The classic secretary is a chest of drawers with a door that folds down from top to bottom, behind which there are many secret drawers and compartments. At first, this furniture was considered ladies' furniture. The open door served as a table for writing love letters, and pearls and diamonds glimmered in the locked hiding places. However, the design turned out to be successful, and it was borrowed for more prosaic purposes: storing documents and writing instruments. Let's try to assemble a simple secretary with our own hands so that markers, disks and folders with papers can finally find their permanent place.

Let's make a very simple secretary

Preparing for work

Our secretary will have the simplest device, but in terms of convenience and functionality it will not be inferior to the factory one. To make it you will need the following materials:

• Ready-made desktop stands for folders made of plywood (sold in office supply stores) - 6 pcs.
• MDF blank for the top cover – 890x330x16 mm.
• MDF blank for the back cover – 890x325x16 mm.
• Wood glue.
• Screws.
• Sanding paper.
• Double-sided tape.

The tools we will need are:

1. Jigsaw with blade for curved cutting.
2. Drill.
3. Screwdriver or screwdriver.

As we see in the picture, our module is mounted on an ordinary dining table with tabletop dimensions of 100x80 cm. The add-on for placing papers looks like a complex of interconnected horizontal and vertical stands, united by top and back covers made of MDF.

In conditions small apartment It would be nice to figure out how to make the secretary mobile. This condition is precisely included in our design. The trick is that our shelf module is removable, which means that if necessary, it can be quickly removed to any other place.

Marking and cutting MDF

First we cut out the top cover. To do this, we place the stand on the sheet with its side so that the back side of the future cover is flush with the horizontal shelf. The front side of the cover should protrude forward beyond the horizontal shelf by 1.5 cm. Mark the position of the first part of the shelf.

Mark the outline of the lid

We turn the stand over and mark the position of the second, mirror part of the shelf.

Cutting out the top cover

We cut out the top cover with a jigsaw, installing a file in it for a curved cut. The pendulum stroke must be turned off during operation. The dimensions of the cover should be:

• Length – 890 mm,
• Width at the junction of horizontal supports – 320 mm,
• The width at the ends is 170 mm.

We cut out the back wall in the form of a rectangle, according to the given dimensions - 890x325x16 mm.

Scheme of our secretary

We sand the finished lids and coat them with furniture varnish 2-3 times or cover them with self-adhesive film.

Some pieces of furniture

Furniture with a secret

 17:00 June 27, 2016

Some pieces of furniture seem to have come straight out of a science fiction or spy movie: in fact, they are not at all what they seem. This cannot be said to be a modern invention - furniture with additional secret functions has been made since ancient times. Various hiding places and secret drawers are often found inside antique furniture that has survived to this day. Tables, dressing tables, chests of drawers and cabinets created by ancient masters usually had a dual purpose: they were not only used, but also money, documents and jewelry were safely hidden in them from prying eyes and intruders, which was vital in those turbulent times.

In France, in the 18th century, they even began to produce a new type of furniture - secretaries. The name itself suggests that these interior items were intended to keep the owner’s secrets. As a rule, these were miniature bureaus with many visible and hidden shelves and drawers and a folding table top, used as desk.

The boxes were often equipped with secret locks and secret locking mechanisms. Among antique dealers and collectors of antiques, there are many legends about untold riches accidentally discovered after pressing some inconspicuous stud inside an antique secretary. Or how an antique secretary, having changed many owners, fell into the hands of an experienced specialist who was able to figure out the location of the hiding place, searched for a long time for a way to open it, and, of course, eventually discovered a secret drawer full of ancient treasures.

But even today, the romance of secrets and mysteries has not gone away - people still like to create unexpected and original places to store valuables. And for a number of reasons, the easiest way to do this is in furniture and other interior items. Some caches cannot be created without help good master-furniture maker, in some cases, furniture is already sold with secret niches for storage, but there are also ways to reliably hide something inside ordinary furniture itself.

Hiding places in ordinary furniture

The simplest example is if you need to securely hide an envelope or a flat package, simply tape it to the bottom of the drawer on the bottom side. In most cases, even if someone goes through all the drawers of your desk, they will hardly think to look under them. For greater confidence, use the lowest drawer so that inspecting its bottom is also physically inconvenient.

The same principle applies to hiding places under the seats of chairs, however, in our opinion, this is less reliable: chairs are often lifted to be rearranged, and they can also accidentally fall. Therefore, there is a very high probability of quickly discovering such a cache, and this one is better original way storage to be used for something not very valuable.

It is also quite common to store valuables in a piano. By its design this musical instrument has a lot of free space inside, which can be perfectly used to place anything: from household supplies to important documents. Of course, provided that there is no professional musician living in your family who will not allow you to treat the instrument so frivolously.

Hiding places are often installed under furniture - in the empty space between the legs, which is closed decorative facade. Someone builds a convenient drawer there. Or you can simply find a flat box of suitable size, put valuables in it and put it away under the closet. You can also make the simplest double bottom inside a drawer yourself.

