A wall chess set is not something you pick off a shelf. It lives on the wall. It defines a corner of a room. It is there every day, whether anyone plays or not. That is why the decision deserves a bit more thought than a standard online purchase.
How to Design Your Own Wall Chess Set — A Step-by-Step Guide to the ChessboArt Configurator
This guide walks through the ChessboArt Wall Chess Configurator step by step. You will see what each decision involves, why it matters, and how the choices fit together into a finished, made-to-order set.
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What the Configurator Is
ChessboArt is a small workshop, not a warehouse. Every set is made to order, by hand, after you place your order. The configurator exists because a wall chess set involves several real decisions — which board, which pieces if any, and whether to add a personal engraving — and it helps to work through them clearly before committing.
It is not a visual renderer. It will not show you a 3D preview of your wall. What it does is guide you through three steps, build the order from your choices, and show the running total at the bottom of the screen the whole time. No surprises at checkout.
Made to order. Every ChessboArt wall chess set is built after your order is confirmed. Current lead time is approximately 6 weeks. This is shown clearly on every product card inside the configurator before you add anything to cart.
How to Find It
The configurator is accessible from the main navigation under Shop → Vertical Chess → Wall Chess Configurator. You can also go directly to chessboart.com/pages/build-your-wall-chess-set.
Step 1 — Choose Your Board
The board is the starting point. Size, material, and visual character all come from this choice. Everything else — pieces, engraving, placement on the wall — is built around it.
The current boards in the configurator:
- ChessboArt800 — Premium Walnut and Ash. A deep chocolate-brown walnut grain paired with ash. The warmest and most classic option in the range, suited to traditional and eclectic interiors. Available in American Walnut or Ash board variants.
- ChessboINK — Ash Veneer with hand-painted blue fields. High contrast, graphic, and well suited to minimalist or Scandinavian spaces.
- ChessboRN — Ash Veneer in a clean natural finish. The most minimal board in the range, at home in contemporary interiors.
Some boards offer variant options — for example, ChessboArt800 lets you choose between American Walnut and Ash. These appear as buttons directly on the product card. Select the variant that fits your space before moving to Step 2.
A practical note: start with the board that feels right in the room. Some options are warmer and more expressive, others cooler and more architectural. The pieces and finishing can be built around that choice.
Step 2 — Choose Your Pieces (Optional)
Pieces are optional. A wall chess set without pieces is already a strong interior object — a board as wall art. Adding pieces turns it into a fully playable system. The choice depends on how you intend to use the set and what role it plays in the room.
Two options are currently available:
- Solid Wood Magnetic Chess Pieces (€280) — handcrafted from natural hardwoods with a premium wax finish. The pieces attach magnetically to the board and stay in position during play. The premium choice for home interiors and anyone building a lasting object.
- Plywood Magnetic Chess Pieces (€155) — a cleaner, more graphic look with strong impact resistance. Well suited to schools, cafes, active households, or anywhere the set sees frequent use.
You can start with the board alone and add pieces later. The configurator does not require you to select pieces to proceed.
Step 3 — Pick Your Finish (Optional)
Step 3 covers engraving and colour finishing options. Both are optional, but they are the details that move a wall chess set from a premium product into something genuinely personal.
Custom Engraving
Engraving works especially well for gifts, milestone pieces, private dedications, and corporate commissions. You can select any combination of available engraving options. A name, a date, a coordinate — small details that make the object irreplaceable rather than replaceable.
Colour Finishing
Colour finishing options allow you to adjust the visual character of the board to better match a specific interior palette. Useful when the standard finish is close but not quite right for the space, or when the set is being commissioned for a particular room or project.
For gifts: the engraving step is where the set stops being a product and starts being a story. It is consistently one of the most appreciated details by people who receive a ChessboArt set as a gift.
Running Total and Add to Cart
The configurator shows a sticky bar at the bottom of the page at all times. As you move through the steps, it updates with your current selections and the total price. You always know exactly what the set costs before adding anything to cart.
Once you are satisfied with the configuration, click Add to Cart. The board, pieces, and any finishing options are added together as a single order.
Example: ChessboArt800 board + Solid Wood Magnetic Chess Pieces = €1,130, made to order, approximately 6 weeks dispatch.
Languages and Questions
The ChessboArt website and configurator are available in multiple languages. The language switcher is in the top right corner of the page — you can switch at any point during the configuration without losing your selections.
If something in the configurator is unclear — whether due to a translation, a material question, or a specific request — the best way to sort it out is simply to send an email. ChessboArt is a small, personally run workshop, and questions are answered directly by the people who build the sets. There is no ticketing system or automated response queue here.
Who This Is For
The configurator suits anyone who wants to think through the decision before purchasing. In practice that includes:
- Interior designers and architects specifying a wall chess set for a client project and needing to match materials to an existing scheme,
- Gift buyers looking for something considered and personal — the engraving options in Step 3 make the set genuinely irreplaceable,
- Chess players who want a fully playable wall system at home, with magnetic pieces that stay in position,
- Collectors and enthusiasts building a space around chess, where the board is as much about presence and craft as it is about the game,
- Corporate clients commissioning a wall chess set for an office, reception, or hospitality space, where finish and engraving make the piece relevant to the context.
Build your set
Open the configurator, choose your board, and work through the steps at your own pace. The total is always visible and nothing is committed until you add to cart.
Ready to Build Yours?
Board first. Pieces if you want them. Finish if the moment calls for it. Every set ships made to order, built for the wall, built to last. If you have questions before ordering, just write — the workshop is small and the answers are direct.
Custom wall chess sets — made to order, approximately 6 weeks lead time.