Gustavian, Swedish Secretaire Desk, White Paint, Pinewood, Sweden, 1900s
Located in Stamford, CT
Gustavian, Swedish Painted Secretaire Desk, White Paint, Pinewood, Sweden, 1900s Gustavian secretaire desk or storage cabinet designed and produced in Sweden in the early part of th...
Paint
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Pinewood Bureau Secretaire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A late 18th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian one part bureau made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition.
Metal
Gustavian Secretaire / Bureau 1780 - 1790
Located in Kastrup, DK
Gustavian secrétaire in two parts, crafted in oak with a grey-white finish and a beautiful patina. The piece is constructed in two sections, featuring a classic upper cabinet with d...
Brass, Iron
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Two Part Pine Bureau, Scandinavian Secretaire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 19th Century, dark-grey antique Swedish Gustavian two part bureau with a writing flap made of hand crafted painted pinewood, in good condition.
Metal, Bronze
19th Century Grey Swedish Gustavian Pine Two Part Bureau - Antique Secretaire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 19th Century, light-grey, white antique Swedish Gustavian two part bureau made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition.
Metal
19th Century Gustavian Style Walnut Secretaire Avatant
Located in Madrid, ES
A Swedish writing desk, made of walnut wood, also decorated with gilded lateral grooves in the late Gustavian style. The writing desk is divided into two parts, each of which has bro...
Bronze
18th century Swedish Gustavian secretary cabinet
Located in Atlanta, GA
An elegant late 18th century Swedish Gustavian secretary cabinet, handcrafted in pine and finished in a softly distressed original white paint with beautiful age and patina throughou...
Wood
Swedish Gustavian Secretary, circa 1790
Located in Huntington, NY
A two part Swedish Gustavian secretary. The bonnet top consists of an impressive overhanging arched pediment cornice. Upper section has three shelves and two small drawers. Lower sec...
Brass, Iron
Gustavian Black-Painted Bureau Cabinet, Sweden
Located in Kastrup, DK
Elegant Gustavian black-painted bureau cabinet in three sections, crafted with fine classical detailing and beautiful patina. The upper section features a pair of glazed panel door...
Brass
$11,600Sale Price|20% Off
Swedish Gustavian 19th Century Painted Secretary
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A generously sized 19th century secretary desk from Sweden, made in the Gustavian style, with a striking painted finish of ruddy, patinated oxblood enveloping the pine construction. ...
Pine
Swedish Gustavian Painted Secretary Cabinet Bookcase
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Gustavian Painted Secretary Cabinet Bookcase, Sweden Antique Swedish secretary cabinet in Gustavian Style. The cabinet is a well crafted piece in two parts, made by hand. The interi...
Brass
$2,396Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Desk Secretary
Located in San Angelo, TX
This beautiful and unique 19th century Swedish Gustavian writing desk is perfect for any room or hallway. The colors are amazing with the distress and dry scrapping for a perfect loo...
Wood, Pine, Paint
Swedish secrétaire with rare, well-preserved original paint, dated 1841.
Located in Kastrup, DK
Swedish secrétaire made of pine and dated 1841. The piece appears with a rare, well-preserved original paint finish in a warm coral tone, richly complemented by fine polychrome deco...
Pine
Antique Swedish Gustavian Bureau, Handcrafted Oakwood, Circa 1790
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Swedish Gustavian bureau made of hand crafted painted Oakwood, in good condition.
Metal, Brass
Swedish Gustavian Secretary Desk, Solid Pine, Antique, Circa 1850
Located in Kramfors, SE
Swedish country secretary desk in gustavian style from around 1850. Beautiful and genuine country furniture made by hand in solid pine in northern Sweden. The piece is made in a clas...
Pine
Gustavian Painted Secretary, Off-White Wood, 18th Century, Sweden
Located in Queens, NY
Continental Gustavian-style (Possibly Swedish/ Danish 18th Century) off-white painted secretary with carved column sides and carved simple swag and tassel design on front top section...
Wood
Antique Swedish Gustavian Secretary Desk, Pinewood, Circa 1840-1860
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 19th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian one part bureau, secretary made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition.
Metal
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Writing Bureau in Dry-Scraped Pine
Located in Mckinney, TX
18th-century Swedish bureau crafted in pine with a fixed, writing-height top and original dry-scraped surface. Multiple small drawers over deeper storage below, finished with simple ...
