Relevant categories: Desks
The Carlton House desk has to one of our favourite pieces of classical English furniture and it there's a fantastic story around it's creation. The original Carlton House desk was designed by George Hepplewhite in the 18th Century for the Prince of Wales. It gets it's name from Carlton House - the lost London palace - which was the then London residence of the Prince.
The desk is very practical as, like a bureau a gradin - the design has a U shape around the writing surface where there are assorted small drawers, cubby holes and the two side boxes which generally open upwards. Drawings of the original desk appear in Hepplewhite's famous design manual Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide. They also appear in Thomas Sheraton's equally famouse The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book. the cabinet-making and furniture firm of Gillow also included one, with a drawing, in their in-house Cost Books in 1797. Further classical references include the tapered legs and arcitectural form.
Many of these Carlton House desks are on display in our Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire showroom. We have various types and ages of desk, including a lovely model in satinwood plus an antique Carlton House desk. We also carry a whole range of other desks, including the Presidents desk (a great mahogany partners desk), lots of French antique desks, Victorian and Regency desks, Boulle desks, writing tables, Bureau Plats and various partners desks. Come and try them out in our showroom, nothing beats trying them out for size and comfort. We also have lots of desk chairs to match, including a good swivel Captain's Desk chair with deep button leather.
Carlton House - London's Lost Palace
The original Carlton House was the London residence of the Prince Regent from 1783 and was located in the St James area. It's gardens were next to St James Park and it faced the south side of Pall Mall. The house was originally designed and built by architect Henry Holland and was a very large and opulent residence with amazing interiors. It had a Chinese drawing room, music rooms, library and a Gothich Conservatory made from cast iron and stained glass, filled with French decor and furniture plus an imporant collection of art. How amazing would it be to walk around this beautiful palace back in the day?
Carlton House was demolished in 1825 after George III died and the Prince became King George IV. It was replaced with Cartlon House terrace - which can still be viewed today. After it's demolition Buckingham House was rebuilt as Buckingham Palace and became the main Royal residence. It's amazing and quite to sad to think how such a beautiful palace was demolished on a royal whim.
So that's the story of how the Carlton House desk got it's name - and even it's design has that classic Regency elegance with nods to Palladian architecture and classic cabinet making techniques.
Please enjoy some videos of these desks from the Canonbury Antiques YouTube channel :
Carlton House Desk Writing Tab...
Carlton House Desk in Satinwoo...
Antique Edwardian Carlton Hou...
Regency Carlton House Desk Mah...
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