Discerning Eye: David Linley
June 2007
The son of Princess Margaret (“My mother has always been a very big influence—taking us to
galleries and museums”), and photographer Lord Snowdon (“My father has always been a creative force”) and grandson of the late Queen Mother (“My grandmother had a very artistic temperament”), David, Viscount Linley, almost seemed destined to end up a bridge between the worlds of vintage and contemporary design. In 1985, he founded the eponymous fine furniture–making company that’s since become known for its artist-designed works and exceptional woodworking. For the second consecutive year, Linley—who recently was named chair of Christie’s London—will display his works at Grosvenor House Arts & Antiques Fair (June 14–20).
DID GROWING UP IN KENSINGTON PALACE’S APT. 1A INFLUENCE YOUR AESTHETIC?
I was raised in a very interesting time, ’60s and ’70s London. Everyone was throwing out the old. I actually lived in a home that was very modern. My mother, of course, still had all the classical things that she inherited, but we weren’t stuck in the 18th century, surrounded by golden chairs. I could always walk into my father’s study, which was completely contemporary—all black and white and red.
HOW DID YOU END UP A CABINETMAKER?
I found myself obsessed with marquetry techniques and beautiful pieces that were also engineered for functionality. I trained under John Makepeace—I still collect his work. I also had a wonderful opportunity to work with Wendell Castle.YOUR MOZART-INSPIRED BUREAU WAS THE TALK OF 2006. WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?
We’ll be exhibiting the Finsbury Desk, an oval-shaped piece, inspired by the historic Finsbury 
Conservation area in London. It’s made of walnut, sycamore, ebony and lacewood, with beautiful marquetry and hidden compartments. And we’ll also show the Mavis Box, a jewelry box that’s a replica of the first Palladian house in Scotland, with compartments tucked into the roof.
DO YOU AND YOUR WIFE, SERENA, COLLECT?
Yes. We frequent the fairs and galleries. In my heart, I’m very much a modernist, but my taste became one taste when we were married [laughing]. I like to buy drawings and watercolors by living artists, and works by my sister [Lady Sarah Chatto] and her husband [Daniel Chatto], who’s also an artist. I also have paintings by Marianne Zeller, a landscape by Alexander Mackenzie [1923–2002] and a figurative work by Umarov Bakhtiyor [b. 1963], an Uzbek painter. Not very expensive pieces, but well-done. I’ve bought a few things from the Rebecca Hossack Gallery [London]. I admire the clean lines of work by Ron Arad and Marc Newson.
IS YOUR LONDON FLAT COMPLETELY
CONTEMPORARY?
No, I’ve always liked an amalgam of the old and the new. I have charcoal drawings by my great-uncle, Oliver Messel, and some furniture he designed, as well as a couple of Picasso drawings, my mother’s Sèvres and a set of inlaid George III chairs that were a gift from my father. But I do have Aero lounge chairs, contemporary lighting and Ikea pieces. Right now, with young children [Charles, 8, and Margarita, 5] bouncing around, we have to keep the London house cozy-comfortable. But as the children get older we’ll be able to expand our collecting.
DO YOU STILL
COLLECT ANTIQUES?
I collect clocks and have always liked antiques shops. In London, I look for discoveries at Ciancimino, Humphrey Carrasco and Stephen Long Antiques.
AND THE STYLE OF YOUR RESIDENCE IN FRANCE?
It’s also kept simple, done all in local French things—shabby 19th-century chic. It’s rented out to Americans much of the year, so it needs to be fairly durable. They tend to leave the windows open … FOR MORE INFORMATION
►Grosvenor House Arts & Antiques Fair 
Park Lane, London. 011.44.20.7399.8100
www.grosvenor-antiquesfair.co.uk
►Linley Mayfair
46 Albemarle Street, London. 011.44.20.7290.1410
►Linley Belgravia
60 Pimlico Road, London. 011.44.20.7730.7300
www.davidlinley.com
COLLECTION NOTES
In March 2005, Christie’s New York officiated the sale of a 1966 laminated African tigerwood cabinet by Wendell Castle for $66,000 (est. $15,000–
$20,000). The following month,
Rago Arts and Auction Center in
Lambertville, N.J., sold a Castle/Steinway & Sons “Dr. Caligari Piano,” 1990, bubinga, mahogany and birds-eye veneer painted in an Abstract Expressionist style for $65,000 (est. $30,000–$50,000).
Ron Arad’s 1993 “This Mortal Coil” black tempered-steel bookshelf sold for $117,600 (est. $50,000–$70,000) at Phillips, de Pury & Company in New York in December 2006. The following month, Arad’s 1992 polished bronze chair “LoopLoop” sold for $102,000 ($134,405) at Christie’s Paris. It was estimated to sell from $30,000–
$40,000 ($39,531–$52,708).
Source: www.artfact.com