Gemini: bureau, secretary and desk. What is the difference?

An alternative to modern transformable furniture can be a classic secretary. Today it is often underestimated by owners of apartments and country houses, but designers are increasingly turning to this multifunctional cabinet. It can decorate many interiors.

An alternative to modern transformable furniture can be a classic secretary

Chest of drawers - features

Now it is difficult to determine who and where the secretarial chest of drawers was first invented. The Spanish affectionate name varguena has survived to this day. Under this word lies a tall chest of drawers with a folding table and a niche with numerous drawers. But from the heyday of the center of Europe, models called bureaus have been preserved more.

There are few differences between them, but they still exist:

At the bureau, the secretory section is covered with a semicircular lid. When opened, it hides inside and is called a cap. The secretary has a straight lid behind which the writing niche is hidden and plays the role of a table. Although, nowadays this tradition is often violated;
A classic bureau has only a few drawers and very high legs. This is quite a miniature, elegant piece of furniture. The secretary chest of drawers is heavier and more weighty. The drawers go all the way to the bottom and the legs are very short;
A secretary in its pure form generally looks more like a closet. The folding table is usually located in the center of the body.

One of the undeniable advantages of a chest of drawers with a secretory section is that it can successfully replace both a medium-sized wardrobe and a desk. The item is ideal for small rooms where you have to be tricky with the arrangement of furniture. In modern apartments it can be successfully installed:

Children's room. A child will definitely like a correctly selected model. Lessons will be done with pleasure, and therefore successfully;
Bedroom. You may not have to write on it, but such a chest of drawers will perfectly replace a dressing table and a closet. Basically, you will have a rather large personal “box”;
Living room. In addition to useful functions, the item will look most solid in this room. Do not forget that, like all chests of drawers, its upper plane is a working surface;
Cabinet. An ideal place to install a bureau or secretary. This is especially true for interior solutions in ancient styles. Such furniture does not fit well with modern trends such as modern or high-tech. Whatever one may say, the bureau chest of drawers “breathes” centuries-old traditions on us.

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 a secretary made of solid wood is currently the most prestigious acquisition. This transformer will be absolutely appropriate in any living room, and its functionality can easily be adjusted to the needs of the owner.

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

Furniture made many years ago is still highly valued. An old secretary that has been inherited can be of great value both from a financial and cultural point of view. The work of the Old Masters most often turns out to be unique because metal decorations, bronze fittings, wood carvings or inlays were almost always made for only one product.

Types of secretarial tables

Folding

One of the most used table design options is a folding one. The flap that covers the compartment itself acts as a table. It is equipped with side holders or lifts with several degrees of freedom.

They are also equipped with shock-absorbing springs with position locks and adjustable force. The door itself is attached with hinges to the body of the chest of drawers. To reduce the load on the hinges, special supports must be placed under the bottom of the table. They can be open hinged doors of the lower sections or special retractable legs. At the top they are equipped with special platforms - holders. They bear the main burden. To close, just lift up until it locks. The holder can be a magnetic latch or a locking mechanism with a retractable tongue. You can easily identify it externally by the presence of a keyhole. Latches are of course simpler, but they weaken over time - the door can open arbitrarily. But the lock type is almost impossible to break. Unless you lose the key, it can be restored. In most cases it is standard. The exception is rare or antique options.

Ignoring the use of bottom supports for an open table will cause the hinges to break quickly. Especially if you use the secretory lid often. The same problem can result from a lid with a weak magnetic latch falling.

Features of this type include:

Easy to use. Unfolding the table will take no more than a couple of minutes;
Convenience. Writing at it is no worse than at a full-fledged desk;
Space saving. Unlike a regular table, such a lid can be lifted, freeing up space for free passage;
High-quality storage of writing instruments. A large number of internal shelves and drawers makes storing all the necessary little things as comfortable as possible.

Retractable

Pull-out table types are more relevant to bureau-type chests of drawers. In this case, the lid and the table are different objects. After lifting the lid, the table panel can be pulled out. This can be a small tabletop, fixed movably in grooves or using a roller system. Although, there are also very complex versions of retractable tables. Some models provide for extension not only forward, but also to the side. For this purpose, special folding brackets with springs and shock absorbers are used. In this case, the table can be combined with a special folding frame, which acts as a lower support. Their use for this type is highly desirable.

In the most interesting versions, the hinged lid is combined with a retractable table. In principle, this approach can simply be called an attempt to be original. In modern life, one type of table is quite enough.

Advantages of secretaries

This furniture has many attractive qualities, thanks to which it can take its rightful place in your apartment. They are:

The classic bureau is a table with a hinged lid

compactness;
the ability to transform a chest of drawers or a table into a more spacious workplace;
the presence of a large number of compartments for storing papers;
some cells can be equipped with secret locks;
You can fit it into different interiors in style.

Important! Thanks to modern manufacturers, you can install these pieces of furniture - bureaus, secretaries - in any room. There are models that will look perfect in bedrooms, children's rooms or living rooms.

