LINLEY: Taking Craft to Unparalleled Levels of Excellence, Originality and Beauty

Linley is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book. 

Linley: Great British Brand 2024

‘People commonly associate our brand with exquisite marquetry boxes. However, our company encompasses various facets, including our interior design department that recently completed an impressive house in Holland Park. Additionally, our fitted furniture business extends to kitchens, wine cellars, gun cabinets, boot and gun rooms, cinemas, wardrobes, and more. The scope is limitless – if you can imagine it, we can create it.

Our bespoke design business thrives on challenges. Clients may present us with inspirational ideas, ranging from side tables to bars. Recently, we crafted a remarkable coffee table featuring a hidden humidor, reminiscent of something from a James Bond film.

Retail constitutes a significant portion of our business, offering everything from intricate keyrings to our remarkable £270,000 Tectonic bar. Few companies globally can design for general sale at this level of creative sophistication.

When I joined, the departments operated in isolation, defined by disciplines, but I’ve encouraged collaboration across the entire design spectrum. This cross-disciplinary approach has proven beneficial, for example, allowing furniture designers to understand how interior designers envision a client’s lifestyle, encouraging a more holistic and much broader approach to how we design each piece.

When you think of LINLEY, you think of heritage, craftsmanship, and the human, emotional involvement in a piece. I consider how cars during the Fifties and Sixties were often handcrafted. Designers relied on sketches and models, with emphasis on the human touch and craftsmanship. Today, designers use software to create detailed 3D models, allowing for precision and efficiency. While this can speed up the design process, some argue that it may lack the tactile and artistic qualities associated with handcrafted design. Despite the advancements of AI, I don’t foresee its creative use within our company. AI lacks the ability to capture the nuances of craft that render a piece exquisite and unique, qualities integral to LINLEY’s identity.’

Michael Keech, Creative Director

Five Proudest Moments

1. Launching LINLEY’s Alba collection, Michael Keech’s debut as Creative Director for Masterpiece 2019.
2. Collaborating with artist Jonathan Yeo in 2019 to create an art-led furniture piece, a daybed.
3. Working on a Palladian-style residential project in Yorkshire with Adam Architecture,
   completed in 2022, the largest house built in the UK at the time.
4. Showcasing our Odyssey Kitchen in Harrods, February 2020, the only kitchen display in Harrods to date.
5. Witnessing the team adapt and perform during the pandemic, utilising technology to maintain business operations, launch new collections, and fulfill bespoke commissions.

What I’ve Learnt…

• LINLEY design, though often recognised for a particular style, conceals a deeper and more extensive creative prowess behind the scenes.
• Every client is treated as an individual, and exceeding their expectations brings immense satisfaction.
• Diverse projects thrive on skill, adaptability, and collaborative teamwork.

LINLEY

60 Pimlico Road, London, SW1W 8LP

+44 (0)20 8068 4206

davidlinley.com

@linleylondon