How do you clean the leather top?

Wipe the skiver with a soft dry cloth to remove loose dust. You can use a slightly damp cloth for sticky marks, but dry it immediately. Avoid standard furniture polishes on the leather. A specialist leather cream applied once a year keeps the surface supple and stops the tooling from drying out.

I have an Art Deco desk with sticky drawers that are really hard to open in the winter, how can I fix this?

Wooden drawer runners swell when the air gets damp in winter. Remove the affected drawer and look at the bottom edges. Rub a plain wax candle along the wooden runners on the carcase and the bottom edges of the drawer. This simple lubrication usually stops the wood catching. If the drawer still sticks, the timber might have warped slightly over the decades. A cabinet maker can plane a fraction of a millimetre off the tight spots.

Can they hold a modern computer?

Most Art Deco desks easily take a modern laptop or monitor. The main tops are deep and sturdy, originally built for heavy manual typewriters. Just check the kneehole width before buying. Some single pedestal models have narrow seating areas that struggle to fit a modern office chair.

There is a large water ring on the top of the desk from a hot mug, what is the best way to remove it?

White rings mean moisture is trapped in the top layer of the French polish. Black rings mean the water has penetrated through to the wood itself. For a white mark, try rubbing it gently with a dry microfibre cloth. Sometimes the friction generates enough mild heat to draw the moisture out of the shellac. Dark marks or stubborn white rings need professional attention. A restorer will cut back the damaged shellac and re-polish that section to match the rest of the top.