Several years ago it was believed that installing a secretary cabinet was only possible in a classic interior, but now this statement is extremely easy to refute, since in manufacturers’ catalogs and in stores you can find models in the minimalist style made of glossy MDF panels. They are distinguished by their laconicism, the absence of unnecessary details in the decoration and strict forms.

Thus, today everyone can find a model of this piece of furniture to their taste. It will be an excellent addition to the rest of the decor, and will also hide your workplace from prying eyes. That is why this furniture is often installed in living rooms. You can remove it in literally a couple of moments.

Storage systems and opening mechanisms

The chest of drawers does not have to be used for its intended purpose. If you do not need this furniture for writing, then it is not necessary to load office supplies there. Place cosmetics and jewelry in drawers. You will quickly appreciate the convenience, and you will understand why in the 18th century young ladies could not imagine their lives without a secretary. If you store linen and clothes in the lower drawers, then small accessories such as belts and ties will feel great in the small compartments of the secretory niche. In a child's room, such a piece of furniture will allow you to carefully store small parts of construction sets, puzzles or fragile toys.

The following types can be used as facade opening systems:

Retractable. All boxes are designed this way. In their modern form, they are equipped with side guides and rollers. Small drawers are made slightly smaller than the niche for them. Therefore, they can be pulled out perfectly without additional devices. The only significant difference is that the rollers do not allow the drawer to be pulled out all the way without harm to the system. He will certainly remain in the niche. Whereas their absence allows this to be done. The disadvantage of the roller system is sensitivity to distortions;
Swing. Part of the facade side can be covered with shutters. They are attached with hinges to the body. Opens outwards and sideways. They don't like jerks. In chests of drawers, secretaries can act as a lower support for a table. In this situation, it is important that their lower part touches the floor. Otherwise you will need special holders. They look like a clothespin with a stop and are put on the edge of the sash;
Folding. This is how the table is set up. Opens down until the position lock clicks. It can be equipped with a height adjuster that allows you to fix the cover in several positions. Do not pull the sash down after clicking in the lowest possible position. Furniture hinges are located at the bottom of the sash, fastening it to the body of the chest of drawers.

A bureau is not just a desk

In a residential interior, the bureau cannot go unnoticed. The unusual appearance and ease of use increasingly lead to the fact that even minimalist interiors favor such furniture.

A desk-bureau is similar to our traditional idea of a desk, only with a superstructure on top, where cells are provided for storing small items. They can be located on the surface or hidden under a retractable tabletop.

A classic bureau looks completely different. It is important to follow traditions here: the lid should be hinged, and under it there should be two or three “floors” of small boxes and cells. Made from solid wood and decorated with carvings, the bureau will fit well into a classic interior, vintage design, or retro. But modern styles will not refuse such a functional item.

A bureau-chest is 2 in 1: you can store things here, and if necessary, the lid forms a convenient work area. The original models of the bureau fit into expressive designs in the style of pop art and art deco.

Console office is a lightweight version of furniture that has a place even in the smallest room. Vintage style, shabby and classic will not refuse light furniture supported by two support legs and attached to the wall. Numerous drawers and a hinged lid make the bureau not only attractive, but also a functional piece of furniture in the interior.

________________________________________________________________________________________

THIS IS INTERESTING:

Frame

When choosing a secretary chest of drawers, it is worth considering that it has quite a considerable height. On average, this parameter ranges from 1 to 1.4 meters. The width is about 90 cm and the depth is 50 cm. Narrower models can also be found. But this is not very convenient.

The most common materials for the manufacture of frame elements are:

Natural solid wood;
MDF;
Particle boards such as fiberboard, chipboard or OSB.

Relevant products in the Online store:

Swissline
CELL SHOCK Revitalizing Serum The Secret Code of Youth

from 14,138 rub.

Swissline

CELL SHOCK AGE INTELLIGENCE Essential serum The secret code of youth

from 8,888 rub.

Swissline

CELL SHOCK Regenerating 2-phase eye cream with the Secret Code of Youth complex

RUB 6,599

sale

Swissline

CELL SHOCK Anti-aging restoration complex The secret code of youth

RUB 8,499

All goods

Tabletops

A separate design element is the top of the chest of drawers. It is usually made from the same type of material as the body. It can be decorated separately, but the rather high height of chests of drawers with a secretory section makes this a pointless exercise. More attention is paid to strength and reliability.

The following can be used as decorative elements:

Antique varnish. For this purpose, craquelure is used. When dry, this varnish cracks, forming a whole network of small cracks. Often powdered bronze or gold plating is rubbed into them. This technique is called the “golden web”;
Hand painted. For countertops it is better to use furniture enamels and varnishes. Apply in multiple layers. The color intensity and color transition are adjusted by shading with a rag. Each layer will require drying;
Wood mosaic. Pieces of wood with different shades fit into any ornament and are attached using especially strong glue. Next, the entire surface is polished and covered with shiny varnish. Rattan can be used instead of wood, but it is more difficult to maintain.

