19th Century Queen Anne Style Double Bonnet Top Secretary Desk in Walnut
Located in Milford, NH
A splendid Queen Anne style two part double bonnet secretary, its upper case with molded arched double cornice with conforming arched and glazed glass doors, opening to two adjustabl...
Brass
Double Bonnet Dome Top Burl Wood 3 Drawer Drop Front Secretary Desk 1900s Clean!
By Henredon, Berkey & Gay Furniture, Baker Furniture Company
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Double Bonnet Dome Top Burl Wood 3 Drawer Drop Front Secretary Desk 1900s Clean!
Brass
Antique English Adams Style Hand Painted Double Bonnet Bookcase Secretary Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique English Adams Style Hand Painted Double Bonnet Top Bookcase Secretary Desk. Item features a double bonnet top, hand painted figural scenes to the front and sides, 2 swing doo...
Mahogany
Swedish Gustavian Secretary, circa 1790
Located in Huntington, NY
A two part Swedish Gustavian secretary. The bonnet top consists of an impressive overhanging arched pediment cornice.
Brass, Iron
18th Century, Veneered and Inlaid Secretary
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning, hand carved, 18th century, parquetry inlaid and veneered, bonnet top, two-part secretary from the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.
Wood, Fruitwood, Walnut
Turn of the 18th -19th C. Swedish Rococo Style Slant Front Secretary w/ Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A late 18th century-early 19th century Rococo style slant front painted fir Swedish secretary with bonnet top, two doors and multiple drawers.
Fir
Chippendale Bonnet-Top Secretary
Located in Litchfield, CT
Connecticut River Valley, circa 1765-1775. Maple, pine: Secondary wood. Having carved rope-twisted quarter columns and vine carved panels flanking raised panel doors is fitted abov...
Unavailable
H 90.5 in W 39 in D 20 in
BAKER Georgian Walnut Bonnet Top Secretary Desk with Mirrored Blind Bookcase
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Charlotte, NC
A Georgian style secretary desk by Baker Furniture. Walnut with brass hardware, double bonnet arched top with three finials, crown molding and bracket feet.
Brass
English Bonnet Top Secretary Desk
Located in San Francisco, CA
Small scale George II style secretary desk with mirrored doors. Walnut veneers on oak. Quality craftsmanship.
Trosby TC1103 Solid Walnut Queen Anne Double Bonnet Top Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exceptional desk is still being made today! This Trosby desk, model TC1103 took 500 hours to make according to the manufacturer and has hide away drawers and is solud walnut and...
Walnut
Swedish paint decorated secretary / desk.
Located in Stamford, CT
Bonnet top secretary desk with two doors over a four drawer base.
Brass
Sold
H 86.25 in W 50 in D 23 in
Swedish Rococo 18th Century Tall Secretary with Bonnet Top and Slant-Front Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Rococo period painted wood two-part secretary from the 18th century, with bonnet top, slant-front desk and lateral handles.
Wood
Sold
H 86 in W 52.5 in D 18 in
Baroque Style 1840s Swedish Tall Secretary with Slant-Front Desk and Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish painted wood Baroque style secretary with bonnet top, upper cabinet, slant-front desk, and lower drawers from the mid 19th century.
Wood
Sold
H 82 in W 43 in D 27 in
Dutch Marquetry Style Inlaid Double Bonnet Top Secretary Desk Bookcase Cabinet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Truly impressive, mid-20th century, Dutch marquetry style inlaid and burl wood secretary desk. Item is inlaid from top to bottom including the front, sides, and interior with varying...
Satinwood, Walnut, Burl
Hand Painted Chinoiserie Secretary Desk
Located in Bradenton, FL
Magnificent decorated black with raised gilt chinoiserie broken arch bonnet top secretary desk with exquisite hand painted landscape scenery on front and sides.
Wood
Sold
H 74 in W 23 in D 16 in
HICKORY CHAIR James River Chippendale Burl Walnut Bonnet Top Secretary Desk
By Hickory Chair Furniture Company
Located in Charlotte, NC
Burl walnut, brass hardware, single bonnet arched top, slant front and bracket feet. Upper cabinet features two adjustable wood shelves behind a single arched glass door.
Brass
American Cherry Chippendale Secretary
Located in Norwalk, CT
Connecticut Chippendale Cherry Bonnet top Secretary in two parts the top with solid doors the upper interior fitted with cubby holes and bookshelves the Base with a slant lid and ...
Cherry, Poplar
Sold
H 89.77 in W 39.38 in D 21.66 in
18th Century Scriban Cabinet Secretary Writing Desk Flap in Mahogany
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
18th century solid two colors mahogany bonnet top secretary writing desk with a flap, two glass doors and three shelves on top, central drawers and in between a secret hiding place, ...
Mahogany
Rare and Important Chippendale Secretary
Located in Litchfield, CT
Transitional Chippendale Bonnet-Top Secretary New York, ca. 1755-1765. The upper case has a scrolled arch and bonnet-top with carved pedal form rosettes and a central carved cartou...
Mahogany, Poplar
Sold
H 81 in W 36 in D 15.5 in
JASPER "Legacy" Cherry Chippendale Bonnet Top Block Front Secretary Desk
By Jasper Furniture Company
Located in Charlotte, NC
Solid cherry, brass hardware, double bonnet arched top, block front and ogee bracket feet.
Brass
Italian Double Bonnet Painted Secretary Bookcase
Located in Natchez, MS
Late 19th century double bonnet top painted secretary bookcase
Wood
Queen Anne Secretary
Located in Lawrenceburg, TN
Queen Anne crimson and gold double bonnet top bureau bookcase or secretary with hand-painted chinoiserie.
19th Century Queen Anne Chinoiserie Secretary
Located in Lawrenceburg, TN
Queen Anne period double bonnet top bureau bookcase or secretary with tortoise-shell brown and gold chinoiserie lacquered decoration, elaborate fitted interior, gilt finials, and bun...
Wood
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.
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