Secretary: modern furniture from the past (26 photos)

The popularity of antique secretaries is currently based on their functionality. This furniture is used as a desk, chest of drawers and a small cabinet for documents. Secret departments and various systems of locks reliably ensure their safety.

Historical information

The first secretaries were considered ladies' furniture. They were installed in the rooms of young girls and married women, who, sitting behind them, could easily write a note or letter, as well as conduct home bookkeeping. Sometimes they were called the bureau secretary.

At the beginning of the 18th century, wooden secretaries became in demand as furniture for study rooms and living rooms. They were willingly used by doctors, as in their drawers and departments it was easy to place not only instruments, medicines, potions, but also notebooks with notes, notebooks and small reference books.

Made from valuable varieties of wood, decorated with intricate carvings and expensive decor, the furniture secretary has become a real workplace for emperors and nobles. Memories of Napoleon’s travel secretary have been preserved. When folded, it was very compact, but had many drawers and was easily transformed. The French emperor worked for him in a road cart as fruitfully as in his office.

The antique secretary of the French king Louis XV is still considered the unsurpassed work of cabinetmakers Jean Henri Risener and Jean Francois Eben, who worked on this subject for several years. He cost the king a huge sum for those times - almost a million francs. Made of rare wood. The case, resembling a cylinder, is covered with tortoiseshells and inlaid with silver and gilded bronze patterns. The secretary has an ingenious system of constipation, relevant for our days. Louis kept the only key to the secretary always with him, as he kept the spy network documents in it.

Secretaries today

A variety of models of current secretaries allows you to include them in various furniture collections, which are based on the great versatility of this furniture. A secretary in the living room will also be needed as in the bedroom or children's room. It all depends on the correct choice of this subject and its compliance with the style of the entire interior.

In Soviet times, built-in secretaries were widely distributed, which were equipped in special modules or sections of the so-called furniture walls. They consisted of shelves, drawers and a folding tabletop. Recent secretaries have the following features:

• variety of designs;
• differences in shapes and sizes;
• can be included in sets and collections of furniture or sold separately;
• a large selection of materials from which the products are made;
• decorative elements and decoration can be made of modern plastics or using new technologies in the processing of metals or wood.

Light furniture is still very popular, enhancing natural light even in shaded rooms. A white secretary can naturally complement the atmosphere of such a room, and the glass doors of his small cabinet will look especially good, behind which you can put the most necessary items on shelves, including notebooks, books, magazines or various writing instruments.

Below, under the reclining tabletop are wide drawers, which can be filled by the owners at their discretion, depending on the room in which the secretary is installed.If this is a bedroom, then the boxes will come in handy for storing sleeping sets, and if the living room, then there is room for periodicals, magazines or brochures.

Light, almost white color can give birch wood or more valuable hornbeam. The surface covered with transparent varnish has a pronounced shining structure, which looks very impressive in any light. Sometimes products are pre-treated and coated with white paint. Such furniture in the kit is especially good.

Wooden Secretaries

Despite the introduction of technology into modern human life, the demand for wooden furniture does not decrease. Its environmental value and beautiful appearance contribute to the growth of consumer demand, and therefore the secretary of solid wood is currently the most prestigious acquisition. In any living room, this transformer will be absolutely appropriate, and its functionality can easily be tailored to the needs of the owner.

The wooden secretary looks good in the interior of your home office. It can be located next to large floor bookcases - in this case, the workplace will have an optimal location. With a small office area, such a secretary will prove to be a more profitable acquisition than a bulky desk. The corner transformer takes even less space.

Furniture manufactured many years ago is still much appreciated. An old secretary, inherited, can be of great value both financially and culturally. The work of old masters most often turns out to be unique, because jewelry made of metal, bronze fittings, wood carvings or inlays were almost always performed for only one product.

Secretary and modern technology

The development of the electronic industry has largely changed the way people live. Without a computer, it is difficult to imagine the organization of a workplace in modern offices. There is no longer an urgent need for letters. There is e-mail and many good programs that facilitate communication between people. Pages on social networks replaced personal diaries.

Of course, in such conditions, a computer desk-secretary, which can be made of plastic or similar materials using metal, will be especially in demand. Its design corresponds to the modern or high-tech style. And it looks like a small table. As a rule, such a transformer has a very simple device, nothing more, just a countertop, several shelves, and a couple of drawers. After all, there is no longer a need to store a large number of documents or records on paper, all information is mainly located on the hard drive.

Benefits of Secretaries

Even in this age of information technology, the demand for antique furniture is growing. The wooden secretary has been and remains one of the most popular models on the market. Most buyers are eager to purchase such a product because of its high environmental value. Furniture made from solid wood meets sanitary standards and does not cause allergies. And the appearance of a product made of precious wood will conquer even the most demanding customer.