Features

David Linley

1 Jan 2008 by business traveller

David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, also known as David Linley, the bespoke furniture maker, shared with Margie T Logarta the thrill of heading the renowned auction house Christie’s UK.

YOUR JOB AT CHRISTIE'S TES IN PERFECTLY WITH YOUR CAREER IN DESIGN. (EDITOR'S NOTE: LINLEY ASSUMED THE POST OF CHAIRMAN OF CHRISTIE'S UK IN DECEMBER 2006.)

It couldn't have come at a better time. It’s a fantastic honour, and I’m constantly amazed by the depth and knowledge of all the people I work with. In whatever department (at Christie’s), you meet an expert of enormous intellect. They make me see things in a whole new light.

ARE YOU A COLLECTOR YOURSELF?

My wife used to work in a department specialising in Chinese ceramics, so we do have Chinese ceramics at home. My job takes me to places around the world so I don’t just focus on Asia, but Russia…Dubai, and it’s quite interesting to go into a marketplace and take a souvenir from where you’ve been, to try to bring back a bit of what you’ve experienced.

THAT MUST BE SOME COLLECTION.

It’s very mixed, nothing of great value really. It’s often something that catches my eye. I was in Japan at a restaurant, and I saw these plastic items on a plate. I’ve collected such things for my father as well, quirky things you don’t see in our culture.

GROWING UP IN ALL THOSE GREAT HOUSES MUST HAVE BEEN INSPIRING.

I’ve had inspiration throughout my life. I’ve been very fortunate to have been surrounded by inspiring people, inspiring things, inspiring places. That’s why I love my job at Christie’s – it’s like a river of art going past your eyes every day. There’s always something amazing to see, whether it’s watches or jewellery or classical painting or fantastic jade objects.

YOUR COMPANY, LINLEY, HAS BUILT A REPUTATION ON BESPOKE.

It’s the heartblood of what we do. I started it. I made the first piece of furniture myself. It’s very hard now to deviate from that central core because it’s what we are known for and what people like.

HOW BIG IS LINLEY NOW?

It used to be just me. I got a lesson from a businessperson about delegation. At first, I didn’t understand the concept, but it came home to me when I became the salesman, the delivery driver and the maintenance man. It didn’t work.

Now we are 40 staff and two stores in London and are looking at other parts of the world to open in. But we are really still very small – we’re sort of jewellery in wood as that is the level of quality we are dealing with, and that is what our customers expect.

YOU WERE COMMISSIONED BY CLARIDGE'S TO DO SOME OF THE SUITES.

That project has been going on for a number of years. Having always gone there with my family, it was a very appropriate hotel to align ourselves with. A lot of thought went into the refurbishment. It’s an icon. We had to preserve it and find out how people felt about it.

Bathrooms were one thing people had very strong opinions about, so we left them the way they were and just put in new fixtures. It was really about going back to the decades of elegance.

Having done those rooms, I now get constantly rung up by people asking if I can get them a booking for a birthday or anniversary!

ARE YOU FREQUENTLY CHECKING OUT NEW PLACES TO STAY OR DINE IN?

I do, as my job at Christie’s requires that I spend a lot of time entertaining.

DO YOU AND THE FAMILY HAVE A REGULAR HOLIDAY DESTINATION?

We’ve been invited to come here (Hongkong) for holiday next year, funny enough. When I was growing up, it wasn’t done to travel with one’s children. My sister and I didn’t travel till we were about nine or 10. That’s changing. We’ve taken our children skiing since a lot of their friends go skiing. We have a summer home in Provençe where we spend summers and winters there as well because it’s beautiful.

YOU COME FROM A HIGHLY ARTISTIC FAMILY (EDITOR'S NOTE: LINLEY'S MOTHER, THE LATE PRINCESS MARGARET WAS A GIFTED PERFORMER AND HIS FAMILY ANTONG ARMSTRONG-JONES IS A PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER), DID YOU INHERIT ANY OTHER TALENTS LIKE BEING A MUSICIAN?

My parents would quite categorically tell you that I could not be a musician! My mother was an excellent pianist who played by ear – I wasn’t born with that, although my daughter might be able to. I enjoy singing, let’s put it that way.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST WORK YOU EVER DID?

I was a potter, then a cabinetmaker. That’s why I love ceramics and finding out how things are made.

WHERE ARE YOUR FIRST PIECES NOW?

I gave them away as presents, some to my family, which they still have.

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