Consider it the ultimate royal seal of approval: When the young LINLEY founder, David Linley (b. 1961), made a decorative box as a teenager — a project he’d crafted at Bedales School that impressed his teacher — it was proudly passed around as a cigar box at parties by the Queen Mother. Of course, the royal treatment makes a bit more sense when you consider that the Queen was simply grandmother to Linley, formally David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, second earl of Snowdon, son of Princess Margaret and photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones.
Born in London, Linley was creative from an early age — a characteristic eagerly encouraged at home with his parents and at Kensington Palace with the extended family. After completing his studies in carpentry and design at Parnham House in 1982, Linley set up his first studio. Within three years he had moved to King’s Road in Chelsea and, with his friend painter and designer Matthew Rice, officially cofounded LINLEY, a source for luxury furniture and accessories and bespoke carpentry and millwork.
The brand was a quick success. When Linley presented its first line at Christie’s in 1985 — a collection of furniture and more called “Venetian,” which was inspired by the Italian city’s grandiose Gothic architecture — the entire lot sold out on the day of its presentation. Besides Linley the brand being a commercial success, Linley the founder was somewhat of a marvel: At the time, the designer was the first of the royal family to undertake any sort of vocational work, let alone establish their own brand.
LINLEY has become known over the years for its fine craftsmanship, detailed marquetry and inlay and use of rare and exquisite woods. Its case pieces, seating, other furnishings and decorative objects owe consistently to traditional methods and conventions as often as they do clean modernity. The designer has long looked to Chippendale furniture as well as other styles that gained prominence during the 18th century as much as he has toward the future.
Now, in addition to its furniture, accessories and custom millwork, LINLEY operates an interior design business, outfitting homes (and a few cars and yachts) in the brand’s singularly chic style. And while its output is marked by style, craftsmanship still comes first: “I’m a maker, not a designer,” the earl once proclaimed.
Find a collection of LINLEY furniture on 1stDibs.
Cigar Box
By Giordano Viganò
Located in Milan, IT
This elegant cigar box in ebony Macassar wood, with its distinctive dark brown stripes, is decorated with horn accents around its perimeter. The lid is linke...
Ebony, Animal Skin, Wood
Italian Baroque Walnut Box
Located in Essex, MA
Hinged top, decorated overall with incised carving, lock plate and side handles.
Walnut
Italian Gilt Reliquary Box
Located in Dallas, TX
This 18th century Italian gilded reliquary box is made to contain a personal relic or shine. It has brackets for wall mounting. The front of the door has...
Giltwood
$2,701
H 13.78 in W 10.24 in D 11.82 in
19th Century Italian Voting Box Tuscan Confraternity Carved Barrel Ballot Box
Located in Milano, MI
19th century Italian Confraternity Voting Urn of Tuscan origin realized with turned and carved poplar wood. The barrel-shaped central body, in which hands were inserted to insert the ballot ball into one of the two holes connected to the small drawer below, where on the front we find the inscription YES and NO related to voting, SI and NO, in order to distinguish for and against votes on paper, then collected in two separate small drawers, just below. Standing on four curly feet, it has a beautiful curved handle and carved parts at both ends, highlighted by ebonized details. In a fraternity, this ballot box was used to collegially adjudicate community choices. In good age related condition, with sogns of wear and use. This antique Italian ballot wooden box, carved and painted, coming from Tuscany, in Central Italy. This ballot urn is an excellent example of a 19th century wooden voting box...
Poplar
$892Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.89 in W 5.71 in D 5.91 in
Jewelry Boxes or Wooden Box with Key, Restauration Period 19th, France
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Charming jewelry box or case. The box has a compartment for rings and 3 compartments for earrings, necklaces, bracelets, stones. Very interesting opening mechanism with pusher syst...
Wood
Swiss Gold Musical Snuff Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
This special and important Swiss gold music box is chased and engraved with a set of musical instruments surrounded by elaborate swirls of ornate foliage. Embossed with a delightful braided gold design, the two-compartment box features an exquisite oval agate key, which opens a recessed lock in the base of the box. Such a box would have been a prized possession and would have been able to fit neatly into a gentleman’s waistcoat pocket. Ingenious miniature portable devices, musical snuff boxes...
Gold
Antique Jewelry Box Art Deco Period
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful antique Art Deco period jewelry box, styled by Jacques Kreisler, circa early-20th Century, New York, New York. Box is an aubergine ...
Metal
Continental Rosewood Miniature Chest Jewelry Box
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Diminutive rosewood chest of drawers with dark silver mounts. The miniature chest with drawer front with two lower working drawers. The top section lifts to reveal storage. Perfect t...
Rosewood
Mandolin Singing Bird Automaton Music Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional singing bird cylinder music box is a wonder of Austrian mechanical ingenuity. Not only does it play a selection of classical airs with remarkable tone and clarity, but its lush sound is accompanied by a colorful, singing bird automaton...
Satinwood
Antique Austrian Silver Table Snuff Box
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Austrian silver table snuff box; an addition to our ornamental silverware collection. This excepti...
Sterling Silver
Highclere Castle Jewellery Box
By LINLEY London
Located in London, GB
Over the years, British design company Linley has developed expertise in creating scaled versions of famous architectural buildings including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Opera House. In this instance, Highclere Castle...
Maple
Modern Girih Treasure Chest Tall Cabinet in Satinwood Marquetry and Sycamore
By LINLEY London
Located in London, GB
Back in October 2016, on one of his many travels to the Persian Gulf in his role as Honorary Chairman of Christie’s Europe Middle East, Russia and India, David Linley’s fascination with Islamic art and architecture was reignited. A photograph of a vibrant tile mosaic pattern was sent back to the LINLEY studio on Pimlico Road, inspiring the design of the spectacular Girih Treasure Chest. The Girih Treasure Chest explores Islamic pattern through detailed wooden marquetry in brilliant sapphire blue and rich gold tones. Girih is an Islamic decorative art form consisting of geometric lines that create an interlaced framework. As if a precious stone in a delicate claw setting, the chest perches on a simple sycamore frame which is supported by a forged brass metal stretcher. As the center of the design lies an eight-pointed star, taken from a beautiful mosaic tile pattern that caught the eye of LINLEY Founder and Chairman David Linley on a visit to Doha, Qatar back in October 2015. Adorning all façades of the chest, the pattern is created using a specially dyed deep blue ripple sycamore...
Gold Leaf
Malcolm Appleby Shooting Companion
Located in London, GB
The Malcolm Appleby Shooting Companion is a breathtaking collaboration with master engraver, Dr Malcolm Appleby MBE. A striking pairing of Britain's Cr...
Gold Plate, Silver, Brass
Caprea Low Bar
By LINLEY London
Located in London, GB
Limited Edition of 2. The Caprea Low Bar, crafted in dark grey Oak, polished metal, and ripple Sycamore, stands as a testament to design excellence. Its surface showcases a captivati...
Nickel
Savoy Chair
By LINLEY London
Located in London, GB
The Savoy rotating tub chair is handcrafted in our British workshops using traditional methods. Classically made, the chair has hand-tied springs with a sprung cane edge. The foam co...
Velvet, Walnut
Contemporary World Map Center Table in Walnut with High Gloss Finish
By LINLEY London
Located in London, GB
The unique Linley World Map table is hand-crafted by our specialist craftsmen in the UK using over 40 individually selected veneers. The main body of the table is created out of stained Fulbeck walnut in a high gloss finish. The base features elegant nickel stringing. The table’s inlay is a combination of ripple sycamore...
Nickel
