Skip to main content

Jules Leleu Secretaires

French, 1883-1961

A designer and ensemblier, Jules Leleu was one of the key authors of the Art Deco movement. While he did not win the fame of such contemporaries as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank, Leleu had a longer career and was easily their peer in the conception of trim, refined furniture forms and in the use of the opulent materials — from lacquer and ivory to sharkskin and exotic woods — that were a keynote of haute Art Deco design.

Leleu was born into a family of artisans and decorators. Their firm, Maison Leleu, had existed since the 18th century and Jules would guide it through much of the 20th. (The business lasted until 1973, headed at the end by Jules's children.) He studied architecture, served as an aviator in World War I, and after the conflict took up design full-time.

Leleu presented work at the 1925 exposition in Paris that gave us the term Art Deco, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased a burl amboyna wood commode by Leleu directly from the show.

As the desks, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs show, Leleu was a stickler for precision craft and preferred to let his materials do the talking — his furniture is generally spare and sleek; its presence is established by figuring (or patterning/graining) in the wood and the occasional marquetry medallion. He had a keen eye for currents in design and an adaptable sensibility.

Maison Leleu would embrace many of the starker forms of modernism after the 1940s, as well as new materials such as artificial lacquer and plastics (then considered cutting-edge rather than cheap). Jules Leleu is a guiding light of 20th-century modernism: a man whose work represents both a devotion to traditional handiwork and an appreciation for the next wave in design.

Find Jules Leleu tables, sideboards, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

to
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
123
21
13
13
7
Creator: Jules Leleu
Precious Wood Secretary, signed J. Leleu, Art Deco – 1940
By Jules Leleu
Located in HÉRIC, FR
A delightful writing desk designed by Jules Leleu (1883-1961), a renowned French designer of the Art Deco period. This legendary decorator and cabinetmaker successfully combined eleg...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Mahogany

Related Items
1940's French Art Deco Exotic Rosewood Secretary Cabinet
Located in Opa Locka, FL
c1940's French Art Deco Exotic Rosewood Secretary Cabinet. Top glass enclosed display area. Interior with special sections for desk needs. Rare form.
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Wood

1940's French Art Deco Exotic Rosewood Secretary Cabinet
1940's French Art Deco Exotic Rosewood Secretary Cabinet
$2,680 Sale Price
20% Off
H 60.5 in W 17.75 in D 31.5 in
Biedermeier Burl Wood Secretary Cabinet
By Biedermeier
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A shaped cabinet with a scrolled bonnet, a centre compartment with door opening to two shaped shelves, flanked by curved side compartments (one shelf inside at the left). Below is a ...
Category

19th Century European Biedermeier Antique Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Burl

Biedermeier Burl Wood Secretary Cabinet
Biedermeier Burl Wood Secretary Cabinet
$1,850
H 82 in W 42 in D 24 in
1930s French Art Deco Mahogany Secretary Desk in Geometric Lines on Tapered Legs
Located in Ulm, DE
Elegant Art Deco Secretary Desk – French, 1930s Step into the timeless sophistication of the 1930s with this meticulously restored French Art Deco secretary desk. Featuring a bold, ...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

1930s French Art Deco Mahogany Secretary Desk in Geometric Lines on Tapered Legs
1930s French Art Deco Mahogany Secretary Desk in Geometric Lines on Tapered Legs
$4,196 Sale Price
20% Off
H 37.8 in W 29.53 in D 20.87 in
French Art Deco Secretary Cabinet by André Arbus
By André Arbus
Located in grand Lancy, CH
Andre Arbus Sloping mahogany secreter with two drawers and a drop-leaf door. Sycamore maple interior with six small drawers and a central niche lined with parchment; gilt bronze knob...
Category

1940s French Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Brass

French Art Deco Secretary Cabinet by André Arbus
French Art Deco Secretary Cabinet by André Arbus
$16,000
H 51.58 in W 25.99 in D 17.72 in
Lovely Mixed Wood Inlay French Secretary
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Exceptional classic French secretary having stunning floral inlay on all sides with a variety of different color woods. The interior features 6 drawers, an open shelf, and addition...
Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Kingwood, Satinwood

Lovely Mixed Wood Inlay French Secretary
Lovely Mixed Wood Inlay French Secretary
$2,080 Sale Price
20% Off
H 37 in W 35 in D 17 in
Italian Art Deco Goatskin Secretary
By Aldo Tura, (after) Jean Michel Frank, Karl Springer
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Art Deco Goatskin Secretary. This outstanding Italian Art Deco secretary desk covered in goatskin and trimmed in walnut with an upper ...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Goatskin, Wood

