What is a bonheur du jour?

A bonheur du jour is a light, elegant ladies writing desk featuring a tiered superstructure with small drawers and compartments above the main writing surface. First appearing in France during the eighteenth century, these desks became hugely popular in Victorian variations designed for lighter correspondence and display in drawing rooms.

How do I use an escritoire?

An escritoire provides a dedicated, enclosed space for writing letters, storing stationery, and keeping personal documents private behind a drop-down flap or sloping lid. When opened, the writing surface reveals small pigeonholes and miniature drawers, while closing the flap conceals any unfinished paperwork and keeps the room tidy.

Are these desks strictly French?

While the design vocabulary draws heavily upon French aesthetic movements like the Louis XV and rococo revivals, many pieces were manufactured in England during the Victorian era. English cabinet makers eagerly adopted continental styling, producing French-revival writing furniture that catered to fashionable British interior tastes of the nineteenth century.

What woods are typical for these pieces?

Walnut and mahogany form the sturdy structural base for the majority of these desks, often enhanced by highly figured burr walnut veneers. Exotic timbers like kingwood appear frequently on refined cabinets, complemented by contrasting marquetry inlay and decorative brass or ormolu mounts.

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A french style escritoire brings continental elegance and clever compartments to any room, offering a private place to write letters and manage correspondence.

19th century

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A Superb 19th C French Bonheur Du Jour

From W.J. Gravener Antiques Ltd.

£3,950

3+ MONTHS AGO

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Victorian Inlaid Walnut Ladies Writing Desk

19th century

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Victorian Inlaid Walnut Ladies Writing Desk

From Harrison Antique Furniture

£1,250

3+ MONTHS AGO

bureau

18th century

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18th Century Louis XV Escritoire

From FB Antiques

£2,750

3+ MONTHS AGO

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French Style Escritoire

A Superb 19th C French Bonheur Du Jour

Victorian Inlaid Walnut Ladies Writing Desk

18th Century Louis XV Escritoire

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