The French Writing Desk

A Beautiful Tradition

You don't have to be French to appreciate the exceptional beauty of a French writing desk. For centuries, the French have used their trademark flair for sophistication to make some of the world's most beautiful writing desks.

Call it know-how or just savoir faire. A French writing desk can bring the French tradition of aesthetic distinction to your own home.

Works of art

Today, many museums exhibit the French writing desk alongside famous sculptures and masterpiece paintings.

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, houses a French writing desk designed in 1685 for King Louis XIV. Veneered with tortoiseshell and accented with engraved brass, ebony, and rosewood, its majestic opulence perfectly mimics the robust personality of the infamous Sun King. 

Though the materials and designs may have changed over the years, the same exquisite detail still emerges in the contemporary French writing desk.

An enduring legacy

To fully understand the influence the French have had on the writing desk, simply browse a list of French writing desk styles still widely used in modern design: Bonheur du jour, Bureau a gradin, Bureau Mazarin, Escritoire and Liseuse.

Few cultures have devoted as much attention and ambition to the writing desk as the French. When you purchase a French writing desk, you're honoring a long tradition of aesthetic excellence.

More information on writing desks