$1,800Sale Price|61% Off
H 82 in W 40 in D 21 in
Unique Venetian Italian Paint Decorated Secretary Desk with Bookcase Circa 1890s
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This Venetian Italian paint decorated secretary desk with bookcase, circa 1890s, is a remarkable
Walnut
$3,000Sale Price|38% Off
H 81.5 in W 36 in D 21 in
Fantastic Paint Decorated Faux Marble Interior Venetian Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This fantastic paint decorated Venetian secretary desk with faux marble interior is a remarkable
Walnut
Sold
H 33 in W 39 in D 20 in
Louis XVI -Style Asian Chinoiserie Desk/Secretary with Verni Martin Decorating
Located in Houston, TX
This piece is in the manner of Jacques Dubois , the shaped, rectangular top Has a pierced three quarter pierced brass gallery above a slant front opening To a storage well and draw...
Mahogany
Sold
H 41.93 in W 31.11 in D 14.97 in
Highly Decorative English Lady's Secretary Desk from the 19th Century
Located in Opole, PL
Highly Decorative English Lady's Secretary Desk from the 19th Century We present you this piece of
Baize, Wood
Sold
H 94.49 in W 68.9 in D 19.69 in
19th Century Spanish Bargueño / Vargueño New World Inlay Motif with Table
Located in Madrid, ES
Large-scale 19th century Spanish bargueño / vargueño (secretary/desk) decorated with scenes of
Wood, Bone, Tortoise Shell
Sold
H 71 in W 36 in D 18.5 in
English Satinwood Paint Decorated Adams Style Secretary Desk with Bookcase top
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Adams style paint decorated secretary desk with 4 doors containing 3 shelves with a drop desk.
Wood
Sold
H 46.46 in W 44.49 in D 17.33 in
Unusual Swedish Antique Tall Country Secretary Desk in Painted Pine
Located in Kramfors, SE
doors in the center, all decorated with a ribbed decor. The secretary desk is painted with faux paint to
Pine
19th Century Japanese Lacquer Secretary Desk Richly Decorated
Located in Paris, FR
19th century Japanese lacquer secretary desk richly decorated Small size secretary desk with black
Wood
$14,200
H 88.5 in W 49 in D 19 in
Dorothy Draper Lacquered Viennese Secretary Desk for Henredon, circa 1963
By Henredon, Dorothy Draper
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Everyone can have a taste of iconic Dorothy Draper Hollywood Regency style with this perfectly sized and oh so elegant Viennese Collection Secretaries Desk Breakfront. Regal. Whimsic...
Metal, Brass
Navagero Murano Glass Mirror
By Fratelli Tosi
Located in Milan, IT
Bold yet feminine, this exceptional mirror handcrafted by Venetian master glassmakers will be a splendid focal point in classic or eclectic decors. The indented frame in golden cryst...
Murano Glass
English Painted Breakfront Bookcase
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Wonderful early 19th century English painted breakfront bookcase. Good carved decoration and astragal glazing. Fitted with adjustable shelving. 1830. Code: 8693 Dimensions: W: 81.5...
Oak, Pine
18th c. Painted Danish Cabinet
Located in Greenwich, CT
An impressive cabinet in original dry-scraped cream/grey paint, consisting of a wonderful overhanging baroque arched cornice on a two door cupboard with single adjustable shelf above...
Wood
19th Century French Louis XV Style Giltwood Bench
Located in Houston, TX
19th century French Louis XV style giltwood bench. This stunning antique French gilt wood bench has excellent patina and has been professionally upholstered in plush white velvet wit...
Giltwood
18th Century Antique Swedish Red Painted Baroque Secretary
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
A two-tiered wooden cabinet from the 18th century Swedish Gustavian period. The top door opens to reveal a decorative top shelf and three other shelves. The top of the bottom shelf c...
Wood
Reeded Swedish Gustavian Style Commode Chest of Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
White/greyish hand painted Gustavian style chest of drawers constructed from solid wood with a hand-applied distressed finish with brass ring hardware. These classic Swedish style th...
Brass
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Bibliotheque or Bookcase
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French Louis XVI bibliotheque, or bookcase, made of solid walnut with mahogany as a secondary wood. Nice hand carved decorative panels at the bottom with musical instr...
Glass, Mahogany, Walnut
Small 18th Century Blue-Painted Baroque Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
A small blue-painted Baroque chest of drawers with a serpentine front and three drawers, each featuring original locks and keyhole brass fittings. Beautifully restored by a conserva...
Oak
$2,495 / set
H 27 in W 26.5 in D 17 in
French Louis XVI Style Painted Chests / Commodes / Tables Att. To Julia Gray
By Julia Gray
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a pair of French Louis XVI style chests or side tables attributed to Julia Gray. They are green with gilt accents and have three drawers. They are in very good condition.
Wood
Antique Louis XV 18th century sofa, French
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
This hand-carved and decorated wooden sofa from the mid-18th century embodies timeless French elegance. A classic French sofa, it features a curved back with intricate carvings, cabr...
Velvet, Walnut
On Hold|$3,890
H 39.5 in W 28.5 in D 17 in
French Provincial Style Secretary Desk with Marquetry Inlays and Key
Located in Soquel, CA
French Provincial Style Walnut Secretary Desk with Marquetry Inlays and Key. Original Finish.
Walnut
$1,995
H 88.38 in W 43 in D 21 in
Chinoiserie Black Lacquered Drop Front Secretary Desk With Bookcase Hutch
By Jasper Furniture Company
Located in Elkhart, IN
A gorgeous Georgian Chinoiserie style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top In the manner of Jasper Furniture Company USA, Late 20th Century Black lacquered...
Brass
$17,654
H 59.06 in W 37.41 in D 19.69 in
Rare Italian Liberty Style/Art Nouveau Commode with Painted Wood Inlays
Located in Milano, IT
Rare commode in the style of Louis Majorelle with front and sides inlaid in painted wood. Two doors on the front that hide a cabinet with open compartments and small drawers in light...
Wood
$8,500Sale Price|32% Off
H 79.5 in W 55 in D 23.5 in
Antique Dutch Painted Country Bombe Linen Press Cabinet
Located in Sheffield, MA
The rare diminutive Dutch Bombe linen press has original white painted over blue with three deep drawers below and a double-door storage space above, which can be disassembled for ea...
Wood
Victorian Secretary Desk Circa. 1800's
Located in Fulton, CA
American Victorian secretary desk made of solid walnut. Circa. 1875. Drop-front desk with birdseye maple detail. Carved walnut pulls with "race-track moldings. Exceptional original c...
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
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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