Marque of Excellence

In an age of instant gratification, David Linley is a craftsman to whom time means little.

The entrepreneur grandson of Queen Elizabeth, Viscount Linley specialises in beautifully handcrafted bespoke furniture and desk items that could take months to complete. He operates out of chic London addresses in Belgravia and Mayfair, a testimony to success of a business that is regarded as one of the premier luxury furniture brands.

'What I am trying to do here is blend cabinet-makers with designers in a retail environment,' he says. He is making a traditional craft relevant to the modern consumer.

He sought out the best designers to make his furniture: chair-makers, cabinet-makers and a lady who creates remarkably fine marquetry - skills that are in danger of dying out, but Linley is determined to ensure they all have a future.

'What is so thrilling about today is that there is an appetite for excellence in a mass-manufactured world,' he says. 'It is about the use of materials, building things to last and crafting something that you can pass on to your children that will become part of our heritage.'

A Linley piece is instantly recognisable: his famous humidors, for example, are rooted in neo-classical design, featuring intricately inlaid wood motifs or pictures and an exciting and unusual mix of woods and materials. He has almost single-handedly revived and updated the use of marquetry (inlaid wood veneers), which he likens to painting with wood.