Ready-made furniture with hidden niches

Naturally, not all ready-made furniture can be used to store valuables - most often it is simply intended for the convenient placement of ordinary household items. For example, in an ottoman in the hallway it is very convenient to neatly lay out shoes, and in ottomans or banquettes in the bedroom or living room - those things that are often used in these rooms.

The same applies to storage under the bed - you won’t get a full-fledged hiding place from this place, but it is very convenient to remove items that are not needed at the moment.

Among the ready-made furniture intended for secret storage of valuables, special shelves and tabletops should be noted. From their appearance it is impossible to guess that there is a hiding place inside.

Wall mirrors and specially designed paintings can also make excellent hiding places that are almost impossible to discover. Also, real safes are sometimes disguised as paintings.

Another way to create a hiding place at home is to purchase a secret drawer or safe disguised as an outlet.

Do-it-yourself or custom-made caches

It is very popular to place caches made from books on bookshelves. This does not require any special skills and expensive materials– the main thing is to choose the spines of the books in such a way that they look harmonious among the other publications on the shelf and do not attract attention to themselves.

You can try creating your own simple secret storage spaces inside or under countertops.

Others, more complex projects, are made to order from a good craftsman. This applies to secret drawers or special secret niches for storing various furniture inside.

Many people mistakenly believe that multifunctional furniture appeared quite recently, when it was time to furnish not luxury apartments, but small apartments. Meanwhile, history takes us several centuries into the past to tell about the emergence of one of the most interesting and functional types of furniture - the secretary. Indeed, today the secretary is as popular as it was in the 18th century, when it first appeared. Today, together with the “Dream House” website, we will plunge into the world of retro furnishings and learn a little more about this furniture.

A little about the history of the creation of the secretary

As mentioned earlier, the secretary appeared in the 18th century, but some sources date its appearance to the 12th-13th centuries. It was behind the secretary that the ladies of that era wrote thousands of letters; in their numerous boxes they kept love messages and state secrets. Thus, the secretary cabinet easily replaced a desk, a safe, and a closet at the same time.

Modern models have been slightly modified, but, as before, they are a cabinet with drawers and a folding shelf that plays the role of work surface. A large number of drawers allows you to keep all your writing utensils at hand, but at the same time, in perfect order. And secret locks and reliable locking systems protect important papers from prying eyes.

Originally considered ladies' furniture, the secretary quickly fell in love with the male half of humanity, becoming a workplace for emperors and kings. For example, Napoleon Bonaparte took a folding travel secretary with him on trips - when folded, it took up little space, but the desk was always nearby, even on the battlefield. And then doctors liked this functional furniture, allowing them to store doctor’s instruments and medicines in order.

Currently, written secretaries decorate modern interiors, combining work area And spacious wardrobe. The aristocratic look of furniture with a retro touch fits perfectly into both classic and modern interior styles. The main thing is to choose the right shape, color and finish of the secretary.

Secretary in the interior: application possibilities

Nowadays, secretaries are most often made “antique”: from dark wood, with carved decor. Such furniture is perfect for the classic style of the interior, as well as the Art Nouveau, Baroque and Rococo styles, but will absolutely not fit into modern styles. When choosing furniture for such an interior, you need to change your approach and look for more laconic forms with the absence of conspicuous finishing. Such modern secretaries are also present in small quantities on the furniture market. And if previously they were made exclusively from solid wood, now this furniture can be made from MDF, laminated chipboard, finished with veneer. And only a few can afford a secretary made of solid wood.

Vintage secretaries usually have big sizes, they are made of expensive wood, have a rich dark color(brown, burgundy) and decorated with carvings. For classic interiors Such aristocratic furniture, which emanates solidity and chic, fits perfectly.

Art Deco style secretaries have elegant shapes and are most often made in black or white. And writing cabinets in country style are, as a rule, simple in shape, unfinished, and sometimes have scuffs on the body.

In modern interiors, the secretary is sometimes part of a furniture set and represents one of the “wall” sections. It's like a built-in workplace that doesn't take up much space and, at the same time, is part of the headset.

Where can I put a secretary?

This versatile type of furniture is mainly placed in the living room. Representing a compact workplace, it easily places a laptop, a table lamp on its surface and still has room for all kinds of folders and books. After work, all these accessories are removed, and the lid is closed, turning the secretary into an ordinary wardrobe or chest of drawers.

But no matter how convenient and capacious the secretary is, it is not intended for long work behind him. You can’t put a desktop computer on it, and it’s not very comfortable for your feet to constantly rest against the drawers. However, it is great as an alternative to a mini-home office.

The secretary can be placed not only in living rooms, but also in the library, office and even in the bedroom. The main thing is to find a place for a compact workplace, where it does not interfere and does not take up unnecessary space. square meters. A corner secretarial chest of drawers fits this description perfectly, allowing you to store various things in a large number of drawers, and when the lid is open, it serves as a desk.