Pine, Paint
Gustavian Fall-Front Bureau in Original Paint, Sweden, Circa 1800
Located in Kastrup, DK
Gustavian bureau in exceptionally well-preserved original condition Crafted in pine and finished in a warm reddish-brown tone, with decorative blue faux marbled panels to both the f...
Pine
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Two Part Painted Secretary
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Grand late 18th century Swedish gustavian period two-part secretaire cabinet or bookcase crafted from pine and beech.
Iron
Swedish Gustavian Period 1790s Painted Slant Front Secretary with Three Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Gustavian period painted wood secretary from the late 18th century, with slant front desk, multiple drawers, dark painted interior, three drawers in the façade and rustic c...
Brass
Swedish Gustavian 1790s Painted Slant-Front Desk with Carved Diamond Motifs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Gustavian period slant front desk from the late 18th century, with carved diamond motifs, multiple drawers, original lock and key. Created in Sweden during the last decade ...
Wood
19th Century Swedish antique rustic Gustavian Secretary with Original Paint
Located in Boden, SE
A Swedish antique rustic Gustavian slant front secretary from early 19th century that is perfect for any home. This originalpainted features a slanted top that pulls down to make a ...
Pine
18th Century Black Swedish Gustavian One Part Pine Bureau - Antique Secretary
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A black, antique Swedish Gustavian one part bureau, secretaire made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition.
Metal, Bronze
19th Century Swedish Small Gustavian Fall Front Desk with Original Paint
Located in Boden, SE
19th century Swedish Gustavian fall front desk from Burtrask Vasterbotten, Northern Sweden. Scraped by hand to its original color. Small cute model in child size. Fits so nicely i...
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretary with Fall-Front, Black and Coral
Located in Kastrup, DK
A fine Gustavian secretary crafted in black-painted pine with a striking coral-red interior. The top features a moulded edge, complemented by gently canted sides with elegant carved...
Brass
Early 19th Century Stunning Swedish Gustavian Secretary
Located in San Angelo, TX
Here is a stunning early 19th century Swedish Gustavian secretary. This secretary features a newer, professionally applied white and gray exterior painted finish by master Swedish ar...
Brass
Swedish Gustavian Slant-Front Secretary in Original Cream Paint, 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
A refined Swedish Gustavian slant-front secretary from the early 19th century, presented in a beautifully aged original cream-painted finish with soft green undertones inside. The cl...
Pine
19th Century Gustavian-style Secretary Bookcase
Located in Solebury, PA
A stunning 19th-century Gustavian painted secretary bookcase, adorned with an elegant arched top above two matching glazed doors, each embellished with six delicate mullions and gene...
Wood, Paint
Period Gustavian Slant-Front Desk with Black Exterior and Blue Interior
Located in Atlanta, GA
A beautifully proportioned Swedish Gustavian period slant front desk, retaining a wonderfully aged black-painted exterior and opening to reveal a striking powder blue interior. The c...
Pine
Gustavian Two-Part Bureau, Handcrafted Pinewood, Neoclassical, 1790
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-grey, white antique Sweden Gustavian two part bureau with a writing flap made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition. The Scandinavian writing table, desk is com...
Metal, Brass
$4,400
Swedish Secretary Bureau
Located in New York, NY
A late 19th century Swedish secretary bureau with a drop front writing surface. Two over three drawers sits atop ogee bracket feet. Later paint.
Wood
Gustavian Style 1840s Gray Painted Drop Front Secretary with Graduated Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Gustavian style drop front secretary from circa 1840 with gray painted finish, writing area and three graduated drawers. This Swedish Gustavian style drop-front secretary, ...
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Secretary
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Early 19th Century Swedish secretary. Doors carved with decorative detailing and opening to shelf storage. Below, a fall front desk space with nine various size drawers for storage. ...
Wood
19th Century Swedish Clock Secretary Circa 1820
Located in Atlanta, GA
This exceptional 19th-century Swedish clock secretary, circa 1820, combines functionality with timeless Gustavian elegance. Crafted from pine, this impressive piece features a beauti...
Pine, Paint
Late 18th-Century Swedish Secretary, c. 1780-90
Located in Kastrup, DK
Beautiful Gustavian secrétaire desk / bureau crafted in oak and finished in a decorative light blue hue with an attractive patina.
Brass, Iron
Antique Swedish Secretary Cabinet 19th Century
Located in Houston, TX
19th Century Swedish Secretary Desk with open book shelves above the fall front desk and bottom cabinet doors. The desk section has multiple small drawers and the lower section conce...
