Chess Set

Rawstudio’s unique chess set is deceptively simple in its finished beauty. Each set includes a handcrafted stitched leather board and thirty-two precision cut, individually hand polished metal pieces, stowed inside a suede leather pouch and presented in a carbon blue archival box.

The rawstudio chess set is contemporary and minimal in design aesthetic. Laid out, the chess pieces and board are simple and elegant, the two forms in complete and functional harmony. When putting away, the set transforms itself into two batons of interlocking pieces that fit snuggly around the rolled board, an intriguing second puzzle to explore.

Every chess set is crafted in small editions and individually hand finished in rawstudio by designer Nick Rawcliffe.

travel chess set designed by rawstudio made in England

“This is the piece that other designers approach me saying “Man, I wish I’d thought of that!”. I take that as the highest compliment.” – Nick Rawcliffe

Rawstudio chess set shown with half of the leather board rolled, to demonstrate storage

The rawstudio chess set packs away into a leather rolled pouch for storage or travel

The story behind the design

“My uncle Stan taught me how to play chess when I was a nipper. I’ve still got his old set, pieces carved from wood still safe in a broken wooden box. Collectible games, games to talk about, and designs that transform themselves or reveal games within games, this is what made me create a chess set myself.

We use only leather and stainless steel to make this set. There are no chemicals or paints used to make the ‘black’ pieces, we heat them to 500degrees to oxidise the surface to get a deep bronze, sometimes with flecks of deep blue, each firing creates a slightly different hue.

The pure leather boards again are one material. We use the suede and leather side to differentiate the black/white squares.

We have the chess set with us at every show and meeting at the studio, not only is it a talking point but sometimes we convince people to stay and play a game!”

-Nick Rawcliffe

Details

Price£750
DimensionsBoard laid flat: 40 x 40 cm (16″ x 16″)
Boxed: 24 x 5 x 10 cm
Materials Heat treated, hand polished, stainless steel pieces made in England.
Leatherwork crafted in Lancashire.

Finished in our studio by us.
CarePieces can be polished with a soft cloth. Do not use anything abrasive.
Suede can be cleaned with a specialist brush.

Entirely made in England.

Luna Light

The Luna is a striking wall-hanging light, emitting a soft white light glow across it’s mesmerising surface texture.

The Luna light is a perfect geometric circle, made from a spun aluminium frame and a beautiful textured surface made by using a range of our own techniques. LED lighting hidden from view pushes a soft light into the centre of the circle, reflecting off irregularities to reveal the moon’s planetary surface.

Our metal light frames are traditionally spun in the North of England and we handcast each Luna surface to order in our studio. Simple to hang from a single hook, the Luna light is a subtle, yet eye-catching addition to any interior.

Custom surfaces and sizes are also available.

“Subtle, yet eye-catching”

Luna Surface

“Luna’s hidden edge lighting creates the illusion of a hemisphere emerging from the wall, but is actually a flat disc.”

-Nick Rawcliffe

Details

Pricefrom £750. Specifier discount available.
Dimensionsfrom 470mm
Custom sizes available on request.
Materials Box framed or hand spun brushed aluminium frame and
individually textured plaster surface, formulated to order.
InstallationSingle fixing point required (nail or screw) to hang light from rear. Cable and power supply may be hidden in cavity wall.
Light is fully wired and ready to plug in and go straight from the box.
PowerMains power supply included with 3 pin UK plug. Light sources are 12V.
Dimmer not included.
Made in England. Lead time 4-6 weeks.

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Black Luna

The Luna is a striking wall-hanging light, emitting a soft white light glow across it’s mesmerising surface texture.

Black luna is a perfect geometric circle, made from a spun aluminium frame and a beautiful textured surface created from a cast of NASAs topographical luna maps. LED lighting hidden from view pushes a soft light into the centre of the circle, reflecting off irregularities to reveal the moons craters.

Our metal light frames are traditionally spun in the North of England and we handcast each Luna surface to order in our studio. Simple to hang from a single hook, the Luna light is a subtle, yet eye-catching addition to any interior.

Also available in white.

An animated image that shows the on and off states of the Black Moon light

“Black luna lit to reveal the moon’s surface”

The Dark Side of the Moon

This light’s textured surface is cast from a topographic NASA map showing the side of the moon we never see from Earth. (It’s not any darker than the front side).

Hidden edge lighting creates the illusion of a hemisphere emerging from the wall, but it is actually a flat disc.

Close-up showing the texture of the moon

Details

PriceFrom £750. Limited edition of 50
Dimensions47cm diameter casting. boxed in 66cm frame, 5cm deep.
Custom sizes available on request.
Materials cast plaster. wooden box. low voltage light source
InstallationSingle fixing point required (nail or screw) to hang light from ‘invisible’ cord. cable and transformer can be hidden in cavity wall.
Light is fully wired and ready to plug in and go straight from the box.
PowerMains power supply included with 3 pin UK plug. Light sources are 12V.
Dimmer not included.
Made in England. Lead time 4-6 weeks.

