Relevant categories: Desks,French Boulle Furniture
( French Empire Antique Desk Writing Table )
Bureau Plat
The bureaul plate - or writing table - is perhaps the most popular form of antique French desk. We carry bureau plat's in various styles including French Empire and Louis XVI. These are very practical desks - sometimes called leg desks - and are again a perfect piece for a home office set up. The elegantly curved cabriole legs are definitely a stylish touch. When a writing table is supported by two legs instaed of four it is sometimes calle a trestle desk. Many of these antique French desks are on display in our Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire showroom so please get in touch for a viewing or appointment. Perhaps the most popular wood used in the construction of bureau plats - and indeed with all French furniture - is kingwood, complemented by the ormolu fixtures and mounts.
( French Empire Antique Desk Writing Table Bureau Plat 1860 )
Bonheur Du Jour
The translation from French of this word means 'daytime delight' and it is a type of lady's writing desk or tables. This desk is very light and does not take up much space and you can place small ornaments on the top, normally protected by the brass or gilded gallery. These are great desks for modern living or even for a small home office set up. Into the 1770s these were started to be made in London where it was calle a 'lady's writing desk'
( French Bonheur Du Jour desk )
Armoire Desk
( Antique armoire desk or secretaire )
An armoire desk is a writing table or desk incorporated into a tall cabinet, not too disimilar to a bureau bookcase in the English style. This type of desk would be set against a wall, much like a secretary desk. Again these are great for a home office set up as they do not take up much space. Frequently the top will open down to reveal the leather tooled writing surface alongside cubby holes and small drawers. There will be further storage below in the cabinet section.
( French Louis XV Bureau Du Roi Roll Top Desk Inlay - does it get more elegant than this? )
Of course being Francophiles, we are lucky enough to go on frequent buying trips to the French antique markets, most commonly Les Puces market (and surrounding streets) near Clignancourt in Paris. We love scouring the shops and stalls for new and exciting finds and it's our favourite hunting ground for antqiue French desks. All this furniture is available to view in our large north London Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire showroom so please stop by. We are only 25 minutes north of London in the leafy Herts countryside. Why not make day trip out of it and visit the area, the ancient Roman city of St Albans is only 10 minutes away. We also carry lots of other types of French desks including roll top, kidney bean, Bureau du Roi, pedestal desks, knee hole and bombe desks. Of course we also carry all manner of other types of English desks including partners desks, Victorian and Regency, and pedestal desks, Our American Presidents desk is also one of our favourite large partners desks.
( French Empire Kidney Bean Desk Writing Table )
Of course we can ship these desks to anywhere in the world - so please get in touch for a shipping quote. We have literally shipped to every corner of the globe so just let us know where you are for a quote.
Here are some videos of desks from the Canonbury Antiques YouTube channel
Recently Viewed Items
Large French Boulle Inlay Part...
French Antique Empire Writing ...
French Boulle Desk and Chair S...
French Louis XV Bureau Du Roi ...
Victorian balloon back dining chairs are a classic staple of 19th-century furniture design, notable for their elegant curves, carved details, and solid craftsmanship.
The Belle Epoque French for Beautiful Era spanned from the late 19th century to the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
The Georgian drawing room was a showcase of refinement, proportion, and classical taste, serving as the central entertaining space in 18th-century homes.