Made in Portugal
A Portuguese furniture manufacturer, not a furniture brand
Marques & Silva has made contract furniture in northern Portugal since 1980. We own the factory, employ the people who build the pieces, and ship directly to projects across Europe and beyond.
Why Portuguese manufacturing still matters
Portugal kept its furniture-making industry when much of Europe exported it, and the north of the country retains a dense concentration of woodworking, metalwork and upholstery skill built over generations. That proximity is practical, not romantic: it means short internal supply chains, the ability to correct a problem in days rather than shipping containers, and a workforce that has made this kind of furniture for a long time.
What owning the factory changes
A reseller quotes what the catalogue permits. A manufacturer quotes what the machine can do. Because the frames, the finishing and the upholstery all happen under one roof, we can change a dimension, run a customer’s own fabric, or hold a specification consistent across a multi-site rollout years apart — and we can tell you honestly what a lead time will be, because we are the ones who have to meet it.
Designed to last is a specification, not a slogan
Contract furniture is bought once and lived with for a decade. Every choice we make — the joint, the frame section, the rub rating, the finish — is made against that horizon rather than against a showroom photograph. It is also the more sustainable position: the greenest chair is the one nobody has to replace.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is your furniture manufactured?
- In our own factory in northern Portugal, where the company has been based since 1980. Frames, finishing and upholstery all happen on site rather than being subcontracted out.
- Do you export internationally?
- Yes. We supply contract projects across Europe and further afield, working with architects, interior designers, dealers and operators directly from Portugal.
- Do you work with architects and interior designers?
- Regularly, and usually from early in the specification. Involving us before the drawings are frozen is where custom dimensions and finish matching are cheapest and easiest to do well.
- Can you manufacture to our own design?
- Yes. Bespoke and adapted pieces are a normal part of our work — send drawings or a reference and we will tell you what is buildable, what it will cost and how long it will take.