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The taste for beautiful and refined objects grows from living among them. This combined to a natural talent and a precocious passion for the crafts can be the prologue to a story of excellence. David Linley’s creative ability was nurtured by his parents from an early age, as they encouraged his passion for making things. His father, the eminent photographer Lord Snowdon, was particularly influential having trained as an architect and designed amongst other things the Aviary at London Zoo. David Linley attended Bedales School, whose educational motto is to involve “head, hand and heart”, then trained at the Parnam School for Craftsmen in Wood, founded in the 70s by renowned furniture designer and maker John Makepeace. Having mastered the craft, he set about transforming his passion into a business. When the British design company was established in 1985, David Linley’s aim was clear and absolute: to design and manufacture furniture of the highest quality. In less than 30 years, Linely has become a relevant name in the world of luxury
furnishings, specialising in the design and production of furniture, upholstery, interiors and home accessories: “As we have altered and added to the range of products and services we offer, so too has our client profile changed and developed, but the wonderful thing is that some of my first clients are still some of our best today. Our relationship with our clients is something we work hard on nurturing and we love it when they become part of the process.” Linley clients include a long list of personalities and designers, and the projects extend from exclusive apartments in prestigious residences to luxury hotels, yachts, private jets and corporate offices of multinationals. As David Linley recalls, thirty years ago “people were reluctant to commission
furniture so I had to concentrate on breaking that barrier, that has only recently started to change with many people choosing to have furniture made to their exact requirements rather than buying it ‘off the peg’. Our client base has also broadened significantly with the introduction of the internet; our website is our biggest shop window. We can reach much further than we ever could before.” In the workshop “ideas are born from discussions with clients, day to day observations, architectural inspiration and learning from previous mistakes.” David Linley has used his refined taste and the superlative craftsmanship of his collaborators to create a multitude of objects and designs, and the signature feature of his production is represented by secret drawers and hidden compartments. “One of our newest lines is the ‘little Linley’ collection, with a range of gifts for children. The evolution of this collection was very natural, I realised that children are just as enthralled as adults by secret drawers, the tactility of wood and the way things work.”
MANY CLIENTS PREFER A BESPOKE DESIGN RATHER THAN BUYING
ICONIC MARQUETRY Top, David Linley. Above, a finely inlaid jewellery box in Swiss pear and cherry with grey sycamore, rosewood and ebony inlays inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, based on Richard Morris’ original design of 1902. The box features a secret hiding place for the key. Opposite page, the bureau celebrating the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. There is a miniature silver-plated statue of the composer on the cornice, a marquetry townscape of Salzburg on the front and a marquetry portrait of Mozart inside.
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