Wood
Mid 19th Century Swedish Blue Painted Pine Secretary
Located in Round Top, TX
Mid 19th-century Swedish pine secretary with newer professionally applied layered blue exterior painted finish. Upper glass panes allow for beautiful display of any collection held w...
Pine
18th Century Swedish Neoclassical Painted Secretary Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
18th century Swedish neoclassical painted secretary desk will make the perfect addition to your home whether your decor is modern, traditional, classic or rustic! Hand-crafted from d...
Steel
Fine Swedish three-part bureau with charming carvings and marble-painted columns
Located in Atlanta, GA
This fine Swedish three-part bureau, dating to circa 1790, is an elegant example of late 18th-century Scandinavian case furniture. The piece is distinguished by its architectural for...
Pine
19th-Century Swedish Bureau With Carved Columns And Blue-Painted Interior
Located in Atlanta, GA
This refined 19th-century Swedish bureau is distinguished by its architectural presence, elegant carvings, and beautifully preserved blue-painted interior. The exterior presents a so...
Wood
19th Century Handcrafted Pine Swedish Writing Bureau with Dragged Paint
Located in Mckinney, TX
Classic Swedish provincial form with a beautifully timeworn presence. This slant-top bureau retains its dry-scraped white paint across the front, revealing soft undertones of earlier...
Pine, Paint
18th Century Swedish Beechwood Herrbyrå, Chiffonje - Mens Writing Agency, Chest
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A late 18th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian Herrbyrå, Chiffonje mens writing agency, secretary table with a writing, folding flap made of hand crafted polished Beechwood, in good ...
Metal
Late 18th-Century Swedish Two-Part Secretary, Circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
Late 18th century Swedish two-part secretary with most original glass panes. The upper portion has paneled doors with most original glazed panes, a fall-front desk with writing surf...
Bronze
Tall Oak Secretary Bureau from Sweden, circa 1800-20
Located in Round Top, TX
This 7' tall oak secretary is an elegant statement piece crowned with an elaborate carved pediment over paneled cabinet doors. The secretary has been given a professional custom laye...
Brass
19th Century Swedish Vitrine Secretary Bureau with Original Paint
Located in Wichita, KS
A charming Swedish vitrine bureau secreatry made in two parts from the 19th century. Original paint on the exterior and later interior paint. The glass was replaced some time ago. Th...
Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Period Secretaire Bureau
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
An exceptional, richly carved 18th century Gustavian period two-part secretaire bureau with original locks and key.
Wood
Unavailable
H 48 in W 44 in D 20 in
Swedish Gustavian Brass-Mounted Mahogany and Marble-Top Secretaire
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Neoclassic Swedish Gustavian brass-mounter mahogany and marble-top secretaire.
Mahogany
Unavailable
H 53.15 in W 48.43 in D 20.08 in
Swedish Late Gustavian Secretaire a Abbatant with Porfhyr Top
Located in Helsingborg, SE
Secretaire A Abbatant, high-quality late Gustavian work of the Stockholm quality, Gottlieb Iwerssons circuit, veneered with mahogany, gilt anddark patinted handels of bronze top of B...
Bronze
Swedish Gustavian Secretary
Located in Fredericksburg, TX
Charming Swedish Gustavian Secretary with original paint. Both doors are marked with the year the secretary was constructed. Interesting size.
Wood
Swedish Secretaire with Pierced Cornice, 1800s
Located in Helsingborg, SE
This beautiful Swedish secretaire contains 4 drawers and three doors. It features delicate decorations in the upper part and diamonds on the front of the door. In the central part th...
Brass
Swedish Gustavian Two-Part Secretary with Pierced Cornice
Located in Sheffield, MA
Period Gustavian secretary in two parts, Sweden, circa 1770. The upper section has double doors with raised, reeded panels opening onto three shelves and a locking compartment. At th...
Wood
Gustavian Style Writing Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Writing desk in the Gustavian Style, Sweden, circa 1880. Raised, reeded panels on the three-drawer fronts and on the slant front. The interior is fitted with drawers and compartments...
Wood
Period Gustavian Writing Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Fall front writing desk from the Gustavian period, Sweden, circa 1800. The drawers and fall front have raised panels centered with circular detail. The interior features fourteen dra...
Wood
Period Swedish Secretary from Ångermanland
Located in Sheffield, MA
Wonderful rural interpretation of the late Gustavian style in a two part secretary from Ångermanland, Sweden, circa 1820. The library section has two shelves inside a cabinet with...
