$6,108
H 56.5 in W 37.8 in D 15.75 in
Louis XVI drop-leaf secretary desk in rosewood and violet wood veneer, 18th cent
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Louis XVI drop-leaf secretary desk in rosewood and violet wood veneer, 18th century
Wood
Louis XV period marquetry secretary from the mid-18th century
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
A very elegant and rare Louis XV period drop-leaf secretary desk, characteristic of Rococo
Marble, Bronze
$90,000
H 61 in W 31 in D 18.5 in
19th C. Royal Antique Burl Wood Secretary Desk & Black Leather Drop Leaf Top
Located in West Hollywood, CA
19th C. Royal Antique Burl Wood Secretary Desk & Black Leather Drop Leaf Top HRH . Very Rare
Bronze
$2,200Sale Price|54% Off
H 40.75 in W 39 in D 20.5 in
Late 19th Century Italian Walnut Burl Inlaid Louis XIV Secretary Drop Leaf Desk
Located in Encinitas, CA
Late 19th Century Italian Walnut Burl Inlaid Louis XIV Secretary Drop Leaf Desk. Trim three-drawer
Walnut
18th century Italian Secretary
Located in Atlanta, GA
Painted and gilded Italian Secretary, drop leaf desk over 3 drawers with 2door upper cabinet
Louis XV Painted Drop Leaf Secretary Desk
Located in New York, NY
Absolutely breathtaking, this Louis XV drop leaf secretary has gorgeous carvings and original
19th Century Swiss Drop-Leaf Secretary Desk and Chest
Located in New York, NY
This 19th Century Swiss case piece is comprised of a drop-leaf desktop and a chest of drawers. They
Brass
Swedish Style Painted Drop Leaf Secretary or Desk
Located in New York, NY
Antique painted, drop leaf petite secretary or desk with just the perfect patina. Cabriole legs
Sold
H 54.75 in W 31.38 in D 15 in
18th Century French Louis XVI Flame Mahogany Secretary or Drop Leaf Desk
Located in Miami, FL
A fine late 18th century French Louis XVI Secretary or drop leaf desk made of beautiful flame
Brass
French Faux Bamboo Secretaire
Located in Stamford, CT
Chest of Drawers with drop down front and marble top. Four drawers and drop-leaf secretary desk
Faux Bamboo
Traditional Secretary Desk with Brass Hardware
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Traditional drop-leaf mahogany secretary desk with three large drawers. Brass pulls and interior
Sold
H 59.75 in W 32.75 in D 20.5 in
French, Faux Bamboo Secretaire Chest of Drawers with Drop Down Desk
Located in Bridport, CT
Stunning French Secretary Desk. Chest of drawers with bamboo detailing. Four drawers and a drop
Wood
Antique Pine Drop-Leaf Secretary or Desk
Located in Pau, FR
Antique pine drop-leaf secretary or desk. The secretary features plenty of compartments and small
Brass
$229,050Sale Price|33% Off
H 51.19 in W 55.12 in D 201.58 in
Rare Victorian Firescreen with Taxidermy Hummingbirds by Henry Ward
By Henry Ward
Located in Amsterdam, NL
England, third quarter of the 19th century On two scrolling foliate feet with casters, above which a rectangular two-side glazed frame, with on top a two-sided shield with initial...
Other
$7,064Sale Price|20% Off
H 62.21 in W 44.1 in D 23.23 in
19th-Century Biedermeier Mahogany Secretary Desk in Beautiful Graining
Located in Opole, PL
19th-Century Biedermeier Mahogany Secretary Desk in Beautiful Graining We present you this piece of furniture with three drawers at the bottom, a drop front, and a narrow drawer und...
Baize, Mahogany
$2,320Sale Price|20% Off
H 45 in W 66 in D 18 in
Chippendale Style Mahogany Secretary Desk and Chair by Baker
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Pasadena, TX
Chippendale style mahogany secretary desk by Milling Street Baker 10 drawers with brass pulls. Desk has ample storage space, featuring 10 drawers. Middle section opens to wor...
Burl
$1,800
H 38 in W 38 in D 19.5 in
Antique French Carved Oak Secretary Desk Bureau Drop Front Louis XV Style
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique French carved oak secretary desk Bureau drop front Louis XV style. Direct from France, a lovely antique French carved “drop front” secretary/desk with quintessential French ...
