In 1985, Mark Boddington, a scion of the famous brewing family, relinquished a life in the beer business because he had a vision of creating furniture unlike anything else. ‘I’m still inspired by that idea today,’ says Mark, ‘and love sharing the making journey with our clients as part of a hugely talented and ever-growing team.’
Over 35 years later, Silverlining is now proud to be recognised as one of Britain’s leading furniture brands, with a 70-strong team of designers, makers and alchemists. From its base in Wrexham, North Wales, Silverlining creates museum-quality furniture for palaces, galleries, corporate headquarters, homes, yachts, and private jets around the world, using only the finest materials, from unusual woods to leather and precious metals. ‘We draw on both traditional and new, innovative techniques to conjure up our extraordinary furniture – we call it “making magic”,’ says Mark.
They have always been international with a loyal following of first- and second-generation clients. It grew substantially in 2020 as locked-down clients became acutely aware of the importance of their surroundings and more focused on their home, office, yacht or aviation projects. Unable to have face-to-face meetings, Silverlining expanded its digital offerings, making video documentaries and films that allowed clients to feel a sense of involvement in its creativity and skill and the overall emotion of luxury.
Last year Silverlining also launched its Provenance Collection. In French provenir means ‘to come from’, which suggests the beginning of something – its origins. ‘We see what we do as the start of a journey, explains Mark. ‘It’s a journey in which our client’s vision becomes real, from the designer’s creative spark via a maker’s craft, to the creation of a legacy.’
Normally, Silverlining promotes its collections via exhibitions but the Provenance Collection was launched on IGTV, allowing a worldwide audience to experience the collection and interact with designers and makers. It contains ten striking examples of ‘making magic’. An example is the rosewood and leather Aztec Apex Credenza, which reflects the striking form of pyramids, dating from the ancient Mesoamerican temples of central America to the contemporary pyramid outside Paris’s Louvre. Another example is the 3,000 plus-year-old bog oak and 24-carat gold Fluid Contours dining table, whose metal etched lines and inlays echo the contours of the rice terraces of Yunnan in China.
Recent collaborations with other talented great British brands included desks designs with Holland & Holland and architectural practice Foster + Partners, and the Cosmic dining table with superyacht designers Reymond Langton Design. The latter has a sculptural bronze base and an astronomy-inspired top, which shows planetary bodies in metallised resin with black mother-of-pearl satellites orbiting the planetary compass.
Whatever the future holds, Silverlining remains focused on creating truly original pieces for its clients. Long after the pandemic becomes a footnote in the history books, it is proud and confident that it will continue for decades to come and that its beautiful, heritage furniture will still be enjoyed by future generations.