Brass
Swedish Slant Front Writing Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Two-drawer writing desk, Sweden, circa 1880. The slant front features a raised, reeded panel and opens to reveal an interior with 14 drawers and a central compartment with another re...
Brass
Unavailable
H 57.01 in W 40.75 in D 18.5 in
Early 1800s Swedish Pine Secretary with Original Brass Hardware
Located in Memphis, TN
Early 1800s Swedish pine secretary with original brass hardware. Substantial and gorgeous, the authentic aged Swedish pine glows with a golden patina. With a chest of three roomy dra...
Pine
Gustavian Secretaire
Located in New Orleans, LA
Painted Gustavian Secretaire
Wood
Stunning Lacquered Inlay Secretary with Gorgeous Hardware
Located in Memphis, TN
Bring the grandeur into your home with this fantastic secretary desk with stunning marquetry design from the first half of the 20th century. With intricate inlay work and nearly perf...
Wood
1800s Tall Secretary with Lower Chest of Drawers
Located in Memphis, TN
1800s tall secretary with lower chest of drawers. Gorgeous wood grain on dresser face, bun feet, original hardware (some hardware missing). H 56.5" W 45" D 19.5"
Wood
Unavailable
H 60 in W 39.49 in D 20 in
1800s Burl Wood Veneered Tall Secretary with Black Trim Throughout
Located in Memphis, TN
Tall secretary from 1800s. Beautiful burl wood veneered drawer and cabinet facing with detailed inlay and glossy black trim throughout the piece. Original hardware (except one drawer...
Wood, Burl
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaire
Located in Charleston, SC
Early 19th century Swedish Gustavian secretaire in original patinated colors with drop down writing surface.The desk interior is a gorgeous blue/green in color and features several s...
Pine
Sold
H 49.61 in W 37.41 in D 18.51 in
A Swedish Gustavian Secretaire By Fredric Iwersson, Stockholm, Around 1780.
By Fredrich Iwersson
Located in Stockholm, SE
An important Swedish Gustavian secretaire made around 1780-1785 by Fredrich Iwersson, master in Stockholm 1780-1801.
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaire
Located in Berlin, DE
This late 18th century small provincial Gustavian secretaire or desk remains some original color.
Pine
Fine 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaire
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine 18th century Swedish Gustavian secretair in it's original finish with great patina and character. Ca 1790 Sweden. Additional measurements: Hight to desk 74 cm, Depth with desk...
Pine
Early 19th Century Period Swedish Gustavian Secretaire Cabinet
Located in Charleston, SC
A very fine example of early 19th century secretaire cabinet of Gustavian period with a high arching pediment cornice and reeded panelled doors.
Pine
Gustavian painted Secretaire Writing Desk, 18th Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
18th Century antique Swedish Gustavian Secretaire with original hardware, locks, and inlaid brass lists.
Carrara Marble
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Period Secretaire
Located in Charleston, SC
Very fine example of 18th century period Gustavian secretaire with richly carved balcony pediment cornice and vitrine original glass bookcase, fall front desk with multiple small com...
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Period Secretaire
Located in Charleston, SC
Very fine example of 18th century period Gustavian secretaire with richly carved balcony pediment cornice and fall front desk with multiple small compartments over a Classic three-dr...
Pine
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Period Secretaire
Located in Charleston, SC
Very fine example of 18th century period Gustavian secretaire with richly carved balcony pediment cornice and fall front desk with multiple small compartments over a Classic three-dr...
Bronze
Period Gustavian Swedish Secretaire with Vitrine Cabinet
Located in Charleston, SC
A very fine example of 18th century large secretaire cabinet of transition from Rococo to Gustavian period with a high arching pediment cornice and rare vitrine glass display bookcase.
Pine
Period Gustavian Swedish Secretaire with Vitrine Cabinet
Located in Charleston, SC
A very fine example of early 19th century large secretaire cabinet from Gustavian period with a high arching pediment cornice and rare vitrine with original hand blown glass display ...
A Small Swedish Gustavian Mahogany Secrétaire circa 1790
Located in Stockholm, SE
A fine Swedish gustavian mahogany secrétaire of small proportions with a white carrara marble top.
Swedish Gustavian Style Two-Part Secretaire Bookcase
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Made in the Swedish Gustavian taste with a gorgeous painted lacquer finish having a distressed patina.
Brass
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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.