The built-in side storage is what makes this genuinely display-worthy rather than just a game that happens to be wooden.

When all the pieces are housed in their compartments the board presents as a clean, complete object rather than a game with loose pieces that need gathering and storing elsewhere. That is the difference between something that lives on your coffee table and something that lives in a cupboard, which is a much bigger distinction than it sounds.

The recessed grid does the same job in a different way. It keeps the playing pieces in position without walls or barriers, giving the board a minimal, elegant profile that a raised-grid alternative simply cannot manage. Nothing sticks up, so it reads as a wooden object rather than as equipment.

Then the game itself. Tic tac toe requires no explanation and no learning curve. It is the game everyone already knows, which makes it the one that actually gets picked up by guests of any age rather than admired and left alone.

Handcrafted in solid wood with hand-finished pieces in contrasting tones. It improves a room rather than cluttering it.

• Built-in side storage, so the board always looks complete rather than mid-game
• Recessed grid with no raised walls, giving a minimal profile that suits a styled surface
• Solid wood, hand finished, with contrasting ball pieces
• Everyone already knows the rules, so it gets played rather than admired
• 30 x 21.5cm, the right scale for a coffee table or a bookshelf
• Only 4cm tall, so it never blocks a sightline across a room
• Genuinely good gifting, which very few decorative objects are
• Works in a holiday let, where guests need something to do and nothing to lose

On a coffee table. Place it slightly off centre rather than dead middle, with a low bowl or a tray nearby. Dead centre reads as a set-up rather than a home.

On a bookshelf. Stand it on edge or lay it flat on top of a short stack of books. Either works, and the second gives you the height variation a shelf needs.

Give it room to be played. Two people need to reach it, so leave clear space around rather than surrounding it with candles and vases.

Store the pieces in the compartments when it is not being played, and the board reads as a considered wooden object. Leave them scattered across the grid and it reads as clutter. The compartments exist for exactly this reason.

Wood and geometry want something rounded nearby. A low bowl from bowls and dishes, or a small vessel with foliage, stops a coffee table looking too rectilinear.

A game board inside a larger tray gives the whole arrangement a border and makes it easy to lift the lot when you need the table for something else.

Two or three books laid flat with the board on top gives you height variation and makes a small object read as deliberate rather than left there.

Warm wood tones sit with almost anything, but they look best against natural textures rather than glass and chrome. Linen, ceramic, rattan and stone.

Solid wood board. Hand finished, with the grain visible rather than painted over. On an object this small the quality of the timber and the finish is the whole product.

Recessed grid. Cut into the surface rather than built up from it, which is a more considered piece of making and gives the board its clean profile.

Contrasting ball pieces. Hand-finished wooden balls in two tones, smooth to handle. Part of why the game gets picked up.

Side storage compartments. Built into the board itself rather than supplied as a separate bag or box, which is the detail that keeps everything together over years.

Because this is real timber and hand finished, grain and tone vary slightly from board to board.

Everyday care. Dust with a soft dry cloth. Wipe spills promptly, and use a coaster if drinks are sharing the table, since timber marks.

Keep it dry. Never soak the board or the pieces, and avoid cleaning sprays, which will dull a hand-applied finish.

Small parts. The playing pieces are small wooden balls and are not suitable for children under three, or for anyone who might put them in their mouth. Adult supervision for younger children, and store the pieces in the compartments between games.

Pets. Worth knowing if you have a dog that picks things up. The compartments keep the pieces contained, but a board left out mid-game is an invitation.

Placement. Interior use, out of prolonged direct sunlight, which will lighten timber unevenly over time.

Your board is checked and packed before it leaves us and ships in 5 to 7 days. Full details on our delivery page.

If it is not right, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Buying as a gift, or kitting out a holiday let? Get in touch via our contact page or live chat, and ask about trade accounts if you need several.