Desks Cabinets
A Quick Look at a Variety of Desk Styles
There are a variety of desk styles available today. Some of them are newer styles, and some of them have been around for a couple of hundred years. These styles include:
- Early desks
- Secretary
- Slant top desk
- Fall front desk
- Wooton desk
- Bargueno desk
- Rolltop desk
- Armoire desk
- Student desk
- Corner desk
- Steel desk
- Computer desk
- Portable desk
Lets take a look at some of these desk styles and who might want to consider using them. We will start with some of the earlier styles today, and continue with more of them next month.
Early desks – I do not know if desks were used in ancient Rome or Greece, though I suspect that, being educated societies, they had small writing desks. During Medieval times, very few people had a desk because society, in general, was not educated. But members of royalty and the clergy had desks for writing and for copying manuscripts. Some of these may have had a few small drawers, they also had slots, hooks and indentations for writing implements, ink, book marks etc. Writing desks would have been smaller, but some of the desks used by the clergy were quite large because many of the manuscripts being copies were large.
Secretary – We owned an antique store for awhile and a few of these crossed my path. The standard style would be about seven feet tall, it would have drawers on the bottom, and a narrower hutch on top. In between is the desk area. It has a hinged desktop surface that forms about a 45 degree angle when closed. The surface would fold down to form the the desk top and to reveal small cubbies, slots and shelves for organizing your papers and writing supplies. The top hutch could have either wood doors that would open to reveal more slots and shelves, or glass doors with display shelves. There are many variations of this style which are still referred to as a “Secretary”.
Slant top desk – this is also sometime called a bureau desk, and is essentially a secretary without the top hutch. This made the desk lighter and easier to manage and move. And though smaller than the secretary, it is generally thought to be its predecessor.
Fall Front Desk – this style desk is closely related to the secretary, the main difference being that the part of the desk that folds up, is in a totally vertical position when closed. The desktop folds down for use and reveals any assortment of pigeonholes, small drawers, shelves or doors for organizing all your writing needs. Another difference is that there is usually no cabinet or additional shelves above the area enclosed by the desktop.
Wooton Desk – this is a combination of a cabinet, a secretary and a fall front desk. These were first seen in the 1870’s, patented by William Wooton of Indiana, and were often refereed to as a Cabinet Office Secretary. They became a bit of a status symbol and were quite elaborate. These were shorter than a secretary, and opened up like a cupboard that was curved at the top. When opened, a drop down desk was revealed with an elaborate selection of cubbies, drawers, shelves and slots, both in the doors themselves and in the cabinet.
About the Author
MJ is a freelance writer for Clickshops, Inc. where you can find the perfect desk for your home or office at www.qualitycomputerdesks.com.
Office Furniture Partitions Desks Chairs Filing Cabinets
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Antique WALNUT BOOKCASE CABINET DESK Eastlake American Victorian Circa 1870 $19,900.00 |
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Totally Bamboo Expandable Utility Drawer Organizer $29.99 Product FeaturesExpandable kitchen utility drawer organizerConstructed of high quality Moso bamboo; 16 percent harder and more durable than mapleBamboo is an ecologically green alternative to wood; strong, dense and versatileMeasures 18-inch long, 12 3/4-inch wide and 2-inch high and expands to 17 1/2-inch wideBy Totally Bamboo – totally good for the environment and totally good for you Simplify y… |
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Schulte Small Under Shelf Basket, White $8.00 The under shelf baskets create more storage under any shelf or cabinet. Easy to install just slip the arms over any shelf. The basket underneath will hold placemats, plates, glasses, sweaters, and more. Use it in the kitchen, closet, or even the office anytime you need more storage space…. |
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Sterilite 29308001 3-Drawer Wide Cart with See-Through Drawers and Black Casters, White $26.99 Sterilite 29308001 3 Drawer White Wide Storage Drawer CartSterilite 29308001 3 Drawer White Wide Storage Drawer Cart Features:; Durable storage cart; Features clear drawer front design that allows for easy identification of contents; Useful in any room of the home or office; Comfortable handles and easy slide-out drawers are simple to use; Casters are included to create rolling storage options; Gr… |
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RiteLite LPL704 Battery-Operated 12-LED Under-Cabinet Track Light $14.46 This innovative under cabinet light allows you to place light where you need it without the hassle of cords and plugs. With 12 super bright white LEDs and three new AAA batteries you can have a maximum of 60 hours of light! Place the under cabinet light in your kitchen, office, closets, on shelving or anywhere you need extra light. It’s a perfect light source to use in an emergency, in case of e… |
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6- PACK of Halogen Light Bulbs, JC Type G4 Base (2-Pin), Low Voltage, 12 Volts, 20 Watt $0.01 This sale includes 6 bulbs! Halogen Bulb; Base: G-4 Base (2-Pin); Voltage: 12 Volt; Wattage: 20 Watt… |
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Whitmor 6054-585 Supreme Wide Stacking Shelf, Chrome $17.97 Supreme Wide Stacking Shelf – This great chrome shelving system features a super large shelf that provides convenient storage. Great for the garage, laundry room or basement. Made of chrome. Assembly required. 30″W x 14″D x 16″H. Imported. (7054585WM)… |
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The Love Letter $17.99 No one with romantic tendencies will be able to resist The Love Letter. Campbell Scott plays a Civil War buff who buys a desk from that era. While polishing it, he discovers a secret compartment, in which sits an unmailed letter–a letter written by a young woman named Lizzie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) over a century earlier. Touched by her yearning for passion, he writes her back, egged on by his mys… |
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Ready As He Grows 103 … |
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Guardsman Furniture Touch Up Kit $0.75 Nicks, marks, scratches, the inevitable results of living with wooden furniture. But you don’t have to strip and refinish when the damage is minimal. Get out your handy touch up kit and dab the pen along the mark. There are three colors so you’ll be able to get a very convincing match easily…. |
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