BH | Studio Amboise Arched Drop-Front Desk

In eighteenth-century France the secrétaire à abattant hid a writing surface behind a hinged panel that folded down for letters and closed again into a handsome cabinet. The arch, the shape of doorways and niches for centuries, gives this tall piece the same sense of architecture.

This one is a tall, round-topped cabinet with two curved doors and a long bar pull at the centre, standing on short round feet. Inside, a desk surface folds down to nearly 33 inches wide, enough for a laptop, a notebook and a cup of coffee, and a locking catch and a metal support rod hold it steady while you work. Fold it up again and the whole office disappears behind closed doors. An adjustable shelf takes books, files and stationery, and an opening for cables keeps the charger and lamp cords neat. The hinges close softly, and non-marking glides protect the floor. The finish comes in Cocoa, Jet or Oyster. Assembly is required.

It suits the places where a full desk will not fit or would spoil the room: a corner of the living room, a bedroom, a guest room that doubles as a study, a hallway niche. It reads quietly traditional; stand a brass floor lamp beside it, pull up a rush-seat or upholstered chair, and let the arch rise against a pale plaster or sage wall. When work is done it can serve as a drinks or craft cabinet too. This listing is for one desk cabinet.