Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Brass Inlaid Secretary
By Giovanni Gariboldi, Paolo Buffa, Marelli & Colico
Located in Atlanta, GA
Paolo Buffa, Secretary, Italy c. 1948, Brass Intarsia by Giovanni Gariboldi, Manufactured by
Brass
Italian secretary attributed to Paolo Buffa circa 1950
By Paolo Buffa
Located in PARIS, FR
A beautiful Italian secretary attributed to Paolo Buffa circa 1950 Top with brass stars decorations
Brass
$12,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 85.75 in W 42.5 in D 19.5 in
Italian Mid-Century Brass Inlaid Secretary, by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
A fine example of a Mid-Century rosewood secretary by Italian designer, Paola Buffa (1903-1970) and
Brass
$51,000 / set
H 46 in W 40.75 in D 15.75 in
Paolo Buffa Pair of Cabinets, Dry-Bar Cabinet and Secretary, circa 1950
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
An exceptional and rare pair of Paolo Buffa, Italy, circa 1950 mahogany cabinets with molded front
Brass
$12,900Sale Price|28% Off
H 87 in W 42.5 in D 20 in
Paolo Buffa & Giovanni Gariboldi Inlaid Brass Secretary Cabinet c 1950, Restored
By Paolo Buffa, Giovanni Garibaldi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
secretary cabinet, crafted circa 1950. Designed by the renowned Italian artist Paolo Buffa (1903-1970), and
Brass
Unavailable
Paolo Buffa Secretary Palisander
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Rimini, IT
important palisander Bar/Secretary by Paolo Buffa Brass feet,mirrored The price including
Paolo Buffa Rosewood Secretary
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Custom two-piece rosewood secretary with bronze inlay by Giovanni Garibaldi. Original finish
Brass
PAOLO BUFFA Secretary
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very unique and rare piece from one of the greats--Paolo Buffa. Be the only one with this
Bronze
Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Kingwood Secretary
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Queens, NY
panel doors over a slant front desk with drawers and bronze trim (Attributed to PAOLO BUFFA)
Bronze
1950's Paolo Buffa Brass-Inlaid Mahogany Secretary
By Paolo Buffa, Giovanni Gariboldi
Located in Queens, NY
Attributed to Italian designer Paolo Buffa, this mahogany slant front secretary cabinet has a
Brass
Sold
H 47.64 in W 31.5 in D 16.15 in
Art Deco Italian Paolo Buffa black and white couple of Cabinets Secretaries
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Valladolid, ES
Buffa (Milan, Italy, 1903-1970). The furniture designed by the Milanese architect and designer Paolo
Leather, Wood, Lacquer, Parchment Paper
Sold
H 49.61 in W 31.5 in D 17.33 in
Paolo Buffa Important Cabinet Secretarie in Maple and Brass, 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Milano, IT
Important secretary by Paolo Buffa in maple and brass from 1950. The cabinet is made of maple wood
Brass
Rare Secretary - Custom Designed by Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Rosewood Cabinet with Bronze Inlays and Sabotz. Ribbed lower doors open to reveal mirrored shelving. Center drop front door opens to a satinwood lined desk with 6 drawers...
Drop Front Secretary Custom Designed by Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Rosewood Cabinet w/ Classic Lines & Bronze Inlays. Bombay Front w/ Ribbed Cabinet Doors that Open to Reveal Mirrored Interior. Center Section w/ Drop Front Door Opens to Re...
Secretary by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Chicago, IL
Secretary by Paolo Buffa
Brass
Paolo Buffa Italian Secretary Rosewood, Restored
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Paolo Buffa Italian Rosewood Secretary Trumeau with Giovanni Gariboldi inlay, circa 1948, two
Rosewood
An Important Rosewood Secretary By Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
An important veneered and carved rosewood fall front secretary. The maple veneered interior with
A bar and secretary sideboard by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
An extraordinary shaped flap front rosewood veneered sideboard by Milanese architect Paolo Buffa
Brass
Important Rosewood Drop Front Bureau or Secretary by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
Veneered and carved impressive rosewood secretary by Paolo Buffa, on elegant tapered legs. Drop
Maple, Rosewood
A Secretary by Paolo Buffa with inlays by Giovanni Gariboldi
By Giovanni Garibaldi, Paolo Buffa
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
A small secretary by Paolo Buffa with a floral inlay on the flap front by Giovanni Gariboldi
Brass
$4,438
H 21.26 in W 24.41 in D 13 in
Midcentury Art Deco Nightstand Paolo Buffa Attributed Walnut Burl Inlaid Cantù
By Paolo Buffa, Consorzio Esposizione Mobili Cantù
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Art Deco 1930s bedside table in walnut, veneer and burl walnut inlaid, Paolo Buffa design attributed, with originals golden bronze accessories. Very beautiful and unobtainable. Conzo...
