Interestingly, the genus of Brights of Nettlebed is the sale of a reproduction style desk. It was the first item sold by the company in the late 1970s. More of the desks were bought and sold, and the company grew from there: Great oaks from little acorns grow.
Today, we supply all manner of walnut and mahogany reproduction desks to our clients. The most popular is a twin pedestal model, with three drawers in one pedestal and a dummy front twin file drawer and single drawer in the other pedestal. Increasingly, we supply desks where one pedestal has a complete false front; they open to reveal a cupboard space inside, which can contain the tower of a computer. Many of our walnut and mahogany desks have wiring holes built in, to save having unsightly cables draped around them. Most desks will have either a veneered surface (usually in mahogany, but other veneers can be used) or they will have an inset hand tooled leather panel. There is a choice of traditionally coloured leathers in red, green, brown or black. Of course, as with all our products we offer complete bespoke service, so if something more unusual was required, this could surely be catered to.
There are many different types of reproduction desks which our clients can ask for. Another popular requirement and perhaps a more ?multi purpose? piece of furniture is the fall front bureau. We have many in stock; some on elegant Queen Anne or cabriole legs with a single drawer beneath, and some with 3-4 drawers underneath for additional storage. These types of walnut and mahogany desks are often popular in guest bedrooms, as they offer at once the convenience of a place for your guest to store clothes and the luxury of having somewhere private to write or study.
The Library Table as an alternative to a desk
The Library Table is a less often considered alternative to a desk. These are on four (usually) tapered or turned legs, with one row of drawers underneath the writing surface. They are a very elegant, light alternative to a traditional pedestal desk, and are useful when not so much storage is required by the person using is ? hence ?library table?, one supposes.
The Bureau a Gradin - a continuation of the Library Table style
The Bureau a Gradin is a continuation of the Library Table style, with drawers added to the surface of the desk in two or three rows ? a small prtable version of this style of desk is the Bonheur du Jour. A more specific example again of the Bureau a Gradin is the Carlton House Desk, which was allegedly designed for the Prince of Wales (then George IV) and named after his elaborate residence on Carlton Terrace. The Carlton House desk has the drawers, pigeonholes and miniature cupboard arranged in front of the writer in a U shape; almost embracing them. The two ends of the U are usually sloped downwards towards the writer. It is a very pleasing, unmistakeably Regency desk.
There are well over 50 different varieties of desks ? those mentioned as well as Credenza Desks, Mazarin Desks, Butlers Desks, Davenport Desks and Lieseuse Desks (with a central panel on the surface which rises to aid readers)
We have many of these in stock, and are always interested to embark on new commissions.
Once occupied a central and important position in the home and office. They are manufactured with durable wood and used as either functional furniture, decorative items, or collector's pieces. For everyday use, highly functional desks are outfitted with drawers, partitions, and locks. For decoration brass handles and locks embellished the desk as well as Pearl-inlays and leather writing surfaces. The Pedestal Desk is one of the two principal forms of the big Campaign Desk used by the military in the past. It was considered a portable desk in a limited way since the writing surface could be easily separated from the pedestals, to facilitate transport. The three separate elements were often fitted with large handles on the sides. In the 19th century, a "modesty panel" was placed in front, between the pedestals, to hide the legs and knees of the user from anyone else sitting or standing in front. This variation is sometimes called a "Panel Desk". The smaller pedestal desks with such a panel are sometimes called Kneehole Desks, When a pedestal desk is doubled in size to form a nearly square working surface, and drawers are put on both sides to accommodate two users at the same time, it becomes a Partners Desk. Thomas Chippendale gives designs for such tables, which were generally used in libraries, as writing tables.The pedestal desk appeared in England, in the 18th century but became popular in the 19th and the 20th Centuries, overtaking the variants of the Secretary Desk and Writing Tables.