Oak
$3,495
H 80 in W 36.5 in D 19 in
Federal Style Flame Mahogany Secretary Desk / Display Cabinet & Brass Eagle
By Mahogany Associates
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a beautiful inlaid flame mahogany Federal style secretary desk with tambour doors. It has two glass shelves. The body has several areas with inlaid satinwood designs. It date...
Glass, Mahogany
Biedermeier Secretary, Austria, 19th Century
Located in Wrocław, Poland
This Biedermeier secretary comes from Austria and was made in 19th century. It is made of coniferous wood, veneered with maple wood. It has undergone a professional renovation proces...
Maple
$205,767Sale Price|24% Off
H 53.125 in W 43.25 in
Portrait of Anne, Lady Russell, later Countess of Bedford
By Anthony van Dyck
Located in London, GB
A three-quarter length portrait of Anne, Lady Russell, later Countess of Bedford (1615-1684), in a blue dress. Attributed to Sir Anthony Van Dyck. Anne Carr, Lady Russell, an estee...
Oil
Antique French Secretary
Located in Malibu, CA
This early 19th-century drop-leaf secretaire features the traditional Biedermeier ebony accents, columns, and matched woodgrain pattern. Unlike the high gloss finish of many pieces f...
Brass, Other
$2,995
H 83 in W 32.5 in D 18.75 in
John Stuart Georgian Burl Wood Drop Front Secretary Desk with Bookcase Hutch
By John Stuart
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Georgian or Queen Anne style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top By John Stuart USA, circa 1960s Gorgeous burled walnut, with leather wr...
Brass
$6,460Sale Price|20% Off
H 66.15 in W 38.19 in D 18.9 in
Biedermeier Walnut Secretaire, Antique Desk from Germany, Circa 1830
Located in Darmstadt, DE
This stunning Biedermeier secretary desk is an authentic antique piece crafted from walnut wood, both inside and out. Dating back to the early 19th century, this masterpiece showcase...
Pine, Walnut
$6,895
H 44 in W 47 in D 23 in
George III Bureau Desk or Secretary Chest of Mahogany from the 18th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A fine George III slant top desk or bureau secretary chest of patinated mahogany, c.1770 - an inlaid slant front drops to reveal a series of small drawers and document compartments, ...
Metal, Brass
Dutch Secretary Desk, Around 1800, Mahogany
Located in Belmont, MA
Dutch secretary desk, Netherlands, around 1800. This elegantly curved secretary desk has three spacious drawers in the lower part. The writing flap opens to a beautiful interior w...
Mahogany
$4,415Sale Price|29% Off
H 61.42 in W 40.16 in D 20.08 in
Biedermeier Walnut and Root Walnut Secretary, South Germany circa 1840
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Charming small Biedermeier Secretary from Southern Germany, crafted around 1840. The piece impresses with its fine walnut and walnut-root veneer on a solid pine body, polished to a w...
Birch, Pine, Walnut
Antique Walnut Slant Front Secretary Desk, Queen Anne Style, 1880s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Late 19th century English Queen Anne style slant front desk with three drawers & inner compartments.
Walnut
French 19th Century Ebonized & Inlay Secretary
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French Louis XVI style drop front secretary from the 1800s has impressive etched brass inlay on its exterior, which is made even more dramatic by the deep ebonized finish. The t...
Marble, Brass
French Art Deco Rosewood Cabinet
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
An excellent quality French cabinet, produced in the 1920’s with crisp carving to the center between the doors, solid oak with solid oak liners, both doors are lockable with one key ...
Rosewood
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.
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
The furniture equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, it's the multifunctional piece you didn't know you needed.
Italian studio DimoreMilano mustered great ingenuity when crafting these sculptural shelves, which are built without any screws.
Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.
Introduced nearly 500 years ago, curiosity cabinets are finding new fans among today's collectors and designers.
In the hands of New York Heartwoods cofounder Megan Offner, unwanted local trees become works of design art.
From Brooklyn townhouses to Maine campgrounds, Trattie Davies and Jonathan Toews relish a challenge, like transforming a former warehouse space into the new 1stdibs Gallery.