Member of the Week - Silverlining Furniture
Introducing Mark Boddington, founder, and chairman, Silverlining Furniture
What does your company do and what makes it special?
Silverlining Furniture is renowned for its specialism in combining limitless creativity and expert time-honoured hand craftsmanship techniques with the latest technologies and material innovations, to create furniture pieces that sit at the nexus of collectible design and art.
Whether it’s combining shagreen leather found on Han Dynasty’s swords with carbon fibre composite found in the aerospace industry or sourcing a 227-year-old reindeer hide salvaged from the Metta Catharina that sank off Plymouth in 1786, the Silverlining team tests the limits of what they call “21st-century craftsmanship”.
What led you to your current position?
I started my training in furniture-making with John Makepeace more than 35 years ago and under his mentorship, tirelessly honed my skills. A successful graduate show at which I took £38,000 worth of orders, enabled me to set up my first workshop at the age of 21.
Silverlining is now a 62-strong team of designers, engineers, and craftspeople working on furniture commissions across the globe, for some of the world’s most prominent people.
One of my biggest joys now is introducing young people to the magic of 21st-century craftsmanship and championing our team to continuously test the limits of contemporary furniture making.
Describe a typical working day in your life…
Currently, there are two areas I’m focused on the most. The first one is leading and mentoring the younger management team and empowering our team members to grow in their areas of expertise with access to the most innovative tools, materials, and creative collaborations.
The second project I’m focused on is managing the expansion of our HQ, with a Silverlining Centre of Excellence planned to open in 2024/25. This new HQ would consist of a design studio/museum/visitor centre, our state-of-the-art workshop and Silverlining Academy of Skills where we’d teach superior craftsmanship techniques and champion a new generation of craftspeople, and a visitor centre and café.
Are you currently working on any exciting projects?
The Silverlining Centre of Excellence is one of the most exciting projects I’m currently working on. We also have two very interesting projects at the moment - one is a project where every material and finish used will be audited to be environmentally sustainable and ethically sourced and the other is a project where the furniture is inspired by surrealist art collection with the design morphing from one object to another. Also, together with the design team, we’re currently working on our exterior furniture collection and first edition of collectible pieces of design, due to launch through a gallery in the first half of 2023.
What has been your career highlight so far?
For me the highlight is everyday - like the late Steve Jobs said follow your passion, do what you love - I have been lucky to do this all my career. We are very fortunate to have some of the most talented designers and craftspeople in the world as part of our team - I was extremely proud when we recently won the Queen’s Enterprise Award in both innovation and exportin, in recognition of our contribution to British business. This year we hope to win the sustainability award.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to venture into your area of the luxury property industry?
Hone your skills, stay curious, collaborate and never stop learning. Do one thing well.
What do you love most about the luxury property industry?
The exchange of ideas. Learning from others, discussing innovations, new developments, and concepts, and together testing the limits of what we consider luxury nowadays.
Super prime property rather like the superyacht industry has become a laboratory for innovation in architecture, design, engineering and craft. It so inspiring to see many projects featuring up and coming artists and craftspeople. Many showcasing the work of Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholars that are practising skills that are disappearing.
What does “luxury” mean to you?
For me, luxury is about timeless beauty and authentic storytelling. It’s about connecting to nature, to organic materials, and with skill and imagination, turning them into extraordinary works of art and design for our pioneering clients.
