play a little more…?

Image from a typical nightly gathering when hanging out with Remy Davenport who runs the NYC Backgammon Club (nycbackgammon).

Just this past week, Legacy Boards was delighted to play a role in the 12th Annual Texas Backgammon Championship in San Antonio, TX, and held at the Gunter Hotel.  Put on by Tara Mendacino and Bill Riles, this tournament is as well run and well broadcast as any in the US and draws some of the top players in the World for countless draws including the ABT and the BMAB both followed by the main draws. 

I found the BMAB fascinating.  The BMAB (the Backgammon Masters Accreditation Body) feeds a season-long points competition organized by the U.S. Backgammon Federation (USBGF). Players earn points by placing in various sanctioned tournaments across the United States throughout the calendar year.  Two players can win this draw, one for the number of games won, the second for the PR (Personal Rating) which scores each of a player’s moves throughout a match relative to what is considered the ideal move given the dice at that moment.  I play somewhere between a 9 and a 40 PR depending upon the music playing, the news on the radio, the time for the oven going off or depending upon how bad a player I am.  Michihito Kagayama won with a PR, throughout 15 matches (+/-) of 7 point – or game – matches with a PR of 2.93.  Unimaginable!

The second, the ABT is a series of events throughout the year that have strict requirements including the number of games in each match, that each match is transcribed, among others.  The ABT is considered the gold standard for match play in the US.  Lots of requirements that need following.

The Gunter Hotel is a cool property having gone through a significant renovation in the last couple of years.  The oldest hotel in San Antonio, it has a fascinating history including having housed the Delta Blues Legend Robert Johnson for a recording session that took place in November 1936, when producer Don Law converted room #414 into a temporary studio. Johnson recorded some of his most iconic tracks there, including "Sweet Home Chicago" and "I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom." 

The Gunter housed Gary Cooper during the filming of one of the great westerns, Wings, the first film to win a Best Film Academy award.  The Gunter housed the Military in 1909 in the Vance House. Clearly, one of the most notable sights in San Antonio next to The Alamo.  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Gunter Hotel was opened in 1909, but its history goes back much further. The Gunter’s location was initially a stage coach stop called the Frontier Inn, which opened In 1837 following the Battle of the Alamo.  Will Rogers, Max and Buddy Baer, and Mae West were guests. John Wayne stayed at the Gunter while filming “The Alamo.” When Harry S. Truman was president, he stayed in the 12th floor presidential suite. Fascinating historical photos and memorabilia are on display at the hotel’s Gunter Museum.

The Ace Point Team consisting of some of the hardest working people in the business including Remy Davenport, Jesper Carlsson,   Kaitlin, Jeff Proctor Jason Granstedt and others was exceptional and kept things running smoothly throughout.

We attended, the first time my wife Kerri and I have been to a tournament, together, and had a blast in particular because we had a sponsorship role and weren’t playing in any draws (which may change moving ahead).  This gave us a great chance to watch matches, watch the streaming commentary with Justin Nowell and Tobias Hellwag (both offer tremendous commentary – both insightful and entertaining for beginners and advanced players) and to explore San Antonio, too.  Fun City!

I was surprised by the turnout. Great representation by top-rated pl ayers from around the world as well as a great field of players of all levels which rounded out the lower draws, too. Backgammon Clubs were also really well represented. We saw Candace Mayeron and Frank Talbot from @gammonassociateswest…where was my buddy Alex Eshaghian from https://www.youtube.com/@AlexEshaghianBackgammon? Well somebody’s gotta hold down the fort!. We got to meet Ximena and David Sharpe from the @panther_city_backgammon Club. We spent some time with some folks from the Charlotte, NC, club, from Chicago’s club along with Rory Pasgar who runs Chicago’s club and the Chicago Tournament. Rich Munitz who, not only was inducted to the Backgammon Hall of Fame but also was very involved in the New York Metropolitan tournament. Of course, no event is complete without Remy who was recently elected to the board of the USBGF as well as running the NYC Backgammon Club which is on a tear! Check these clubs out. Not only was this a fun event but a great chance to meet folks.

If you are interested in playing backgammon more than once in a while, at family gatherings, etc., look up a local club.  One way to find a local backgammon club is through the USBGF (.org).  They are springing up all over. You will be surprised that there’s probably one in your town, if not close by.  This will get you exposure to the social element, it will expose you to a higher level of the game than you’re accustomed to and the club will be more familiar with the tournament realm.  It’s pretty fascinating the network that exists and that is growing here in the US.

