French Writing Desks

French writing desks can add aesthetic distinction to your home office whether they be genuine antiques or recreations of the traditional styles. French desks hold elegance and adornment in high esteem but still leave room for function. One of the most elaborate French writing desks is found in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. From 1685 it was a writing desk for King Louis XIV. It boasts a tortoise shell veneer, engraved brass, ebony and rosewood.

Modern French writing desks still employ the old traditional designs; these include the Bonheur du jour, bureau a gradin, bureau Mazarin, the escritoire and the liseuse. Bonheur du jour translates into happiness of the day. It was a female writing desk of the mid 18th century. It is made of lightweight wood featuring an arched back with small drawers enclosed in a flap. The writing surface is a small platform over a single drawer. The desk was often topped with decorative brass or ormolu, a brass alloy that looks like actual gold.

The bureau a gradin was a flat desk with a bank of drawers resting atop a pullout writing surface. They feature good storage space with an enclosure.

The bureau Mazarin was a knee hole desk mounted on legs and is likely the predecessor to the pedestal desks of Britain and American design.

The escritoire holds a certain romanticized charm in the world of writing desks. It was a secretary desk with either a lockable sloped or hinged top lid. The desk was either portable or free standing. The romantic appeal came from the fact that these were often designed with secret drawers and compartments, requiring a second key to unlock. Beyond the mystique of who’s diary or will was stashed in a forgotten hidden compartment the smaller versions became popular with travelers, teachers and military officers as a portable lap desk.

The liseuse is a medium sized writing table with the unique feature of a small hinged panel that can be propped up at various angles desirable for reading or writing on a slanted surface.

Many other forms of French writing desks can be found either as antiques or reproductions. With the multitude of styles it might be hard to find a French writing desk that doesn’t suit your tastes.

The Charm of an Antique Secretary Writing Desk

Antique Secretary Writing Desk

It is possible to go down to the local discount store and buy a generic piece of furniture that will pass for your desk and computer stand. The price will be right and it will serve its purpose. However, these desks have no character or life in them like the old style writing desks such as a secretary writing desk.

The secretary writing desk was created in an age when people actually sat at a desk to write letters and take care of their finances. The kitchen table was meant for eating and not paying the bills. The writing desk was created with style and grace to fit in with the other furnishings in the home and serve its purpose. The secretary writing desk, in particular, is a great example of beauty and utility all rolled up in one stunning piece of furniture.

Including one of these antiques in your home is a great way to add some elegance to your home while you also have a place to take care of your correspondence and household bills. The secretary writing desk is often full of cubbies to hold all of your bills and items that you need while working at your desk. The writing desk that you choose should be a useful piece of furniture while it adds grace to your home.

If you don’t want the added expense and responsibility of an actual antique, you can choose an antique style secretary writing desk to use in your home that will give you the same great look in a desk that was made in modern times. These are a good choice for someone who wants an elegant room but is on a budget.

The style of the desk can vary widely from a feminine and stylish white secretary writing desk to one that is comprised of metal and has a very industrial feel to it.

True Antique Writing Desks

Looking for True Antique Writing Desks

The antique writing desk that you put in your home can be used for a variety of purposes. Many people put these beautiful pieces in their home for the decorative effect that they can have on a room and others actually enjoy using their desk. If you are in the market for one of these beauties, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

Deal with a reputable antiques dealer when you are searching for the right antique writing desk. The pieces that you find may be stunning, but they may not be antique desks at all. While it is perfectly acceptable to put a reproduction in your home, you should be aware of it and not spend too much money on something that is not as valuable as the real thing.

Take the time to do a little research on the desks that you are interested in buying so that you will know one when you see it. You may not be able to become an expert in antique furnishings, but you can learn to detect a fake when you see one. There is some wonderful material available that will help you spot a fake when you are searching for antiques, and that way you know you have the real thing when you get your antique writing desk.

It is also possible for the antiques dealer to be fooled if they do not have the expertise to recognize a real antique writing desk. That is why you should always check the reputation of the dealer to be sure that they are experienced and reputable. Delving into the world of antiques is a fun hobby to get started in and your antique writing desk can be the first piece that you acquire. Before you know it, you will have a home full of beautiful pieces that you have collected during your trips to the antique shops.

Antique Writing Desks | Old Writing Desks | Roll Top Writing Desks

Antique Writing Desks

Antique writing desks come in many shapes, sizes, and forms. Just as there is no one and only set model when someone is trying to talk about a "contemporary writing desk" or a "modern writing desk," there isn't in one set design for antique writing desks. This term can be used to describe simple office desks that are a hundred years old or more, or they might be referring to older designs that have more or less gone out of fashion in modern times like a writing desk with hutch, a secretary writing desk, or a roll top correspondence desk. All of these designs have their charms and their benefits, but they don't match well with the advances in modern technology which is why few of these designs are used in actual offices any more.

Because of this, it can be hard to have one definitive post on antique writing desks since that phrase can reference many different designs, shapes, or even individual companies that have since gone out of business. Still, when the term "antique writing desks" comes up, there is usually a definitive idea or mental picture.

Many pictures of Benjamin Franklin will show him hunched over, hard at work over a roll top desk with quill pen in hand hard at work with whatever thoughts or discoveries are bubbling over. These old desks often appear as roll top desks or writing hutches, and at one point this was the most common design for writing desks. Now all of these models are considered antique.

A large reason for this is the changes of history and technology. Antique desks tend to be more ornate and fancy because the idea that most people could read or write is a very recent historical trend, and because of that the original antique writing desks were often considered a status symbol that showed off wealth, education, aristocracy, and elegance. These were as much a status symbol as anything else. In addition, there were obviously no computers, or typewriters, in the 1700s. Because of this there was no need to design a larger desk that was made for practicality.

A roll top writing desk was practical back in its time. These antique writing desks were designed to write letters, to store letters, and to store scrolls. A good candle and/or lantern and individuals could even write deep into the night. At the time this made perfect sense for a writing desk, and a fold over hutch that may have even had a key and lock was one of the earliest forms of security for sensitive writing and/or correspondence.

Antique writing desks have almost returned to their place as status symbols while the modern designs of these functional pieces of office furniture have gone to a more plain and basic designs, often with a corner or l-shape to maximize the space that can be had out of an office's corners. Antique writing desks look fantastic, and still work for writing letters, writing out checks for bills, etc - but as far as functioning well with a desk top computer or a laptop, forget about it!

These desks have come full circle and are still in high demand because of their beauty and elegance. Some nations and companies take particular pride in showing their respect for older designs, as many Italian writing desks have an elegance that the American counterparts simply can't compete with. While they might once have been the epitome of common sense and class, the antique writing desks still show off an elegance that adds a special something to any room in the house, even if it's no longer commonly the office.