Noel le Bon, Managing Director of Sir William Bentley Billiards, discusses the process of crafting bespoke billiard tables for projects.
Sir William Bentley Billiards are experts in antique billiard resortation and makers of bespoke billiard tables. Founded by Travers Nettleton, and now with Noel le Bon at the helm, the brand has a rich history and a reputation for producing beautiful, high-quality designs.
Sir William Bentley Billiards collaborate with designers and architects on projects across the globe. They focus on offering completely bespoke tables, accessories, and lighting, which are tailored specifically to suit each individual project, and hand-crafted by skilled craftsmen using the finest quality materials.
Here, Managing Director Noel le Bon talks about the finer details of the bespoke billiard-making process and how they approach working on projects.
Where does the conversation start with a client when creating bespoke pieces for a project?
For many, the material choices – such as the timber, its finish, the colour of the cloth, and the metal and leather – are their first point of interest. For others it can be the style, shape, or geometry of the design. The first question I often ask them to focus on is the size of table that will work best in the room or most suit the game they want to play.
Once we’ve established the basic preferences of size, design and timber, there are often deeper conversations to personalise detailed design elements – whether these are features of other table designs being incorporated into the core design, or additional detail that a client or I suggest might work with their interior design concept.
How do you facilitate communication with architects and interior designers to ensure a seamless process?
I’m a big fan of speaking to people – I often prefer to have discussions on the phone or face to face, and use email to confirm details and keep track of conversations. I find that this kind of conversation allows you to think about things ‘together’, and to bounce ideas or suggestions back and forth – often with reference to photos, room plans etc. – and is especially useful in the earlier, more creative phase.
However, I’m happy to work however the client prefers, and many of my collaborations have been entirely through email, with Whatsapp and Instagram increasingly also getting a look in.
Table design and detail can often be agreed by photographic reference, sometimes with rudimentary dimensional sketches, and other times we use a graphic artist to create 3D renders of proposed designs. Material finishes are almost always confirmed by physical samples, which are individually prepared by the workshop team for each client, and tweaked until a client is happy with the result.
How do you manage working globally?
Our tables have been installed across the globe and for many of these clients the process is no different than for our UK clients. As the design and specification process is ‘virtual’ it doesn’t really matter where the client is located.
When it comes to delivery and installation, we prefer to drive the finished pieces to their destination where members of our own team will assemble them. If we can’t drive to the destination, we will construct purpose-built crates for shipping and work with either our own or the client logistics partners to send the table by Sea. Sometimes, we will then fly a fitter out to install, otherwise we supply instructions for local fitters to assemble the table. As with everything we do, it pretty much comes down to client preference.
What do you have coming up for the rest of 2024?
We are currently making a few tables specifically to be exhibited at Decorex in October, and always have some refurbishment, restoration or removal ‘jobs’ scheduled.
We’re also focused on how we continue to do what we’re doing, and hope to have a couple of apprentices starting in September, to learn from the workshop team – nearly all of whom have worked here for longer than I have.
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