As for the tournament it was both very well run and very informative.  The level of play is stunning from players like Michihito Kagayama “Michy”(bgmichy.com, @michy_kageyama), Petko Kastadinov, Matt Cohen Geyer “MCG”, Rich Munitz (just inducted to the Hall of Fame)Frank Frigo (@franklfrigo and frankfrigo.com), Steve Sax(@stevesax83), Alberto Shuwaki, Gerry Tansey, Neil Kazaross, Irina Litzenberger, Victor Ashkenazi (@vabackgammon), Kit Woolsey, Ray Fogerland, Karen Davis, Candace Mayeron (who runs the California Tournament Heather, Leslie Lockett, Olivia Upbin, Jeanette Powers, Sarah Upbin and others.  Lots to watch and lots to learn!

Florence…the world’s leather capital

Kerri and I recently took a trip on the Mediterranean and Tuscany.  What an amazing and beautiful country.  Starting in Tuscany and Florence, we toured more cathedrals and castles than one can imagine.  We went on to two Medieval and Renaissance villages, Sienna and San Gimignano.  I encourage visiting these towns if given the chance.

Florence, the worldwide source for beautiful leather and it doesn’t disappoint.  One of the cool experiences was to tour the Piazza Del Duomo is also a must see and you really can’t go to Florence with seeing Piazzale Michelangelo and the Ponto Vecchio as well as the Palazzo Vecchio, each of which you’ll recognize.  The Statue of David – another highly recognizable statue – is beautifully represented in Florence and Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome. 

Ponto Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo and The Piazza Del Duomo, Florence

Something I knew nothing about, this is a really cool nuance of the Duomo that was designed and built 124 years following the construction of the cathedral.  The reason it took so long was due to the size of the church – a mandate of the Medici family striving to create the largest cathedral in Italy for political reasons.  No architect wanted to attempt to construct a dome on such a large span, for obvious reasons.  Brunelleschi was tapped and came up with the idea.   Doing the impossible, Brunelleschi created the largest dome ever created without flying buttresses…or scaffolding…or internal supports.  Amazing!

We got an extra treat after all this sight seeing.  Michelangelo 1960 is a leather shop on the Piazza Del Duomo that anyone visiting Florence should visit.  Be careful, this stuff is stunning, clothing, wallets, bags, books/booklets, etc., handbags.  During our visit, we actually went into the workshop and got a great demo.

Michelangelo 1960, Piazza di Santa Croce, 8, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy and our new friend Raffalele De Dominicis

Looking around the store we recognized some machinery and tools from things we use. Come to learn, Raffaele De Dominicis, one of the leather craftsmen in the establishment (40 years at this task) is also a bookbinder.  For those that don’t know, bookbinding is a unique and a uniquely challenging trade.  So, for us, watching someone skilled beyond anything we’ll ever need was a tremendous learning experience.

Bookbinding is a science that relies on great skill and knowledge of leather and how to work it.  There is little to no room for error particularly when dealing with books that have value to their owners or, more so, that have value in the collectors’ market which Raffaele serves.

In addition to leather bound journals and passport holders and wallets, jackets and other leather garments, Michelangelo 1960 offers bespoke (a word I dislike, it’s overused, except here) handbags.  Pictured below, they create 10 per year of these handbags.  Each bag is put together without glue or stitching. They are created purely by working the leather so it conforms to itself and as you can see every exposed aspect of these items is beautifully crafted.  Again, be careful entering this shop…it’s hard not to fall in love. 

Legacy Boards Backgammon crafts backgammon and chess boards and tables using live-edge wood and we hand make leather playing surfaces and our #highendfurniture products are used in #gamerooms, #gameroomdesign, #mancave s and #billiardsroom s.  Each board comprising at least 54 separate cuts of leather hand crafted together to create our one of a kind boards that can be found in #highendinteriors and by numerous #interiordesignfirms.  Chess boards create a similar but additional challenge. Because our leather is inlaid and, in our original chess boards wood subs for leather (we have created leather chess boards) and precision is critical.  The 64 separate squares making up a chess board  must be exactly the same size.  If a square is cut         1/64” large or small it can be 1/8”  off on each end.  Beautiful and very exacting work.

For us to see and watch a craftsperson like our new friend Raffaele do his magic and be able to pick his thoughts is a remarkable opportunity and we loved it.

#luxuryhome #luxurylifestyle #interiordesign #homedecor #mancave #dreamhome #luxurydesign #customfurniture #highendfurniture #luxuryliving #homeentertainment #billiardsroom #gameroom #gameroomdesign #luxurymancave #luxurydesign #highendinteriors #luxuryinteriors #customdesign #architecturaldesign #interiordesignfirm #designersofinstagram #PatinaPost #luxuryGoods $ExoticLeather #leatherCraftsmanship #SaddleStitch #bespoKeLeather #QuietLuxury

Blog Post Title Four

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