American Oak Roll-Top Desk | Continental Paris 1920s

• Structurally checked
• Adjusted and reinforced where necessary
• Hand-sanded
• Furniture ready for use

A desk's tidiness lasts as long as the workday. When it's over, everything on it is still there: visible, demanding attention.

This American roll-top desk was made in Paris in the first quarter of the 20th century. It is signed by Continental, a manufacturer at 3 Boulevard Voltaire, and retains its brass plate under the lock: name and address engraved a century ago. It is the "S"-shaped top model that workshops of the time made for banks, notaries' offices, and private studies.

The body, top, and handles are made of solid oak; the handles are carved into the wood itself, with no visible hardware on the fronts. The roll-top moves up and down its curved guides and locks over the entire interior: a complete set of compartments and trays, with two small drawers featuring brass handles and label holders. Under the desk, eight drawers are distributed in two sections; the two lower ones are filing cabinets with wooden dividers for vertical folders. The oak was stripped in our workshop and left raw, with an open grain.

127 cm wide, 80 cm deep, and 123 cm high, with the tabletop 80 cm from the floor and a leg space of 68 cm high by 52 cm deep: it can accommodate a modern office chair. In a living room, it organizes home work and closes it off when finished; in an office, it stands alone, also looking good from behind, as the back is paneled.

WHAT TO LOOK AT CLOSELY

→ The manufacturer's plate. "Continental, 3, Bd Voltaire, Paris," in brass, under the roll-top lock. The age of this desk does not need to be argued: it comes written from the factory.

→ The "S"-shaped roll-top. Dozens of oak slats that run the entire curve of the guides and lock with their key. It is the most difficult part to find in working order on a desk of this type, and this one works.

→ The filing cabinets. The two bottom drawers have wooden dividers for filing folders vertically, just like in offices a century ago. Today, they perform the same job with documents, notebooks, or records.

→ The carved handles. One per drawer, made of solid oak, in the shell shape typical of period office furniture. The entire piece is made from its own wood.

RESTORED IN OUR WORKSHOP IN NAVALCARNERO, MADRID

The oak was stripped and hand-sanded to a raw, matte finish that doesn't hide the grain. The full path of the roll-top on its guides was checked, the locks were verified, and the eight drawers and two pull-out boards were adjusted to glide smoothly.

The structure rests squarely on its two sections and retains the marks of use appropriate for its age, which have not been disguised. It is shipped disassembled, and on-site assembly is included in the price. It arrives ready to take its place.

Style: American roll-top desk, “S” top
Material: Solid oak; cabinet interior in light antique woods
Technique: Slatted oak roll-top; handles carved from the wood itself
Finish: Oak stripped and sanded by hand, raw, matte
Hardware: Pierced brass escutcheon, manufacturer's plate "Continental – 3, Bd Voltaire, Paris", locks on roll-top and upper drawers
Layout: Roll-top with key over pigeonhole cabinet, trays and 2 small drawers; 2 pull-out writing slides; 8 drawers in two sections, the 2 lower ones filing drawers with dividers; central space 68 cm (height) × 52 cm (depth); desk surface 80 cm from the floor
Measurements: 127 cm (Width) × 80 cm (Depth) × 123 cm (Height)
Condition: Restored; roll-top and drawers in working order, with signs of use consistent with its age
Period: First quarter of the 20th century (ca. 1900–1925)

127 cm (Width) × 80 cm (Depth) × 123 cm (Height)
Table height: 80 cm · Legroom: 68 cm (height) × 52 cm (depth)

Free shipping to mainland Spain. Includes in-home delivery with packaging removal. This item ships unassembled, and in-home assembly is included in the price.