Table of Contents
What makes a desk a secretary?
A secretary desk, also known as an escritoire, is made of a base of wide drawers topped by a desk with a hinged desktop surface. This is topped with a bookcase that comes with a pair of doors usually closed.
Where do you put your secretary?
Steer clear of those secretary desks that omit a top cabinet portion, as secretaries with a lopped-off silhouette can feel too casual for a formal living room. Instead, seek out secretaries with a hutch or upper cabinet, which can be used to lend height and create an elegant focal point in a living room.
What is an antique secretary desk?
The antique drop front desk, or often called a side by side secretary, is a late 19th Century Victorian period furniture invention. The desk combines a bookcase or curio with a small writing desk, and has multifunction of storage and writing surface.
What were Secretary desks used for?
A brief history of the secretary desk “Originally, these pieces were used by the actual secretary of an estate, as a place to pay the bills and handle the affairs of a large household,” says Greg Jaron of Jarons Furniture in New Jersey.
What piece of furniture is a secretary?
Secretary, also called secretaire, or escritoire, a writing desk fitted with drawers, one of which can be pulled out and the front lowered to provide a flat writing surface. There are many variations to this basic design.
What is a secretary room?
The Secretary room is a cosy room with a high standard of comfort.
Are secretary desks sturdy?
Veneer and Solid Wood – When they’re properly maintained, secretary desks made of veneer or solid wood offer security and durability over decades. They are perfect for traditionalists as well as people who want to achieve a timeless and vintage look inside their offices.
Can you use a writing desk as a computer desk?
Both a computer desk and a writing desk can be used today, even if they are slightly different. However, it is only those who are going to concentrate exclusively on writing that is going to consider writing desks. Even students might choose a computer desk instead, as it can be a better all-rounder.
How do I remove hutch from secretary desk?
How to Disassemble a Desk Hutch Remove any lift-out shelves and place them to one side. Loosen and remove any screws holding the shelves to the desk, working from the top down. Remove the drawers from the desk and place them to one side. Remove any remaining screws holding the desk hutch together.
How do I know if my secretary desk is antique?
Five Ways to Tell If Furniture Is Actually Antique Look for dovetailing. Multiple types of wood is a good thing. Beware of furniture that’s made to look old. Do a thorough search for labels or stamps. Shut out symmetry.
How do I know if my desk is an antique?
Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.
What are the different types of antique desks?
These include slant-fronts like the escritoire and fall-fronts like the butler’s desk, among a number of others. 01 of 10. Bureau Mazarin. 02 of 10. Butler’s Desk. 03 of 10. Cheveret. 04 of 10. Davenport Desk or Ship Captain’s Desk. 05 of 10. Escritoire. 06 of 10. Fall-Front Desk. 07 of 10. Kneehole Desk. 08 of 10. Partner’s Desk.
What is an antique desk called?
Bureau à gradin – A bureau à gradin is a type of antique writing desk that has many small drawers and compartments along the back and sides of the desk surface.
What is a bureau furniture?
bureau, in the United States, a chest of drawers; in Europe a writing desk, usually with a hinged writing flap that rests at a sloping angle when closed and, when opened, reveals a tier of pigeonholes, small drawers, and sometimes a small cupboard.
What is a Governor Winthrop desk?
A Like me, you must hail from New England where a piece of furniture like yours is often referred to as a Governor Winthrop desk. While the term is correct, most people outside our neck of the woods might call this a drop front or slant front desk, even a drop lid or slant top desk.
Why is furniture called a secretary?
The secretary (from secretarius, Latin for writer) evolved as a larger and more formal piece of furniture to store books and papers. Tall or low, a secretary consists of a slanted lid that flips forward to create a writing surface, concealing (when closed) cubbies and pigeonholes (even secret compartments) and drawers.
What is a letter desk called?
What is another word for writing desk? secretaire desk escritoire davenport secretary bureau roll-top desk writing table secretary desk table.
How much is a Wooton desk?
Wooton desks continued to be produced by a series of firms with different names until 1898, but it is those from the original decade that are the most sought after. Back then, the desks ranged in price from $90 to $750, roughly the equivalent of $1,531 to $12,765 in 21st-century dollars.
What does Escritoire mean in English?
: a writing table or desk specifically : secretary sense 4b.
How wide is a secretary desk?
Secretary Desks come in different sizes spanning anywhere from 29 – 42 inches wide, 14 – 20 inches deep, and 37 – 72 inches high.
How much weight can a secretary desk hold?
Good quality office desks can typically hold between 100 to 880 pounds or 45kg to 400kg in weight. Some office desks made out of stronger materials like metal hold much more weight than their plastic counterparts.
