Silver Dog founder John Mutter was raised among the farmland and foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania, where antiques, restoration and the search for overlooked treasures were part of everyday life. His father was an experienced antique scout and restoration expert, and from an early age John accompanied him through flea markets, antique malls and auctions — developing an eye for quality, rarity and value through years of hands-on experience. What began as an early education became a lifelong career. John spent decades buying, selling and sourcing antiques, fine furniture, collectibles and unusual property across the country. He later co-owned a successful fine-furniture store and became a trusted source and partner for professional set decorators working on major film and television productions.

Over the years, John has searched, evaluated and sourced property from thousands of homes, estates and private collections, developing the kind of practical knowledge that comes only from handling an enormous range of objects firsthand. His work has also included projects on a much larger scale, among them the liquidation of a 600,000-square-foot aerospace manufacturing facility formerly operated under the Department of Defense, encompassing industrial machinery, scientific equipment and highly specialized manufacturing assets.

Through it all, the work has remained remarkably similar: look carefully, recognize what others might overlook, understand what something is worth and find the person who will appreciate it.

Today, John lives with his wife, Jennifer, their two sons, and their Weimaraner, Axl — the “Silver Dog” for whom the company is named — on a small former horse farm in the foothills of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. Together, they are proud to call East Tennessee home.