Over the past four decades, Silverlining Furniture has discovered many extraordinary materials. But for Founder Mark Boddington, one material stands apart, treasured not only for its rarity but also for the rich story it tells, dating back to 1786.

That material is salvaged reindeer leather, recovered from the wreck of the Dutch merchant ship Metta Catharina, which sank off the coast of Plymouth, England, in 1786.

This remarkable leather captivates the senses: visually, with its deep claret and brick-red hues; to the touch, with its hand-tooled surface patterns; and by scent, carrying the rich aroma of the original birch tree oil used in its tanning.

So, How Did the Story Begin?

In December 1786, Metta Catharina was transporting a cargo of hemp and reindeer hides from Saint Petersburg, Russia, to Genoa, Italy. While seeking overnight shelter in Plymouth Sound, Cornwall, a violent storm struck. The ship was torn from its anchorage and sank in 30 metres of water. Thankfully, the crew survived.

It wasn’t until October 1973 that divers rediscovered the wreck. Over the following two decades, many of the reindeer hides were salvaged—amazingly preserved thanks to the birch oil tanning process, tight rolling, and years entombed in silt and salt water.

In 2005, Silverlining was fortunate to acquire a very limited quantity of this extraordinary leather.

So how do you decide what piece of furniture is worthy of such a unique material?

An exceptional client posed a special challenge to the Studio: to design a chairman’s desk that would tell a story, one that echoed his deep love of sailing. This same client had previously commissioned chairs to accompany the famous HMS Victory armchair, made using oak from Admiral Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The brief was clear: create a piece inspired by sailing and using a material older than Trafalgar itself.

The final desk design is a striking interpretation of a sailing yacht. Its form consists of two hull-like pedestals, their sweeping convex curves crafted from figured curl walnut and finished in a reflective high-gloss lacquer. The shape visually lightens the piece, like a yacht slicing through the water. Connecting the two ‘hulls’ is a bridge-deck-like writing surface: the outer sections clad in the textured salvaged Russian reindeer leather, and the central panel in smooth coach-hide leather.

Finishing details include storage and pen drawers, adorned with mirror-polished sterling silver and horn handles, bringing both exquisite beauty and functionality.

This commission is a powerful example of how the Studio transforms passion into legacy. The question was: Can my love of the ocean and history inspire a piece of furniture? The answer is unmistakably yes.

A story that began in 1786 now lives on - not just in history books, but in a timeless piece of design that will be treasured for generations to come.

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