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.
“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
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
£395
Dimensions
Board 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.
Leather sewn by Stella Soomlais.
Preservation grade box, made by third generation box makers in London.
Finishing in our studio by us.
Care
Pieces can be polished with a soft cloth. Do not use anything abrasive.
Suede can be cleaned with a specialist brush.
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
Price
from £550. Specifier discount available.
Dimensions
three standard sizes
470mm, 770mm and 940mm diameter,
all 25mm deep.
Custom sizes available on request.
Materials
Hand spun brushed aluminium frame and
individually textured plaster surface, formulated to order.
Installation
Single 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.
2m cable to power supply, 1m of cable power supply to plug.
Power
Mains power supply included with 3 pin UK plug. Light sources are 12V.
Dimmer not included.
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.
“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.
Details
Price
£550. Specifier discount available.
Dimensions
47cm diameter, 25mm deep.
Custom sizes available on request.
Materials
Hand spun brushed aluminium frame and
cast plaster surface, finished in black.
Braided red cable fitted as standard. Bespoke options available.
Installation
Single 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.
Power
Mains power supply included with 3 pin UK plug. Light sources are 12V.
Dimmer not included.
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.
“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….
Details
Price
Price from: £450 large size, £295 small size
specifier discount available.
Dimensions
Large 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.
Installation
single 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.
Power
Mains power supply included with 3 pin UK plug. Light sources are 12V.
Dimmer not included.
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.
“Who do you love (I wanna lounge with you)”
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.
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.
“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.
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
“Dead right, if the head right, Biggie there e’ry night” -Biggie Smalls
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
Price
starting at £895
Dimensions
1120x800x600
Materials
baltic birch laminate with Osmo oil natural finish. custom finishes and colours are available
Installation
tap in , knock down, simple assembly
Care
zero maintenance requirement if used indoors, periodical re-oiling as required if subject to weathering
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.
“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
Details
Price
from £175
Dimensions
365deep x 410high x 490wide
Materials
baltic birch laminate with Osmo oil, natural finish . custom finishes and colours are available
Installation
tap in , knock down, simple construction
Care
zero maintenance requirement if used indoors, periodical re-oiling as required if subject to weathering
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.
“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
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
Price
from £275
Dimensions
490 wide x 800 high x 600 deep
Materials
baltic birch laminate with Osmo oil, natural finish . custom finishes and colours are available
Installation
tap in , knock down, simple construction
Care
zero maintenance requirement if used indoors, periodical re-oiling as required if subject to weathering.
Undoubtedly the most boring object in furniture is The Shelf:
A flat thing to hold random tat off the floor.
“more curves than a Monte Carlo racetrack…”
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.
