Italian Florentine Giltwood Bureau Secretary Butlers Desk Chest
Located in Forney, TX
A Florentine carved cream painted parcel gilt slant-top desk bureau with nicely aged dark warm
Brass
Sold
H 37 in W 28 in D 15 in
Hollywood Regency Era Italian Florentine Petite Gilded Secretary / Writing Desk
Located in Kennesaw, GA
For the Florentine collector, this is a rare find! It is a petite secretary with lovely fold out
Poplar, Giltwood
Sold
H 92 in W 41 in D 17 in
Lo Studiolo di Ponziani Florentine Chinoiserie HandPainted Secretary Desk Italy
By Ponziani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
secretary desk Ponziani Firenze. Painted brilliant lemon yellow, beautiful and substantial wooden piece of
Wood
Sold
H 88 in W 46 in D 23 in
Coke Bottle Form Italian Rococo Olivewood Secretary Desk with Patinated Mirror
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a drop-dead gorgeous olivewood Italian Rococo Florentine style secretary desk. The desk has
Mirror, Olive
Italian Regency Florentine Trompe l'oeil Secretary Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Impressive Italian regency two-part Trompe l'oeil secretaire with a drop-front desk made in
Brass
$233,240Sale 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
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
$3,475
H 37.75 in W 40.5 in D 20 in
Mid-Century Italian Venetian Hand Painted Chinoiserie Secretary Desk
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a beautiful piece. This is a lovely mid-century Italian chinoiserie secretary desk. The coral and gilt interior makes such a vibrant statement. Each panel of the serpentine f...
Poplar
$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
$1,330
H 38 in W 33 in D 20 in
18th Century George III Mahogany Bureau Desk. Slant Front Writing Secretary.
Located in Vero Beach, FL
18th Century George III Mahogany Bureau Desk. Slant Front Writing Secretary. This 18th century English bureau desk has 3 rows of graduated hand dovetailed drawers and is raised on 4...
Brass
$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
18th Century French Walnut Louis XV Provincial Buffet
Located in Southampton, NY
18th century French walnut Louis XV Provincial Buffet A period handcrafted buffet made of solid walnut with three drawers above two beveled doors opening to a single shelf open. Ori...
Walnut
Venetian Italian Style Polychrome Secretary Bookcase
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Embrace the timeless charm of this Classic Venetian Style Italian Polychrome Lacquered Hand-Painted two parts Bookcase, a piece of furniture that exudes both artistry and history. Th...
Wood, Paint
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
$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 statement piece that captures the artistry and elegance of 19th to early 20th century...
Walnut
Drop Front Secretary Desk by Arne Wahl Iversen
By Arne Wahl Iversen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Danish made mid-century modern drop front secretary desk in rich rosewood grain. Two wide drawers for storage, drop front door becomes a writing surface, inset desk storage and drawe...
Rosewood
$2,200
H 86 in W 39.5 in D 16 in
Vintage French Provincial Blue Painted Bookcase Tall Secretary Desk by Danby
By Danby
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Provincial Blue Distress Painted Bookcase Tall Secretary Desk by Danby. Item features shell carved accents, working lock and key, solid wood construction, great style ...
Wood
$2,495
H 80 in W 35 in D 17 in
Maddox French Provincial Louis XV Painted Secretary Desk With Mirrored Bookcase
By Maddox Furniture
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous French Provincial Louis XV style bureau with drop front secretary desk and mirrored bookcase hutch top By Maddox Furniture USA, 1970s Cream lacquered walnut, with hand-...
Brass
Italian Rococo Revival Writing Desk, Late 19th Century
Located in Southampton, NY
Italian Rococo Revival Writing Desk, Late 19th Century This charming Italian Rococo Style painted writing desk, likely dating back to the late-19th century, showcases a delicate flor...
Wood, Paint
Italian Vintage Wooden Florentine Chest Of Drawers 1970s
By Florentine
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice vintage Italian Florentine chest with 3 drawers with unique gold and white drawings. The curved serpentine legs give a mid century touch and are very chic. Overall the p...
Fruitwood
Painted Italian Secretary Bookcase
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This is a lovely, decorative Italian secretary, painted overall with floral sprays against a pale yellow ground with light blue demarcations. The dome cornice is over two paneled doo...
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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