Mark Boddington is the founder and chairman of Silverlining Furniture
Photo: Mark Cocksedge
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“Progressive design has craftsmanship, technology, and ethics at its heart. Remove one of these key elements, and we’re not really moving forward,” says Mark Boddington, founder and chairmand of Silverlining Furniture.
Silverlining Furniture, a leading name in furniture-making, is known across the globe for its compelling vision, remarkable skills, and boundless creativity shared by the 62-strong team.
“Silverlining is a hive of activity, a melting pot of dreams and ideas. Under the roof of our workshop, you will find dozens of creatives – from leather artisans to engineers, research and development specialists to the brightest designers.”
“Clients from all over the world come to our workshop and leave it spellbound. They know that whatever they can imagine, we can make. The possibilities are infinite.”
Boddington’s energy is contagious – although he’s been running Silverlining Furniture for over 35 years, there’s a spark of excitement in his eye at a mention of new ventures.
Silverlining Furniture's Maze Coral - Teak - rise and fall table from the Sea+Shore Collection
“As the business grew over the decades, my role within it started to focus more and more on management – from finances to teams, deadlines to supply chain. Then the Covid pandemic came, and it shook up both me and the business. As we had to quickly pivot our operations, systems, supply chains, and ways of working, I had to ask myself what I want for myself and the business in the years and decades to come.”
“The answer is simple – I want to bring together extraordinary creatives, to work with nature’s abundance, centuries of craftsmanship heritage, and the latest technologies, to create the world’s most exceptional objects. Objects that encase this extraordinary moment in time in which we live. I want to see people grow, think, fail, learn, innovate, test their limits, and together, create.”
To that end, Boddington launched Silverlining Academy of Skills – a paid training and apprenticeship programme, open to people of all ages and from all walks of life, who want a start a design career.
Boddington is pouring his heart into future generations and ethical design too. This autumn sees the launch of Enzo – a new waste and offcut leather accessories brand.
“Whilst delivering bespoke commissions for our international clients, our leather atelier leads started to explore how we can work with the offcuts and waste leathers from these projects and give them a new lease of life. Our craftspeople have completely transformed these materials, with etching, painting, and embossing – each piece done by hand, each unique.” The designs will be available directly to consumers later this year from Enzo’s website.
Research and development are another area that Boddington is focused on. "Our R&D team is working on incredible new finishes and design solutions. A lot of work is done on harnessing materials abundant in nature and turning them into artisan luxury finishes -whether that's cork with its self-healing properties or karuun - a durable plastic alternative made out of rattan.”
Boddington’s head is clearly brimming with ideas and he’s making them happen one by one. “Next on my radar is the opening of our new workshop in 2025 and an on-site gallery in 2027. I like to have my hands full.”
Boddington is shaping Silverlining to expand and grow in the decades to come, setting the gold standard for 21st-century design and craftsmanship.
