$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
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
$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
$3,960Sale Price|43% Off
H 93 in W 95 in D 22 in
Auffray & Co French Provincial Antique Distressed Style Bookcase China Cabinet
By Auffray Furniture
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This elegant French Provincial bookcase and china cabinet by Auffray & Co is a remarkable piece that captures the timeless sophistication of European-inspired design. Known for their...
Oak
$6,800 / item
H 48 in W 33 in D 2.75 in
Bespoke Octagonal Pink Murano Glass and Brass Mirror, in Stock
Located in Miami, FL
Bespoke octagonal pink Murano glass and bras mirror, in stock Vivid and intense pink glass block with naturally occurring air inclusions throughout, highly polished faceted pattern c...
Brass
$7,900
H 74 in W 40.25 in D 18.25 in
Antique Swedish Gustavian Cabinet, Handcrafted Pinewood, Circa 1810
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early 19th Century, white-grey antique Swedish Gustavian living room cabinet made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition. The upper part of the Scandinavian buffet is...
Metal
Louis XV Style Chinoiserie Slant-Top Desk
Located in Pembroke, MA
A stunning, petite French slant-top desk or "bureau de pente" in the Louis XV style, turquoise and gold polychromed with Chinoiserie detailing, and red under-body. Desk opens to rev...
Bronze
$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
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
Fantastic Hand-Painted 4 Panel Classical Romantic Screen Room Divider
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This hand-painted 4 panel Classical Romantic screen room divider is a true statement piece that brings timeless elegance and charm to any interior. Each panel is beautifully decorate...
Walnut
$3,950
H 32.5 in W 28 in D 2 in
Italian Rococo 1770s Framed Still-Life Painting Depicting a Bouquet of Flowers
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian Rococo period framed still-life oil on canvas painting from the late 18th century, depicting a colorful bouquet. Created in Italy during the third quarter of the 18th cent...
Canvas, Paint
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
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 36.5 in W 34 in D 78 in
18th Century LouisXV Duchesse Chaise with New Upholstery
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
18th Century LouisXV Duchesse Chaise with New Upholstery. Gorgeous piece. See detailed pics.
Hardwood
Painted Venetian Florentine Style Credenza
Located in New York, NY
Florentine Style Credenza, with Painted, Gold Gilt and Crackle Finish. One drawer and one door with original key. Some wear to finish from age and use. Good overall condition.
Gold Leaf
Venetian Chest of Drawers, Hand Painted, 18th C
Located in Houston, TX
The use of color and the unusual architectural paintings on this Piece make it very unique. It has a faux marble top in apricot Coloration. It is very old and is in the original 18...
Wood
19th Century French Louis XVI Painted Bed with Caning
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Louis XVI painted bed with caning is a splendid example of what some have called 'Paris Country' where a refined style is made more casual primarily by a finish t...
Cane, Walnut
$2,396Sale Price|20% Off
H 38.5 in W 53.5 in D 33 in
Fine Quality Giltwood Aubusson Upholstered French Louis XVI Style Settee
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exquisite French Louis XVI style settee is a masterpiece of elegance, refinement, and craftsmanship. Featuring a finely carved giltwood frame, the settee is adorned with delicat...
Beech
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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