1930s Art Déco Veneered Wood Secretary Cabinet in Jacques Adnet Style, France
By Jacques Adnet
Located in North Miami, FL
1930s Art Déco veneered wood secretary cabinet with multiple compartments in Jacques Adnet Style, France By: Jacques Adnet (in the style of) Material: wood, metal Technique: carved,...
Metal
1930s Art Deco Cabinet and Shelves
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Sensational early Italian Art Deco Cabinet, likely from the 1920s-1930s.
Oak
Gilbert Rohde Art Deco Paldao Cabinet Refinished Drop Front Secretary Bookcase
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean Lined Art Deco Cabinet, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller, American, circa 1930s.
Metal
Restored Art Deco Secretary Sideboard, Macassar, Maple, Czech, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This exceptional piece of furniture is a perfect example of Czech Functionalism in all its glory. The secretary includes two integrated nesting tables, which are fitted with black a...
Glass, Wood, Lacquer, Ebony, Maple
Donald Deskey Style Art Deco Skyscraper Design Secretary Wall Cabinet or Desk
By Donald Deskey
Located in Westport, CT
In the style of Donald Deskey, Art Deco skyscraper design, cabinet/secretary desk, with draw compartments and desk, book shelf compartment. Functional dark mahogany wood, with nickel...
Nickel
Art Deco Secretary Desk with Drop-Front Writing Surface and Chevron Veneer, 1930
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
This striking Art Deco secretary desk and storage cabinet showcases the bold geometry and refined craftsmanship characteristic of early 20th-century design. With its strong vertical ...
Wood
Blanche Klotz Secretary in Ash Wood and Parchment, 1930s, France
By Blanche Klotz
Located in London, GB
BLANCHE KLOTZ (ATTRIBUTED TO) Ash chest of drawers, tapered legs mounted at an angle and covered in parchment, 3 drawers lined in parchment. H 157 x W 65 x D 42 cm Provenance Privat...
Ash
Art Deco Walnut Secretaire or Bureau with 4 drawers, Germany 1930s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a very striking Art Deco Walnut secretaire or bureau. As you can see the bureau has a fine piano finish showing the best of the Walnut grain. There is a...
Walnut
Rare Lajos Kozma Bar Cabinet or Secretary
By Lajos Kozma
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A visually arresting and exquisitely crafted bar cabinet or secretary, attributed to Hungarian architect and artist Lajos Kozma, dating to the 1930s.
Walnut, Rosewood
1930s French Art Deco 3 Part Cabinet Secretery/ Vitrine/ Dry Bar Attrib. J.Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Opa Locka, FL
On Offer is a Grand Scale Macassar Ebony 3- Part Cabinet attributed Jules Leleu. All original, left cabinet door opens to reveal a finished Secretary. In the center of the cabinet is...
Wood, Macassar
Swedish Art Deco Secretary by Axel Larsson, Birchwood, Circa 1920-1930
By Axel Larsson
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Swedish Art Deco secretary made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Birchwood, designed most likely by Axel Larsson in good condition.
Metal, Brass
Danish Modern, Unique Handcrafted Oak Secretary Cabinet, Mid 20th Century
Located in Odense, DK
An elegant rare Danish oak secretary cabinet in Baroque style, crafted in the 1930s by a skilled Danish Cabinetmaker.
Oak
Monumental Art Deco Cathedral Form Secretary Desk
Located in Dekalb, IL
Monumental Gothic Art Deco skyscraper-form secretary cabinet executed in stained oak, strongly reminiscent of the Kansas City Power & Light Building and related American "cathedrals ...
Brass
Carved Oak Secretary with Rosette Panels and Diamond Drawers, France, 1940s
Located in Kaštel Sućurac, HR
French Art Deco provincial workshop, secretary chest, solid oak, France, 1940s. The upper section opens as a fall-front writing surface, its exterior decorated with two large carved...
Iron
Gilbert Rohde Paldao Cabinet for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Gilbert Rohde
Located in Hanover, MA
Rohde’s visit to Europe in the spring and summer of 1927 (with later trips in 1931 and 1937) to see the Bauhaus in Dessau and the French modernist design that debuted in the 1925 Exp...
Mahogany
Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.
Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.
Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.
At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.
When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.
“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”
No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.
Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.