Grand Vintage 1950s Solid Oak Pedestal Desk with Double Locking Drawers

This is an imposing, large, solid oak desk from the 1950s with grand proportions, masses of storage and a secret! In our care it’s undergone a partial restoration. The desktop has been fully restored and looks magnificent, bringing back to life the glorious golden patina and finished with a hardwearing varnish. The rest of the desk has been thoroughly cleaned inside and out but in our view, a vintage desk should carry some knocks and marks – it’s had a busy working life after all. With six deep drawers including one that’s double height, there are also two pull-out shelves for extra surface space and pen storage. But it’s the secret double security feature that’s captured our imagination. The central drawer has a lock and key and when locked, so are the drawers on each side too, as standard. There is an additional locking mechanism at play here. Once unlocked, the central drawer must be pushed back to release side drawers. If no one told you, you wouldn’t know! You’d assume the lock is faulty. It’s a very clever feature and this desk would perhaps suit an MI5 agent or one of the Succession dynasty! A fine, stately piece of vintage furniture that’s really well made and has a great deal to offer either in the home or at the office.

SKU: W528

Description

This is an original, vintage piece that is ‘sold as seen’. It is in good – very good, used condition. The desk top has been restored and is in excellent order. This involved careful sanding, layers of matt varnish, polish and a final buff. Otherwise, we have given the desk a thorough clean and have applied a natural beeswax polish to the exterior wood. There are six drawers in total, including a double depth drawer on the right, and they all slide with ease. They are beautifully made in solid oak with dovetail joints and have clean, tidy interiors. There is also a pull-out rest on the left and a further sectioned pull-out on the right with space for pens / stationery. The central drawer has a working lock and key. There is another locking feature for double security – in order to open any of the five drawers, the central drawer must be unlocked and then pushed back. This releases a mechanism in the back of the drawers, allowing them to be pulled open. We have tried to show this in our photos but if you would like a video of this in action, please get in touch. It’s a very unusual and clever feature. As you can see in our photos, the drawer fronts, sides, back and legs do carry minor knocks, scuffs and marks in line with the piece’s considerable age and ‘working’ nature. There’s nothing specific to call out though and we feel this very much adds to its old fashioned appeal. It’s really well made piece, solid and stable – it’s very heavy which should be noted. Unfortunately there is no maker’s mark but we believe it to be British and from a fine quality maker.

Dimensions
H: 78cm / W: 137cm / D: 76.5cm
Leg Area: W: 49.5cm / H: 64cm