Skip to main content

Secretaires

to
280
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
806
1,482
80
12
1,508
1,273
1,574
1,499
1,527
Secretaires For Sale
Petite Queen Anne Style 1880s Walnut Slant-Front Desk on Cabriole Legs
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A late 19th century Queen Anne style small walnut mini slant front desk on stand resting on graceful cabriole legs ending in pad feet. The slant drop front,...
Category

Late 19th Century Queen Anne Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Style Cabinet with Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant Italian Louis XV Style cabinet with desk 1910s. This cabinet is characterized by a refined veneer in fine rosewood. The veneer is laid using the grain of the wood as a decora...
Category

1910s Italian Louis XV Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

19th Century Empire Mahogany Bureau Secretary with Bookcase
Located in Miami, FL
A very fine Empire secretary in West Indies mahogany, also known as Cuban mahogany, considered to be among the finest mahoganies because of its beautiful grain and color, Denmark, circa 1820. Cylinder top opens to a pull-out desk which offers an adjustable baize-lined lectern or writing surface flanked by sliding storage compartments, as well as a series of small interior drawers around a central cabinet. Above the desk, are three cupboards with bowed doors, the central one featuring a pediment top. Below the pull-out desk drawer, there are three long storage...
Category

Mid-19th Century Danish Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

Arne Hovmand Olsen Vanity / Secretary in Teak with Etched Glass Doors
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: Denmark Designer: Arne Hovmand Olsen Manufacturer: Linnebjerg Era: 1950s Materials: Teak, Glass Measurements: 39.5" wide x 21.5" deep x 33" tall Condition: In excelle...
Category

20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

Materials

Teak, Glass

SECOND HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY SMALL STANDING DESK
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant small piece of furniture in carved solid walnut, with a folding top for standing writing. This piece of furniture was created to be used as a vertical desk, the top opens wit...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Art Deco Heals Style Oak Bureau Bookcase, 1930s
Located in South Shields, GB
A beautiful quality, 1930's oak bureau bookcase, in the manner of Heals There's a leaded glass door bookcase to one side, a pull down desk with compartment storage and drawers to the...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

Materials

Oak

Italian Baroque Style Burl Walnut Secretary Desk Cabinet
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A fine Italian baroque burl walnut secretary desk with a cartouche form mirrored panel beneath a deep scrolled pediment top and above two mirrored doors. The doors with a interior wo...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Chinese Two-Pieces Furniture with Table and Cupboard with Doors and Drawers
Located in Marbella, ES
Chinese Two-Pieces Furniture with Table and Cupboard with Doors and Drawers
Category

Late 20th Century English Chinoiserie Secretaires

Materials

Metal

EXQUISITE EARLY GEORGIAN CIRCA 1760 WRITING BUREAU DESK WiTH GREEN LEATHER TOP
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original English circa 1760 Oak writing bureau with green leather writing surface Please not...
Category

1760s English Georgian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Oak

Aesthetic Movement Bonheur du Jour Secretary Desk Cabinet
Located in Pasadena, TX
Bonheur du Jour secretary desk cabinet, circa late 1880s. Dark walnut with finial accents and turned legs. The hinged writing surface opens to...
Category

Late 19th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Early French Art Deco Secretaire Desk with Marquetry and Inlays
Located in Ulm, DE
Secretary Wooden body, hand-polished shellac probably stained ash elaborate inlays and marquetry freshly mirrored inside Early Art Déco, France around 1925 Dimensions: Width: 70 c...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Italian Renaissance Dressing Table 19th Century Hand Painted by Müller Morten
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Exquisite & stunning! This Italian renaissance Dressing table hand painted on all sides by Müller Morten circa 1860s. A true work of art this dressing table, the paintings are on a...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

Danish Modern Ejnar Larsen & Aksel Bender Madsen Teak & Oak Hutch
Located in Minneapolis, MN
An older design by Aksel Bender and Ejner Larsen. This hutch is likely part of a series of modular cabinets. Ours has a lower set of drawers in oak with sculpted teak pulls. Upper ha...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires

Materials

Oak, Teak

Late 18th Century Louis XVI Cylinder Desk with central lock and beautiful patina
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
Late 18th Century Cylinder Desk with beautiful Patina, 1800, France Cylinder desk with straight sides, closed in the upper part with a semi-circular flap, with two drawers. The whol...
Category

1790s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

18th Century Louis XVI Cylinder Top Secretaire
Located in Belmont, MA
18th century Louis XVI Cylinder Top Secretaire, Paris 1780. The secretaire stands out for its elaborate kingwood and satinwood marquetry. The inside is embellished with several dra...
Category

