Vintage desks and secretary desks
Since people started working from home, the desk has moved into the living room, and that has brought a three-hundred-year-old piece back into use: the secretary desk, the only desk that closes at the end of the day and leaves the room clear. Here is what is worth knowing before choosing one.
What a secretary desk is, and why it came back
A secretary desk is not a smaller desk, it is a desk that closes. It has a fall front that drops down to write on and lifts back over everything underneath — papers, laptop, correspondence — leaving nothing in the room but an elegant carcass with drawers. That is exactly what makes it right for anyone working from home in a room that is also the living room: at six o’clock you close the flap and the room becomes a room again, with nothing to tidy away. The trade-off is that it does not have the width of a full desk. If you work with two screens every day, you need a classic desk; if you work with a laptop and files, the secretary does the job better and looks better doing it.
The height and depth you need
A correct working surface sits at 73-76 cm, the same height as a dining table — not by coincidence, but because that is the height at which your forearm stays parallel to the floor with the elbow at ninety degrees. Old pieces usually respect this measure. Depth is what decides: for a laptop and a notebook, 45-50 cm is enough, but for a monitor you need at least 60 cm so the screen can sit 50-70 cm from your eyes. A beautiful desk 45 cm deep with a monitor on it means the screen is too close, however far back you push it. If you work with a monitor, measure the depth before anything else.
Cables: the one real problem with an old desk
Pieces made before the eighties have no cable openings, and many people discover this after delivery. There is no need to drill a valuable piece. The simplest answer is a clamp-mounted socket fixed under the top at the back, with cables running down beside the leg nearest the wall; it shows no more than on a modern desk. The second option, on secretaries, is more elegant still: the charger and the extension lead live permanently inside the closed carcass, and the only visible cable is the one emerging under the flap. If you do want an opening, ask for it in the back rail rather than the top: it is invisible there and does not affect the value of the piece.
Where it sits relative to the window
Light should come from the side. With the window behind you, the screen picks up reflections and your face stays in shadow on any video call; with the window in front, you look straight into the light and tire within two hours. Placed perpendicular to the window, the desk receives daylight across the working surface with neither fault. For right-handed people, a window on the left means your hand casts no shadow on the paper — a detail that matters if you write by hand. And a warm-toned table lamp in the opposite corner handles the evening hours far better than a ceiling light.
Frequently asked questions
What is a secretary desk?
A desk with a fall front that lifts up and closes over everything underneath. It leaves the room clear at the end of the day, which is why it suits a desk that lives in the living room.
How tall should a desk be?
73-76 cm. At that height your forearm stays parallel to the floor with the elbow bent at ninety degrees. Most old pieces respect this measure.
Will a monitor fit on a vintage desk?
Only if the depth is at least 60 cm, so the screen can sit 50-70 cm from your eyes. For a laptop and files, 45-50 cm is enough.
How do I handle cables without drilling the piece?
With a clamp-mounted socket under the top at the back and cables run down beside the leg nearest the wall. On secretaries, the extension lead can stay permanently inside the closed carcass.