What is a cabriole leg?

A cabriole leg is a stylistic furniture support modelled on an animal's leg, featuring a convex curve at the top and a concave curve below. This design appears frequently on desks, tables, and chairs across eighteenth-century and revival periods.

How do I identify an 18th-century desk?

Eighteenth-century desks display period construction methods, hand-cut dovetails, and timber patination developed over centuries of use. They often utilise native oak, walnut, or imported mahogany without modern mechanical fixings.

Where should I place a freestanding desk?

A freestanding desk is finished on all sides, allowing it to sit away from walls in the centre of a room. This placement showcases the polished rear panels and detailed pedestal construction.

What woods were commonly used?

Cabinetmakers primarily relied on walnut, mahogany, and oak to build these writing surfaces. Figured veneers like burr walnut and flame mahogany were applied to prominent areas for decorative effect.