1780s French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Kingwood

Swedish Pine Secretary, Circa 1820-40
Located in Round Top, TX
It is the warm patina of the aged pine that draws one to this secretary with graceful Swedish country charm. Desktop rests on two extended arms. Desk opens reveals 8 small drawers an...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

English Chippendale Mahogany & Satinwood Fall Front Secretary w/ Bookcase C 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
English Chippendale mahogany and satinwood fall front secretary / bookcase with a molded edge pendent cornice, flanking upper case hinged original glass doors revealing removable int...
Category

1780s English Chippendale Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Federal Mahogany and Birch Inlaid Secretary/Desk sq
Located in Water Mill, NY
Federal Mahogany and Birch inlaid secretary/desk with contrasting veneers and bone pulls.
Category

1790s American Federal Antique Secretaires

Materials

Birch, Mahogany

Rare French Marquetry and Gilt Bronze Secretaire with Architecture Scenes
Located in London, GB
A Truly Magnificent 19th century Secre´taire a` Abattant by Maison Rogie´ of Paris After the original in the Wallace Collection, London, made in 1777 by Pierre-Antoine Foullet Con...
Category

19th Century French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Carrara Marble, Bronze

Antique Pine Roll Top Desk Bureau from Sweden circa 1840
Located in Round Top, TX
Lovely pine roll top desk or bureau from Sweden from the 1800's. The age of this secretary is revealed in the warmth of the deep patina in the pine which only happens through genera...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine

Vintage secretary / desk by Musterring made in the 60s
Located in Breda, NB
Vintage secretary / desk by Musterring made in the 60s. Dimensions: Width: 88.5 cm Height: 99 cm Depth: 47 cm Depth extended blade: 62.3 cm Height worktop: 70.5 cm The piece has tr...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Biedermeier Secretaire, Central Germany, circa 1820
Located in Greding, DE
Biedermeier secretaire with three drawers and flat writing flap. The body is veneered in cherry and polished by hand. The secretaire stands on square feet which are flanked by eboniz...
Category

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Cherry

18th Century Baroque Cabinet with Secretaire, Germany, 1760
Located in Belmont, MA
18th century Baroque cabinet with secretaire, Germany, 1760, walnut veneer. Beautiful piece in excellent condition, professionally rest...
Category

1760s German Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Dutch Rococo Style Bombe Burled Walnut Secretaire
Located in Chicago, IL
Dutch Rococo style burled walnut bombe front secretaire with carved ball and claw feet. Three drawers with cast brass pulls and cast brass detailed key ho...
Category

1940s Dutch Rococo Revival Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Antique 19th Century Carved Mahogany Secretary Bookcase
Located in New Orleans, LA
This is an extremely handsome, well-carved secretary bookcase in fine condition. It will not fail to please.
Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany

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 Secretaires

Materials

Lacquer, Mirror, Beech

Neoclassical Style Mahogany Bronze Ormolu Mounted Secretaire
Located in Tarry Town, NY
19th century mahogany wood neoclassical style bronze ormolu mounted secretary. The secretary is raised on tapered feet mounted bronze ormolu. The center section is fitted with a pane...
Category

1820s French Neoclassical Antique Secretaires

Materials

Ormolu

Art Deco Modernist Partners Desk, circa 1930
Located in Devon, England
For your consideration is this superbly stylish 1930s Partners desk. The base wood is Mahogany and veneered in a Bombay Walnut veneers which has a ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Art Deco Secretaires

Materials

Chrome

Antique French Renaissance Revival Hunt Desk / Secretaire Barley Twist Oak 19th
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Gorgeous French antique 19th century Renaissance revival / Hunt style Writing desk in carved oak. Marvelous decorated hunt style desk with fox head drawers & barley twisted columns...
Category

1870s French Renaissance Revival Antique Secretaires

Materials

Oak

19th Century Cuban Mahogany Wood Bargueno Desk
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This Bargueno desk is hallmarked Garcia & HN Monte #122 Habana. It is embellished with a carving scene from the book of Don Quixote de la Mancha bordered...
Category

Late 19th Century American Renaissance Revival Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Mid century Vintage small TV cabinet by František Jirák, 1960´s, Czechoslovakia
Located in Prague 8, CZ
Mid century Vintage small cabinet or TV table from the 1960´s. It was designed by František Jirák and was manufactured by Tatra nábytok company in the former Czechoslovakia. Walnut v...
Category

Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Walnut, Plywood

18th C. Venetian Tall Secretary Cabinet with Beautiful Hand-Painted Finish
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian Venetian tall secretary cabinet from the 18th century. This antique 7.75 feet tall (approximate) cabinet from Venice, Italy boasts a ...
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Louis XVI Mahogany Bureau / Secretaire, Copenhagen Approx. 1780
Located in Kastrup, DK
Louis XVI bureau / Secretaire in 3 parts. Upper part with three doors. Middle part door with fluted over a la grecque away, flanked by pair of side doors with oval fillings. Exteriors of doors with fluted flat profiles. With 2 fold-down writing boards: Top writing board with leather for standing working position. Behind the writing board a small drawer front with additional small drawers. Middle part with sloping writing flap for a sitting working position. Behind the writing board are numerous drawers in Thuja wood...
Category

Late 18th Century Danish Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Mahogany, Satinwood

20th Century antique Biedermeier Style Slope-Flap Secretaire mahogany veneer
Located in Berlin, DE
Mahogany on solid softwood. Straight, two-drawer body above short, conical square legs, above an inclined writing flap and staggered office division of drawers and compartments. Clas...
Category

20th Century German Biedermeier Secretaires

Materials

Wood

Biedermeier Roll-Top Desk, Cherry Veneer, Brass, Ink, South Germany circa 1820
Located in Regensburg, DE
High-quality early Biedermeier Roll-top or Cylinder Secretaire or Writing Cabinet from South Germany around 1820. Very thick cherrywood saw veneer on softwood and solid cherrywood. E...
Category

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Wood and parchment secretaire by Englander & Bonta, Argentina, circa 1940.
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Wood and parchment secretaire by Englander & Bonta, Argentina, circa 1940. Englander & Bonta where two European designer that migrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1930 and manufact...
Category

1940s Argentine Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Wood, Parchment Paper

Large Robsjohn-Gibbings Dresser Secretary w Bookcase
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-century modern Robsjohn Gibbings walnut multifunction cabinet.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

19th Century French Bookcase, Cylinder Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French Bookcase ~ Cylinder Secretary is a stately reminder of a bygone era! Hand-crafted by talented cabinetmakers from a mixture of in...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Neoclassical Revival Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Secretaire Napoleone III, France, 19th Century, Black
Located in Prato, IT
France, second half '800 Lastronate in ebanized wood. Inlay in brass, copper, pewter, mother-of-pearl. Marble top in "Fior di pesco". Inside three drawers with leather top with g...
Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

19th C. Spanish Leather-Wrapped Secretary Cabinet on a Custom Iron Base
Located in Atlanta, GA
A 19th century Spanish secretary desk, on custom iron base. This antique case piece from Spain has a leather-wrapped exterior which is adorn in ...
Category

19th Century Spanish Antique Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Wood

Elegant Louis XVI Cherrywood Secrétaire Cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant Louis XVI cherrywood secrétaire cabinet.
Category

18th Century and Earlier French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Leather, Cherry

French Louis XV Period 18th Century Walnut Slant Front Secretary and Buffet
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV period walnut slant front secretary from the 18th century with buffet in the lower section. Step into the world of regal elegance with this French Louis XV period w...
Category

18th Century French Louis XV Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Gianfranco Frattini for Bernini Secrétaire and Wall Shelves
Located in London, GB
An Italian secrétaire with three wall shelves by Gianfranco Frattini for Bernini. In rosewood veneer, with brass handles and key and brushed gold legs.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Beech

Henredon Solid Oak Olive Finish Wide Open Bookcase Secretary Desk Country French
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Henredon Solid Oak or Chestnut Olive Finish Wide Open Bookcase Secretary Desk Country French MINT!
Category

20th Century American Country Secretaires

Materials

Chestnut, Oak

Scandinavian Modern Teak Cabinet with Sliding Doors and Roll-up Flap
Located in Madrid, ES
Scandinavian made cabinet veneered with teak. Top part with roll-up flap, bottom with two sliding doors, behind which are storage compartments with a shelf. Key included.
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires

Materials

Teak

Tall Mid-Century Highboy Drop Front Secretary
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique highboy dresser with burl wood drop font writing surface with fitted insert. Additional storage drawers above and below. Please confirm item location (NY or NJ) with dealer.
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Secretaires

Materials

Walnut, Burl

Venetian Hand-Painted Blind Door Secretary with Bookcase, Circa 1900
Located in Charleston, SC
Venetian blind door secretary with a carved scrolled decorative cornice, upper case bookcase with hand-painted parrots and foliage, slant top reve...
Category

Early 1900s Italian Neoclassical Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century Country French Neoclassical Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century Country French neoclassical secretary is a splendid example of the genre, dating to the reign of Louis XVI himself! The period saw ...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Secretaires

