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Vanity with Drawers For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Vanity with Drawers?
Finding the Right Secretaires for You
Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.
Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.
Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.
At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.
When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.
“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”
No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.
Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.
- What are vanity boxes?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Vanity boxes are small ornately decorated boxes used to hold a woman's grooming essentials, such as a powder puff and a mirror. Although initially designed for travel, they are usually placed on a vanity table or dresser in modern homes. Find a selection of antique and vintage vanity boxes on 1stDibs.
- What is a vanity stool?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021A vanity stool is a small chair/stool used to sit up at your vanity or desk. They are frequently sold as part of a vanity table set. Find a variety of vanity stoolss on 1stDibs.
- What is a vanity sink?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021A vanity is a piece of bathroom furniture that typically contains the sink, countertop and mirror. Modern vanities come with all sorts of features such as lights and may feature intricate architectural details and built-in shelves. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage vanity sinks.
- What is a file drawer?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021The term “file drawer” likely refers to filing cabinets. This is a type of office furniture that is used for storing paper documents in file folders. The two most common forms of filing cabinets are lateral filing cabinets and vertical filing cabinets. Shop for a variety of antique and vintage filing cabinets and other storage solutions on 1stDibs.
- What is a bank of drawers?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A bank of drawers is a piece of storage furniture that differs considerably from a chest of drawers. This furnishing is typically going to feature many more drawers than an ordinary chest of drawers might, and is often used interchangeably with the term “apothecary cabinet” because pharmacists used to require such a structure that afforded ample storage for classifying and filing away items in their places of business. Find antique and vintage banks of drawers today on 1stDibs.
- How much does a bathroom vanity?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
On 1stdibs, a bathroom vanity typically costs between $450 and $180,000.
- What is the best makeup vanity?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021Many people feel that the best makeup vanity is the one that is trendy, simple, has a lot of storage, is adjustable and will be comfortable for dressing. Perhaps your ideal vanity is elegantly designed and features a beautifully upholstered comfortable stool. It should have storage space to store makeup items, brushes, jewelry watches and much more. Find antique and vintage makeup vanities on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021There are many reasons a bathroom vanity might have legs. This includes because the european style had legs for moving the furniture around. They also help make the furniture look more custom.
- What is a vanity tray used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Vanity trays are used to hold small toiletries like perfume bottles, tweezers, lipsticks and other essentials. Vanity trays were very popular from the 1950s to the 1970s and frequently featured a mirrored bottom. Today, they’re collectible pieces used more as conversation pieces than for their original function. Shop a range of antique and vintage vanity trays on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021The best lighting for bathroom vanity is a matter of preference and depends on design and lighting needs. Bathroom vanity lights come in a range of shapes, sizes and colors. Vanity tables have been variously known as dressing tables or makeup tables over the years, but no matter what we call them — and whether it's a sophisticated contemporary piece or an iconic vintage Luigi Massoni vanity — vanities have offered a special place for us to get ready for work, an early-morning appointment or lunch date or whatever lies ahead. Shop a collection of antique and vintage vanities from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The weight of a marble vanity top is highly dependent on its size, thickness and the grade of marble. Average grade marble weighs 13.34 pounds for a square foot that is one inch thick. Browse a collection of marble vanities on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021The best vanity mirror is a matter of preference, as you’ll want to think about space and how your furniture is arranged with respect to where you want to put it. On 1stDibs, you can find a variety of antique and vintage vanity mirrors with lights to choose from.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021The best lighting for a vanity mirror can be brought about by placing two wall-mounted sconces on either side of the mirror at eye level. This creates cross-illumination. Fixtures that emit light that is as close to white as possible should be chosen with a high CRI (around 90-100) for the most accurate colors. Bulbs in the 2,500–3100 Kelvin ‘soft white' range are suitable for normal bathroom use, as well as for makeup application. Find a range of vanity lights on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A stone effects vanity top is composed of a blend of about 95 percent crushed natural stone usually quartz and 5 percent synthetic resins to bind the stone. The vanity top can be tinted to a wide variety of colors. They are nonporous and resistant to both stains and scratches.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022What a desk with drawers is called depends on its design. One that consists of a tabletop supported by a base with drawers on both sides is a pedestal desk. Pieces that combine lower drawers with overhead cabinets and shelves is a credenza desk. You'll find a large selection of antique and vintage desks on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021A chest of drawers is also sometimes known as a dresser or a bureau. It is a cabinet with several parallel horizontal drawers stacked on top of one another. A chest of drawers is frequently used to store clothing and a variety of personal items. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary chests of drawers from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A bachelor’s chest of drawers is a relatively short and shallow chest, usually with three or four drawers. The name refers to their historical use as multi-purpose, space-saving fixtures that are perfect for a bachelor sharing a friend’s flat. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of antique and modern bachelor’s chests from some of the world’s top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023No, a Chanel Mini Vanity bag will not fit an iPhone. The petite bag measures just 3.5 inches in length by 4.3 inches in height by 2.8 inches in depth, which is not large enough to fit any version of the iPhone smartphone. However, the slightly larger Chanel Small Vanity bag can accommodate most iPhone models, as it is 6.7 inches by 3.7 inches by 3.1 inches in size. Shop a collection of Chanel bags on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024What a good depth for dresser drawers is depends on what you wish to store. The average depth is 16 to 18 inches, and drawers of this size can accommodate a wide range of items. Some dressers have a mix of deep and shallow drawers, giving you the flexibility to store and organize many kinds of clothing, undergarments and accessories. On 1stDibs, shop a wide variety of dressers.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 1, 2024How deep the average dresser drawer is depends on the size of the dresser. The depth of dresser drawers ranges from approximately 14 or 15 inches to around 20 inches. The depth of drawers in larger dressers may exceed 20 inches. A dresser’s drawers will typically be deeper than those in a chest of drawers.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do.
Antique and vintage dressers are a staple in any household. Whether it’s a 19th-century solid pine or oak Welsh kitchen dresser you’re using to store tableware or a Broyhill Brasilia highboy in your bedroom, these furniture fixtures are essential for making the most of your space.
Find antique dressers as well as vintage mid-century modern dressers on 1stDibs.
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