How heavy is a Victorian bureau?

They are substantial pieces of furniture. A standard mahogany model with four deep drawers and solid pine secondary timbers can easily weigh eighty kilograms. Moving one requires two strong people. The drawers lift out to reduce the load. Taking them out sheds a good portion of the weight and gives you proper grip points on the internal framework.

I have a tight staircase with a sharp turn at the top, does the top part of the desk separate from the drawers?

No, they do not split in half. An antique Victorian bureau is built as a single rigid carcase from the base plinth right up to the top gallery. The sides are continuous planks of timber. This makes tight corners difficult. You need to measure the diagonals of your stairwell carefully. If the ceiling is low on the turn, the piece simply will not go up.

Can I put a laptop inside?

Most modern laptops fit easily on the open writing surface. The main void behind the fall handles flat electronics without issue. Check the depth before closing the lid. A heavy wooden fall might crush plugged-in cables.

The leather writing surface is ruined and peeling away, is it possible to replace just the leather without hurting the wood?

Replacing a skiver is a standard part of restoring an antique Victorian bureau. Bookbinders and specialist restorers supply tooled leather sections cut to exact dimensions. The old material scrapes off easily once softened with moisture. The wood beneath is just a recess meant to hold the insert. Scraping away the old hide glue rarely damages anything visible. You apply fresh paste before laying the new leather flat. Trimming the edges crisp finishes the job.

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Antique Victorian Bureau

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The antique Victorian bureau is a stout wooden writing cabinet featuring a hinged sloping fall-front that opens to reveal a fitted workspace, sitting squarely above a deep chest of drawers originally used for household storage.