Identity Collection

Oct 4

“The 2020s mark the age in which we celebrate identity as a forever evolving and shifting concept, containing the multitude of experiences, ideas, relationships, dreams, and pursuits that make us who we are. Saying no to static definitions, we champion exploration, bravery, and change, with collaboration and curiosity at the heart” says Mark Boddington, founder of Silverlining Furniture.

This concept of identity, as dynamic and perpetually evolving, inspired Silverlining’s new collection of five designs. Each design is a result of the team’s thorough research, rigorous testing, and many hours spent designing, engineering, and crafting unexpected materials, innovatively pushing past any physical limitations, to arrive at extraordinary examples of progressive, high-performance design, never seen in furniture design before.

Flow

Instead of resorting to luxury design tropes, Flow turns them on their head, with cork and its natural high-performance properties, at the heart of the piece. The design tells the story of the Alentejo region of Portugal, famed for its production of natural cork.

Sandblasted and laminated layers of European Douglas fir expose the highly contrasting colours between the early and late growth in the end grain, representing the striated cliffs of the rugged coastline of Alentejo. The subtle contours in the surface of the cork are a nod toward the soft shapes seen in megalithic monuments found in the cork forests of Evora. The off-white finish, contrasting with the natural cork hues, has been achieved through milk paint - based on an ancient homemade paint formula. The paint is sustainable, extremely durable, and non-toxic, and as it does not give off noxious fumes and odours, it's a no-VOC finish.

Shine

The oeuvre of Bauhausian artists Paul Klee and Josef Albers is a primary inspiration behind the design of Shine. It presents an ultra-modern finish, engineered in an unlikely material – rattan. Forget any associations you might have with this humble material - in 2023, it’s superbly engineered into karuun ®– a high-tech, high-performance material, that doesn’t cost the earth, yet provides the most luxurious and durable finish imaginable.

Towards the centre of the design, end-grain karuun ® is back-lit with light diffusing through the natural capillaries of the material. This creates an illusion of varying intensity and depth throughout the design. Surrounding this mesmerising core is a subtle, alternating marquetry pattern in karuun ® stripe veneer, with a tactile, vegan leather section below.

Intersecting the design are two symmetrical inlays in polished stainless steel, running parallel to the smaller inlays of back-lit end-grain karuun ®that radiate out towards the edges.

Ascend

The characteristics soft and flowing yet directional forms of contemporary sculpture, architecture and automotive design, meet in the shape of Ascend. Its outer shell of leather and anodised aluminium – crafted in collaboration with a leading designer Neal Feay – is uniquely formed, graduating in colours and texture. Centrally, ascending layers of English Oak increase in thickness and brighten in colour, adding to the sense of depth and three-dimensionality of the piece. Outlining this sculpted form are fine inlays plated in mirror-polished almond gold.

Slice

This design challenges the perceived limitations of wood with a tour de force of sustainable design in the form of outstanding lamination craftsmanship. Slice’s light, tactile form features texture-patterned end grain contrasting with smooth non-patterned long grain. It is emphasized by the Prussian blue-black iron oxide-stained oak finish, created by a reaction between the natural tannin and iron salts.

As the top surface of the design falls down the sides, the timber’s end grain is highlighted by an intact, subtle end grain pattern – a reminder of the natural origin of the piece. On the underside, the surface is broken with a chip-carved texture. Slice is an authentic expression of modern craftsmanship, one that honours the past in its use of solid native oak yet looks ahead to the future with the latest CNC technology.

Bokeh

What flowers bear a special meaning to you? Their beauty can now be captured in this outstanding design. The flowers of your choice - elegantly crafted in lacewood – rest on the background of expert vriz marquetry.

The technique creates a bokeh effect, often seen in macro photography. The vriz marquetry pattern is further layered with coloured metallised etching and a further layer of traditional marquetry. Combined with subtle shading and tinting with black mother-of-pearl and polished metal highlights, the design impresses with its craftsmanship's depth and detail.

Rob Alcock