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Hoop Light

Thanks to Galileo , these days we assume things that look spherical are spherical. These lights are flat… Say what? Yeah. They’re hoops. Mathematics is the key to this one. The inverse square law of light and the surface angles of a sphere will explain all in x, y and z. You can amaze your friends with that bit of trivia, but you’ll definitely mesmerise yourself looking at these lights.

A Hoop light, placed on a chalk drawing of the Death Star - featured in the film Star Wars - brings life to the image, adding depth and texture to the image.

“They call it the deathstar”

Mesmerising

These lights totally transform a flat, bare wall , bring another dimension to a textured surface or you can prop it in a corner and conjur up the Deathly Hallows….

A Hoop light, placed on a very uneven, broken up wooden floor, adding a dramatic circle of intrigue to a rectangle of black.

A Hoop light, hanging from the side of a marble and wood mantlepiece, it just makes everything look so cool and spooky.

Details

PricePrice from: £450 large size, £295 small size
specifier discount available.
DimensionsLarge size : 94cm diameter, 25mm deep
Small size : 47cm diameter, 25mm deep.
Custom sizes available on request
Materials Hand spun aluminium frame with brushed finish.
Handmade, highly textured paper.
Braided red cable fitted as standard . bespoke options available.
Installationsingle fixing point required (nail or screw) to hang light from ‘invisible’ cord. cable and transformer can be hidden in cavity wall.
light is fully wired and ready to plug in and go straight from the box.
2m red cable to power supply, 1m of cable power supply to plug.
PowerMains power supply included with 3 pin UK plug. Light sources are 12V.
Dimmer not included.
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 4-6 weeks.

Spaceframe Lounger

This lounger is an amalgamation of classics. Based on updated geometries of the Corbusier chaise, using a unique bamboo laminate surface and an uber efficient, stainless steel, spaceframe structure this lounger looks at home anywhere from the deck of your super yacht to your psychiatrist’s office.

Close-up of the head of the Spaceframe lounger, a look at the head cushion, balanced at the top of the lounger with the clever use of a metal pole, that weighs a lot. The cow cushion looks also looks very luxurious...

“Who do you love (I wanna lounge with you)”

A very classy shot of the Spaceframe lounger, showing off the cushions and the criss-crossing lines of the metal spaceframe

Classy Comfort

As a designer obsessed by efficiency, spaceframes fascinate me. Building this commission was a geometric challenge, making the optimum, superlight, almost invisible, floating chassis for an indoor/outdoor lounger.

The surfaces are a unique bamboo laminate , fit for all weathers.
I particularly like the counterweight designed on to the head cushion to allow adjustability.

The beautiful metal pole... sorry counterweight.

Details

Price
Dimensions
Materials
Installation
Care
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 4-6 weeks.

Carbon Chair

When the tide leaves London, spiky black forms emerge all over the river bed, remnants of old landings and docks of the past. The pitched, weathered & burnt textures created over decades and longer give the river its soul.

A close-up of the burnt and bent timbers of the Carbon Chair, you can also see the cowskin cushion

“I swear to you, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one”

The Carbon chair is essentially a unique piece of design art.

If you want the in on the background conversation, here we go…

I had the piece in mind for the home of a client with a tidal river view. I live close to the river and love going down on the medieval beach when the tide is out. There are pitched black posts here and there , remnants of the past life of the capital, long before it became the sterilised, zone1 theme park that it is these days. I wanted to create a piece that would look like it was washed up and somehere in between an organic fossilised lifeform and Elizabethan shipwreck.

I’d been working on some other furniture pieces a while ago , built my own steam bending chamber in my attempt ot understand that ancient skill (I’d recommend any one else to try that . it’s mindblowing how you can briefly plasticise a solid piece of oak).
So the steam bent pieces were still in the workshop , hung in the rafters , each one slightly different in curvature as befitting my novice bending skills. I knew one day they would become useful, and here they were the ideal ribs.

They were fresh sanded pale wood, way too fresh. So I burnt them. It’s a technique used in Japan to protect wood , used on the cladding of houses it seals and protects the wood and keeps bugs out.

To add to the story, It was a ritual burning. The first Hive chair I ever made , back in 2001 had been hanging in my folks’ back garden year round ever since and the northern weather finally had taken its toll. a couple of the ribs had split and it was covered in lichen. So this was fuel for the fire , the ribs of the new Carbon chair created from its ashes, completing the circle nicely.

I sed bent steel for the legs and main structure in the fashion that ancient relics are helped out with technology. I remember being amazed by the Viking longboat in the British museum a few years ago, being of solid VIking stock myself (apparently) , amazed like i was seeing the blue whale in the Natural hIstory museum when I was a 5 year old whippersnapper.

So that’s the epic tale of this chair. To me it totally makes sense but I’m happy if you just like the look of it.

Lounge in the Carbon Chair

Sit majestically in Carbon Throne?

The dark and crispy Carbon chair contrasts strongly against a light background

Details

Price£2500
Dimensions
Materials
Installation
Care
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 4-6 weeks.

Biggie Bench

The Biggie Bench, with its architectural lines and contoured surfaces, is made from the highest grade Baltic Birch plywood and finished with natural Osmo oil.