Types of bases

The most common types of base design are:

Direct placement on the floor. This is due to the considerable dimensions of this type of furniture. Provides maximum stability;
Placement on a pedestal. A small platform appears at the bottom, protruding beyond the body of the chest of drawers;
Legs. Most often they are short. The exception is bureaus that preserve manufacturing traditions. In this case, the floor must be perfectly flat;
Base system. The legs are replaced or combined with extended sides. They are the main focus. Part of the load is evenly distributed in the front part along a narrow strip - the base.

Styles of secretory chests of drawers

The rich traditions and history of the secretary are most harmoniously combined with styles in the spirit of antiquity:

Provence. Rounded corners and wavy façade. The drawers are made slightly convex, and the body is straight. The decor is modest, small;
Bul. The main features include the use of lower support crosses and an increase in the number of legs (6 or the most bizarre shapes. A lot of gilded inlay;
Chinoiserie. This is a successful attempt to combine European Baroque with classical Asian styles. Ethnic motifs and sophistication of forms. The main emphasis is on exoticism;
Colonial. Heavy, massive models with expensive but modest finishes. Preference is given to high-quality, rare materials rather than an abundance of decor;
Palace styles (Rococo, Baroque). They are native to this piece of furniture. They provide fancy convex shapes and curved, wide-set legs. They are very richly decorated with carvings, paintings, and gilding;
Classic. Strict silhouette with soft rounded corners. Smooth lines blend harmoniously with a straight body. Decor is moderate. Favorite techniques are carving, figured milling, and openwork gilded fittings.

In what interiors can this piece of furniture be used?

The secretary can fit into any environment. It can be used both in classic living rooms and in bedrooms or children's rooms, created for adherents of minimalism. Depending on the style, you can choose different office-secretary furniture. Recommendations for conservative options:

Thanks to modern manufacturers, you can install these pieces of furniture - bureaus, secretaries - in any room

If you have a classic interior, then you should choose one of the antique models. In spacious rooms, you can install large solid wood cabinets with a folding top in burgundy or one of the shades of brown. Pay special attention to models with thin and elegant carvings on the facade; they look as organic as possible in rooms with a classic furnishing style. Such furniture will look elegant in an interior decorated in Rococo, Baroque and Art Nouveau styles.
The Art Deco style is characterized by the use of black or white secretaries. They are distinguished by elegant shapes. When choosing, pay special attention to the stability of such models, as they often look like narrow chests of drawers or tables with cabinets above the tabletop.

If you have a country-style interior, then you can choose a simple and laconic cabinet. It can be artificially aged, but these should be noble abrasions, and not significant peeling of paint. If you inherited a simple secretary without unnecessary decoration, then you can turn it into a country-style interior element yourself. To do this, you will need to remove the old paint, re-apply the coating and use one of the techniques that helps artificially age the item. For example, you can apply bronze paint around the perimeter of the cabinet with a sponge or use craquelure varnish.
Rough wooden secretaries made from natural wood are suitable for creating an eco-friendly interior. In this case, varnish will be inappropriate. If you are afraid that the wood will darken, then order options with a thin matte coating, which will be invisible and will not distort the wood grain.

For a minimalist style, you can use small and lightweight consoles designed only for a computer, without unnecessary decorative elements

The most interesting attempts are to fit secretary furniture into modern interiors. Here you can use a corner version or a model with active painting on the facades and the main part. If you choose the latter option, then the rest of the furnishings should be monochromatic - the unusual cabinet will steal all the attention. Often in modern wall-type cabinets for the living room you can find a section with a folding desk - this is also a secretary. If you don’t want to independently look for each piece of furniture for your home, then you can purchase such a ready-made kit. To prevent the “wall” from cluttering up the room, choose models with cabinets of different heights.

For a minimalist style, you can use small and lightweight consoles designed only for a computer, without unnecessary decorative elements. Such models can be used to create interiors in the following directions: pop art and hi-tech.

Important! When creating an interior, it is necessary to choose the right furniture shape and material.

If your room is decorated in the pop art style, then the secretary should combine contrasting colors and small naive details - for example, photos on the facades or pictures reminiscent of stamps. It can be made from MDF.

High-tech interiors are characterized by models with translucent matte facades

High-tech interiors are characterized by models with translucent matte facades. Also, secretaries for them most often have technological mechanisms for transforming the tabletop and finishing with chrome parts. The corner version of gray color is best suited for furnishings in this style.

Chest of drawers - photo in the interior

Nowadays, the chest of drawers has not lost its relevance. It is still a piece of furniture with a high level of comfort and functionality. If you are tormented by a lack of space, then feel free to purchase such a chest of drawers. It will provide you with high-quality storage of things and will successfully play the role of a desk.

Secretaire

Definition:
A secretary is a type of bureau, a tall bookcase with a folding or pull-out board for writing.

Office based on a cabinet. Let us repeat, a bureau and a secretary are different pieces of furniture. A secretary is not a table, but a tall bookcase (closed or open) with a folding or pull-out writing board in place of one of the central shelves.

A couple of centuries ago, the secretary was considered the prerogative of aristocrats, a symbol of high social status. The most famous example is the broken pediment secretary, common during the time of Queen Anne of England (1702–1714). This model is respectfully copied by many modern ones.

1 of 3