Swedish Birch Secretary
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Brass
Antique 1820s Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Birch
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Birch
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Secretaires
Birch
Vintage 1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Rosewood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Birch
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch, Fir
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Wood, Burl
Vintage 1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Birch
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Desks
Birch, Jacaranda
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
Antique 19th Century German Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Doors and Gates
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights a...
Steel, Zinc
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Organic Modern Center Tables
Travertine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Antique 1850s French Louis Philippe Bookcases
Glass, Wood, Oak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Wood
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Plywood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Country Benches
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Biedermeier Drop-leaf and Pembroke Tables
Birch
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Metal, Brass
Antique 1860s English Victorian Chaise Longues
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Chairs
Steel
Recent Sales
Antique 1810s Swedish Empire Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Wood, Birch
Antique 19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Birch
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Birch, Burl
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Birch
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Birch
Vintage 1940s Swedish Neoclassical Secretaires
Birch
Antique 1820s Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch, Ebony
Vintage 1930s Finnish Secretaires
Birch, Plywood
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires
Birch
Antique 19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Ebony
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-18th Century Swedish Renaissance Secretaires
Oak
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birch
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Ash, Birch
Vintage 1940s Swedish Secretaires
Vintage 1940s Swedish Secretaires
Vintage 1940s Swedish Secretaires
Elm
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Ormolu
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Desks
Birch
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Rosewood
Vintage 1940s Swedish Desks
Mahogany
Vintage 1940s Swedish Desks
Vintage 1940s Swedish Desks
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires
Elm
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Vintage 1920s Swedish Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Birch
Antique 1820s Swedish Empire Secretaires
Birch
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Secretaires
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Wood
Vintage 1930s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Bentwood, Leather
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Brass, Steel
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Antique 1820s Swedish Biedermeier Models and Miniatures
Birch
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Wood, Birch
Antique 1820s Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch, Cherry
Antique 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch
Vintage 1930s Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Birch
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Rustic Secretaires
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Birch, Pine, Cherry
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Karl Johan Secretaires
Birch, Walnut
Vintage 1940s Swedish Modern Desks
Mahogany
Antique 1820s Swedish Karl Johan Secretaires
Birch
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Birch
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Secretaires
Mirror, Birch, Mahogany
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Birch, Fir
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Elm
Swedish Birch Secretary For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Swedish Birch Secretary?
Finding the Right secretaires for You
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.
Read More
The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home
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.
What Exactly Is a Secretary Desk, and What Is It Used For?
The furniture equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, it's the multifunctional piece you didn't know you needed.
This Shelving System with Oxidized Brass Tubes Is Retro and Futuristic at Once
Italian studio DimoreMilano mustered great ingenuity when crafting these sculptural shelves, which are built without any screws.
28 Cheerful Home Bars, Where Everybody (Literally) Knows Your Name
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Ask an Interior Designer: Work-from-Home Edition
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.
Collected and Eclectic, ‘Wunderkammern’ Are Back in a Big Way
Introduced nearly 500 years ago, curiosity cabinets are finding new fans among today's collectors and designers.
Meet the Incredible Woman Transforming Fallen Trees into Sleek Furniture
In the hands of New York Heartwoods cofounder Megan Offner, unwanted local trees become works of design art.
These New York Architects Love a Complicated Project
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.