Brass
Rosso Wall Mirror
By Specchi Veneziani
Located in Milan, IT
Venetian mirror made in the strictest Murano tradition. Assembled with crystal/gold and red elements handmade in the Murano furnaces. Wooden frame with a natural finish.
Glass
$2,616Sale Price|25% Off
H 58.27 in W 89.77 in D 20.08 in
Italian Sideboard Style of Paolo Buffa, 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Budapest, HU
A wonderful multifunctional Italian sideboard cabinet bar style of Paolo Buffa, 1950s.
Wood
Mid-Century Modern 1950s Italian Cabinet in Mahogany
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cabinet, mahogany, mirrored glass, glass, brass, Italy, 1950s This charming cabinet stands out with its graphical door panels, featuring carved horizontal lines that add character ...
Brass
$10,511
H 118.12 in W 35.44 in D 15.75 in
Midcentury LB7 modular bookcase designed by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy 1957
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Modular bookcase model LB7 designed by Franco Albini for Poggi. Marked Poggi Pavia. An extremely flexible bookcase, with different modular options, suited to being against a wall or...
Wood
$4,900 / item
H 34 in W 86 in D 42 in
Custom Made Modern English Arm Sofa in Performance Linen Velvet - 86"
By Bloom Home Inc
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
This beautiful english arm sofa has a modern twist, with its single bench cushion, and beautiful curved apron sides. It’s upholstered in a Linen Velvet Performance fabric. Shown in...
Linen, Velvet
$6,197 / set
H 24.01 in Dm 13.78 in
Pair of Constant Night Stands in Iroko Wood by Master Studio for Lemon
By Lemon
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Neatly proportioned with exceptional detailing, the constant nightstand is your perfect bedside partner. In our furniture making, the IDEA is to create special pieces that you can bu...
Hardwood
$227,754Sale 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
Paolo Buffa, walnut bar cabinet with maple inlaid front
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2534 Paolo Buffa (1903-1970) Rare walnut bar cabinet with maple inlaid front and lacquered metal interior. Two maple drawers with glass fronts, mirrors and hidden light. Drawing...
Maple
$1,927
H 27.96 in W 28.75 in D 14.57 in
1950s Midcentury Regency Italian Wood, Brass and Mirror Dry Bar Cabinet Cart
By Paolo Buffa, Gio Ponti, Guglielmo Ulrich, Vittorio Dassi, Ico & Luisa Parisi
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant Italian Art Deco Mid-Century Modern dry bar cabinet cart characterized by its original Asian themed painted front wood pull-out tilt door with interior part in mirror gl...
Brass
$7,700
H 52 in W 48 in D 20 in
19th Century Swedish Mahogany Chiffonje, Writing Agency - Cabinet by Karl Johan
By Karl Johan
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 19th Century, antique Swedish Biedermeier writing agency, secretary table made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Mahogany with a writing flap, designed by Karl-Johan in goo...
Metal, Brass
$7,797Sale Price|34% Off
H 77 in W 39.25 in D 19 in
Antique Georgian Sheraton Neo-Classical Inlaid Mahogany Secretary Bookcase, 1795
Located in Portland, OR
A fine & rare antique George III Sheraton inlaid mahogany bookcase secretary, circa 1795. A diminutive bureau bookcase In two parts, the top having a stepped cornice with twin doors ...
Mahogany, Satinwood
Art Deco Burlwood Wardrobe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Deco burlwood armoire cabinet. The doors retain their original door latches, handles and working lock and key. Made in UK circa 1930s.
Burl
Pierre-Paul Montagnac Cabinet
By Pierre-Paul Montagnac
Located in Philadelphia, PA
French 1940s cabinet by Pierre-Paul Montagnac. Model exhibited at the 1945 Salon d'Automne. This cabinet is a masterpiece of French cabinet-making designed by Pierre-Paul Montagnac....
Metal
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
$10,400 / set
H 23.75 in W 24.5 in D 14.25 in
Vintage Italian Nightstands by Paolo Buffa, Mahogany & Glass, 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Italian pair of bed side tables made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Mahogany, designed by Paolo Buffa in good condition. The nightstands are c...
Metal, Brass
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.