The Biggie Bench design combines practical simplicity with ergonomic comfort, a strong, light and sculptural piece of furniture for homes and interior spaces.

This bench is part of a collection which includes the Tupac Chair and the Diddy Stool.

Biggie: Contoured Simplicity

Close-up of the cut edges and joins of the Biggie slot chair bench

“Dead right, if the head right, Biggie there e’ry night” -Biggie Smalls

The Biggie chair bench looks beautiful in it's natural wood colour.

The story behind the collection

“After working on a project designing seating for schools, I challenged myself to create a series of seating for rawstudio that would be simple to produce, ergonomically sound and sculptural in feel.

Basically, this is my version of ‘flat pack’! Most flat pack furniture exists in one dimension, three flat planes, giving you some form of an 8bit box which I found really low tech and basic. The seating in this range explores the other dimension, with ergonomic shaping from the cut edges.

We’ve produced this collection since 2007 and it has become a favourite with architects.”

-Nick Rawcliffe

Details

Pricestarting at £1750
Dimensions1120x800x600
Materials baltic birch laminate with Osmo oil natural finish. custom finishes and colours are available
Installationtap in , knock down, simple assembly
Carezero maintenance requirement if used indoors, periodical re-oiling as required if subject to weathering
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 6-8 weeks.

Diddy Stool

The Diddy Stool, with its architectural lines and contoured surfaces, is made from the highest grade Baltic Birch plywood and finished with natural Osmo oil.

The Diddy Stool design combines practical simplicity with ergonomic comfort, a strong, light and sculptural piece of furniture for homes and interior spaces.

This stool is part of a collection which includes the Biggie Bench and the Tupac Chair.

A Diddy stool in the natural light on a hardwood floor, looking fly.

“We can’t be stopped now, cause it’s Bad Boy for life” -Diddy

The story behind the collection

“After working on a project designing seating for schools, I challenged myself to create a series of seating for rawstudio that would be simple to produce, ergonomically sound and sculptural in feel.

Basically, this is my version of ‘flat pack’! Most flat pack furniture exists in one dimension, three flat planes, giving you some form of an 8bit box which I found really low tech and basic. The seating in this range explores the other dimension, with ergonomic shaping from the cut edges.

We’ve produced this collection since 2007 and it has become a favourite with architects.”

-Nick Rawcliffe

A Diddy stool suspended mid-air in a workshop, looking super-fly.

Details

Pricefrom £250
Dimensions365deep x 410high x 490wide
Materials baltic birch laminate with Osmo oil, natural finish . custom finishes and colours are available
Installationtap in , knock down, simple construction
Carezero maintenance requirement if used indoors, periodical re-oiling as required if subject to weathering
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 6-8
weeks.

Tupac Chair

The Tupac Chair, with its architectural lines and contoured surfaces, is made from the highest grade Baltic birch plywood and finished with natural Osmo oil.

The Tupac Chair design combines practical simplicity with ergonomic comfort, a strong, light and sculptural piece of furniture for homes and interior spaces.

This chair is part of a collection which includes the Biggie Bench and the Diddy Stool.

A close-up of the bones of the chair, a lovely curve that cushions your posterior

“Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live
And let’s change the way we treat each other” -Tupac

An example of a constructed and deconstructed Tupac chair

The story behind the collection

“After working on a project designing seating for schools, I challenged myself to create a series of seating for rawstudio that would be simple to produce, ergonomically sound and sculptural in feel.

Basically, this is my version of ‘flat pack’! Most flat pack furniture exists in one dimension, three flat planes, giving you some form of an 8bit box which I found really low tech and basic. The seating in this range explores the other dimension, with ergonomic shaping from the cut edges.

We’ve produced this collection since 2007 and it has become a favourite with architects.”

-Nick Rawcliffe

A close-up of the back

A close-up of the seat

Details

Pricefrom £295
Dimensions490 wide x 800 high x 600 deep
Materials baltic birch laminate with Osmo oil, natural finish . custom finishes and colours are available
Installationtap in , knock down, simple construction
Carezero maintenance requirement if used indoors, periodical re-oiling as required if subject to weathering.
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 6-8 weeks.

Contour Shelf

Undoubtedly the most boring object in furniture is The Shelf:
A flat thing to hold random tat off the floor.

A pair of natural wood coloured contour shelves holding nothing but the air above them, with a framed print hung above them on a grey wall.

“more curves than a Monte Carlo racetrack…”

A pair of white countour shelves affixed to a white wall, holding a small potted plant and some books.

A shelf, A countour shelf

Many people go and get a Billy from the Swedes ‘cos the many shelves look like that anyway.

Dieter Rams nailed it back in the day designing the system still made by Vitsoe today, but still it’s a bit boring if you’re not a huge fan of the FFF Bauhaus-y style.

I went a bit postmodern with the contour shelf. A shelf design that’s interesting enough to display on a wall without putting any stuff on it, for a change.

Details

Price
Dimensions
Materials
Installation
Care
Made in our studio by us. Lead time 4-6 weeks.