Antique Secretaire Chest of Drawers with Walnut Marquetry | Louis XV 18th Century

• Structurally reviewed
• Adjusted and reinforced where necessary
• Treated against wood-boring insects and free from woodworm
• Hand sanded
• Furniture ready for use

Some furniture simply fills a space. Other furniture defines it forever.

This walnut secretaire chest of drawers with marquetry belongs to the latter category. An 18th-century piece—second half, circa 1760-1780—that brings together in a single body everything that European cabinetmaking of that era was capable of: the bombe curved front, quarter-veneered marquetry with oval root medallions, cabriole legs with scroll feet, and a drop-down lid revealing a complete desk with its interior drawers.

The craftsmanship is in the North Italian tradition—Lombard or Venetian—or Spanish with Italian influence, characteristic of the third quarter of the 18th century. The walnut grain is arranged in a mirror image on each drawer and on the sides, forming compositions that no industrial production line has been able to replicate. The original brass hardware with ring pulls and escutcheons on each drawer and on the lid complete a piece that has survived to this day with all its integrity.

The marquetry joints exhibit the natural texture of time: slight reliefs where the wood has moved over two hundred and fifty years of temperature and and humidity changes. This is not a defect. It is the signature of an authentic piece, something no reproduction can imitate because it is not manufactured—it is accumulated.

Measuring 95.2 cm wide and 99.5 cm high—82 cm to the desk surface—it fits perfectly in a master bedroom as a large format bedside table substitute, in an office as a characterful desk, or in a living room as a stately chest of drawers. The 50 cm depth allows it to be used as a freestanding piece or against a wall.

No two are alike. There will be no replenishment.

── WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT THIS PIECE ──

→ The quarter-veneered marquetry on the drop-down lid: the walnut grain fans out from the center, with an inlaid phytomorphic motif that demands a level of precision no current workshop produces on commission at this price.

→ The texture at the marquetry joints: the reliefs left by the passage of centuries on the joints are the most eloquent proof that this piece is as old as it claims to be. No reproduction has them.

→ The interior of the secretaire: four small drawers with black wooden pulls and a central arched cubby. Complete, functional, and with the patina of centuries of discreet use.

── RESTORED IN OUR WORKSHOP IN NAVALCARNERO, MADRID ──

The piece has been treated against woodworm and its entire structure has been reviewed: joints, drawers, drop-down lid, hinges, and opening system. The drawers slide correctly on their original wooden runners. The marquetry has been consolidated in areas with small liftings, and the original patina has been fully respected. The textures at the joints are part of the authentic nature of the piece and are preserved as appropriate.

It arrives ready to take its place.

A piece selected and restored by Antique Arte y Decoración —
specializing since 2015 in antique furniture, with its own workshop in
Navalcarnero and serving over 3,500 families throughout Spain.

Style: Late Louis XV / Transition
Material: Solid walnut with walnut veneer and burr marquetry
Technique: Quarter-cut marquetry with oval medallions and perimeter stringing
Finish: Aged natural varnish — original 18th-century patination
Hardware: Original gilded brass pull handles and escutcheons with rings
Layout: Drop-front top with interior desk (4 small drawers + central compartment) + 3 main drawers with bombe front
Dimensions: 95.2 cm (Width) × 50 cm (Depth) × 99.5 cm (Height) — Height to desk top: 82 cm
Condition: Good conservation with period patina. Marquetry consolidated. Joints show natural texture due to wood movement over centuries — a characteristic of the piece's age.
Period: 18th Century, second half (circa 1760-1780)

95.2 cm (Width) × 50 cm (Depth) × 99.5 cm (Height)
Height to open desktop lid: 82 cm

Free shipping to mainland Spain. Includes delivery inside your home with removal of packaging.