Italian Art Deco Goatskin Secretary
Italian Art Deco Goatskin Secretary
$23,850
H 61.25 in W 37.25 in D 18.25 in
1940s lacquered wood writing desk attributed to René Drouet French art deco
By René Drouet
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Rare '40s secrétaire attributed to French designer René Drouet. Structure in lacquered solid wood with attractive floral decoration on the top door (original paint, gilding and lacqu...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Lovely Yew Wood Secretary Campaign Chest
By Kennedy Furniture For Harrods London
Located in Crawley, GB
We delight to offer for sale this lovely yew wood secretary campaign chest made by Kennedy of Ipswich and retailed by Harrods London , this is a ver...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Campaign Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Lovely Yew Wood Secretary Campaign Chest
Lovely Yew Wood Secretary Campaign Chest
$3,304
H 44.1 in W 37.41 in D 16.15 in
18th Century, Italian Neoclassical Marquetry Wood Secretary
Located in IT
18th Century, Italian Neoclassical Marquetry Wood Secretary Dimensions: cm H 143 x W 97 x D 40. Depth with the drop-down door open 90 cm. Writing desk height 75 cm. This elegant sec...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Boxwood, Rosewood

Grosfeld House Chest or Secretary, 1940s
By Grosfeld House
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An elegant chest of drawers with pull-out desk drawer by Grosfeld House.
Category

1940s American Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Grosfeld House Chest or Secretary, 1940s
Grosfeld House Chest or Secretary, 1940s
$2,500
H 45 in W 38 in D 18 in
1930s Art Déco Veneered Wood Secretary Cabinet in Jacques Adnet Style, France
By Jacques Adnet
Located in North Miami, FL
1930s Art Déco veneered wood secretary cabinet with multiple compartments in Jacques Adnet Style, France By: Jacques Adnet (in the style of) Material: wood, metal Technique: carved, cast, molded, metalwork, veneer Dimensions: 11.5 in x 50 in x 44 in Date: early 20th century, circa 1930 Style: Art Déco, Mid-Century Modern Place of origin: France Defined by a striking architectural silhouette and a strong geometric rhythm, this 1930s French secretary cabinet...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Deco Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Metal

Art Deco Secretary Cabinet in Black Lacquer with Mirrored Interior, France 1930s
Located in Ulm, DE
This striking Art Deco secretary cabinet — crafted in France during the 1930s — is a quintessential example of the era’s refined glamour and design ingenuity. Finished in a luxurious...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Lacquer, Mirror, Beech

Art Deco Secretary Cabinet in Black Lacquer with Mirrored Interior, France 1930s
Art Deco Secretary Cabinet in Black Lacquer with Mirrored Interior, France 1930s
$9,347 Sale Price
20% Off
H 57.29 in W 41.34 in D 16.54 in
Previously Available Items
Secrétaire à Pente en Acajou, signé J. Leleu – 1940
By Jules Leleu
Located in HÉRIC, FR
Magnifique secrétaire en acajou et placage d’acajou signé Jules Leleu (1883-1961). Ce meuble possède en façade un abattant agrémenté d’un quatre-feuille en placage d’acajou avec pour...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Art Deco Secretaire Abattant by Jules Leleu Signed, Circa 1935
By Jules Leleu
Located in Forest Row, East Sussex
An Art Deco Rosewood marquetry secreraire cabinet by Jules Leleu (1883-1961). Stepped top over a parquetry and marquetry inlaid drop-front secretaire cabinet, with ebony and mother o...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Deco Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Rosewood

Jules Leleu, Secretary Cabinet, France, C. 1930
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Art Deco drop front secretary / cabinet in French walnut with nickeled bronze ornaments by Jules Leleu Provenance: A residence near Pa...
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

Fine and Rare Secretary by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Fine and rare secretary with mother of pearl and ebony inlay by Jules Leleu (1883-1961) This secretary was exhibited in the museum show "Leleu 50 ans...
Category

20th Century French Jules Leleu Secretaires

Materials

Ash, Ebony, Mother-of-Pearl

Jules Leleu secretaires for sale on 1stDibs.

Jules Leleu secretaires are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Jules Leleu secretaires, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original secretaires by Jules Leleu were created in the Art Deco style in france during the 20th century. Prices for Jules Leleu secretaires can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $17,838 and can go as high as $28,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $22,919.

Recently Viewed

View All