Materials

Bronze

20th Century Vienna Biedermeier Style Secretaire after Johann Härle
By Johann Härle
Located in Berlin, DE
Aristocratic secretaire of Vienna Biedermeier after Johann Härle, 1813. Highly valuable bird’s-eye maple root veneer on solid pinewood, partially ebonized, crested with classicist m...
Category

20th Century Biedermeier Secretaires

Materials

Pine, Wood, Birdseye Maple

A Charming Victorian Postcard or Stationary Stand, South Coast
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
A Charming Victorian Postcard or Stationary Stand, South Coast This is a very attractive piece, the box is made walnut and is sign written with local advertisements The cabinet has several storage sections for leaflets postcards etc. at the back, it may have been displayed in a Hotel Foyer or similar. At the front there is a writing space with blotter, this can be folded away when space is needed All the advertisements are from Southsea, Portsmouth, The Isle of Wight and surrounding area. This is a very attractive piece the advertising work is all in good condition, there is a small bevelled mirror...
Category

19th Century Victorian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Midcentury George Nelson Gentlemens Secretary Chest
Located in Pasadena, TX
George Nelson George Nelson (1908-1986) was an important modernist whose work cut across the fields of interior, industrial and exhibition design. Nelson studied architecture at Yale University in the 1920s, and in the next two decades earned a strong reputation as a writer on design for Architectural Forum, Interiors and Fortune. In 1945 Nelson began a long association with the Herman Miller Furniture Company of Zeeland, Michigan, where as head designer he developed an innovative line of furniture and commissioned new designs from others. His first commission was Isamu Noguchi`s biomorphic glass-topped coffee table, which began production in 1947, the first of many designs that the sculptor would create for Herman Miller in the late Forties. Nelson also was responsible for bringing the designs of Charles Eames to Herman Miller, and he collaborated with R. Buckminster Fuller on a number of projects. Among Nelson`s own creations are classic works of 1950s design, including the bubble lamp, ball clock, marshmallow sofa and the pole-supported wall-storage system. Nelson also designed numerous exhibitions, including the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, and the Chrysler Corporation display at the 1964 New York World`s Fair. Vintage midcentury George Nelson walnut secretary 1960s A great example of early George Nelson design. Secretary desk and dresser...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

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,...
Category

1790s Swedish Gustavian Antique Secretaires

Materials

Steel

18th Century Baroque Secretaire, Lake Constance Region
Located in Belmont, MA
18th century baroque secretaire, Lake Constance region. Two-drawer body on curved square feet, foldable desk, inside six drawers, a wide shelf and a sec...
Category

1750s German Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Walnut

Regency Rosewood Secretaire Side Cabinet/Chiffoneer
Located in Folkestone, GB
A superior quality and unusual Regency rosewood Side Cabinet, the top drawer with fold-down, leather-lined front, fully fitted with drawers and pigeon holes. below are a pair of silk...
Category

Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Secretaires

Materials

Rosewood

18th Century Dutch Neoclassical Apothecary Cabinet, Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
18th century Dutch neoclassical apothecary cabinet ~ secretary was obviously a product of sublimely talented artisans, indeed! Created with a stately elegance inspired by ancient Greek architects, it features a crown with facing pitched moldings flanking a center pediment that is a design copied by the early Federal style furniture crafters in the then-young country of the USA. A bold cornice provides a platform for the crown moldings, and appears over the generously sized upper cabinet, whose two large, tailored doors open to reveal adjustable shelf storage above, and a tambour cabinet below that opens to reveal multiple cubby holes, ideal for the pharmacist...
Category

Late 18th Century Dutch Neoclassical Revival Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

18th Century Baroque Secretaire/ Writing Cabinet Nutwood, Germany ca. 1770
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Important 18th century secrétaire or writing cabinet elaborately made in the baroque period in West Germany around 1770. Different kinds of fine nutwood/ walnut were used to set up a...
Category

Late 18th Century German Baroque Antique Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Tall Cabinet in Solid Patinated Pine Designed by Martin Nyrop for Rud Rasmussen
Located in Lejre, DK
Tall cabinet with glass doors in patinated solid pine. Designed by MAA. Martin Nyrop as interior for Copenhagen town hall in 1905. Made ...
Category

Early 1900s Danish Scandinavian Modern Antique Secretaires

Materials

Pine, Glass

Pair Antique Country French Walnut Petite Secretaries
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair Antique Country French Walnut Petite Secretaries are truly an amazing and unique find! The design is unusually tall, shallow and narrow all at...
Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XV Secretaires

Materials

Brass

Antique, New and Vintage Secretaires

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.

Recently Viewed

View All