A compact workplace is necessary not only for adults, but also for children. Sometimes a secretary cabinet for a schoolchild is placed in the nursery; in this case, it replaces a desk and houses portable computer equipment and other study supplies. Maybe, the best option will use a large desk for work and study, and a secretary for a laptop or computer, but each parent chooses furniture based on the dimensions of the children's room, so there are no need for advice here.

The secretary and the bureau are two siblings

Often, along with the secretary, they also look for a bureau. Both types of furniture represent a compact workplace, only a secretary is more of a cabinet with a retractable or hinged lid, and a bureau is a type of table with an add-on. The latter stands steadily on four legs and has small dimensions that fit perfectly into almost any interior. Meanwhile, the presence of a work surface and shelves for papers allows you to use it for short-term work, for example, while sitting at it you can pay bills or write a shopping list for the store.

Both the secretary and the bureau are types of multifunctional furniture, but the first one performs more functions, but the second one is more compact. There is probably no need to have both of these pieces of furniture in your apartment at once, so it’s up to you to choose which is more necessary or which is better.

New secretary made from old wood

Furniture that retains the breath of old times gives our apartments a special flavor. In this section we will mainly talk about the secretary, but not about the one we all know as component modern furniture wall, but about how our ancestors imagined this piece of furniture many years ago. For the home handyman Those with some carpentry experience are quite capable of making such a desk along with an extension.

The table shape, tabletop area and extension are small in size. Therefore, the secretary will not take up much space in the room and can be placed somewhere near the wall, and maybe in front of the window.

In our design we will be dealing with shaped parts, small drawers, etc. To make them we will need pieces of plywood board or thick plywood.

The secretary shown in Fig. 20 should be considered only as one of the options. Your own taste and the material you have will tell you a variety of variations of this model. First, let's determine the main dimensions of our future design. Table height – 75–78 cm (top edge height), extension height – at least 40 cm, tabletop width – 120–140 cm, depth – 60–80 cm. During manufacture various parts it is necessary to first draw up their exact sketch. For curly sidewalls and corners, it is necessary to make templates in advance and transfer the shapes with a soft pencil to the material.

Rice. 20. Secretary

Now some instructions for making a secretary. The table consists of two sidewalls, which are also the supporting legs of the table top, a frame of drawers and a thick rail that strengthens the structure and is placed in the lower rear third of the table. We connect the frame and tabletop to the sidewalls using dowels in the same way as the crossbars, which act as special legs. We connect the back support strip to the sidewalls using cuts and, after gluing, also with screws. In accordance with the specified width of the drawers, we insert shutter strips between the slats. To the extension, consisting of sidewalls, top board and back wall, we add various drawers on both sides. Since our design uses different material, it is recommended to paint the secretary, preferably in two brown tones that go well with each other.

The picture below shows how without special tool you can make the specified shapes for the secretary from the available material. First, use a hacksaw to make the marked cuts before starting to carve. Then, using a chisel, we hollow out part of the material (on both sides), and then make oblique cuts. We finish the grooves and roundings with a rasp.

From the book 40 best knots for a tie, scarf, scarf author Ivanov Andrey

The New Knot The New Knot is a step up from the simple knot: those who can master the first knot will almost certainly master the second. The only difference between them is that when tying a new knot, the edges of the wide end of the tie first

From the book New hallway, living room, bedroom. Best projects for decoration and design author Sokolov Ilya Ilyich

Secretary Unlike a small bureau, a massive secretary is more reminiscent of a full-fledged closet, combining the functions of a desk, a shelf for papers, and drawers for storing small items required for work. The main difference between a secretary and a traditional desk is that

From the book DIY Home Decoration. Handmade. Fashionable solutions interiors, gifts and accessories author Dobrova Elena Vladimirovna

Old furniture new life Some household items acquire a special chic over the years and do not require any special transformations, with the exception of a barely noticeable and careful restoration, designed only to emphasize their advantages. Other pieces of furniture inevitably age and lose

From the book Practical furniture for summer cottage author Serikova Galina Alekseevna

New outfit for table lamp Paints, brushes and glue will help you create a new look for a table lamp with a white lampshade on a porcelain leg. The diameter of the lampshade in our example is 5 cm, and the height of the leg is 2 cm. To decorate, you will need the following materials and

From the book DIY Furniture author Onishchenko Vladimir

Chapter 3 Restoration of old furniture Not only in country house, but even in a city apartment there is often a need to eliminate minor furniture defects. To do this, you don’t need to be a professional and understand the intricacies of finishing. Enough to know

From book Exterior finishing country house and dachas. Siding, stone, plaster author Zhmakin Maxim Sergeevich

New look for an old chair If you have a favorite chair in your country house whose upholstery has worn out, you can transform it by sewing new case. He will give the piece of furniture new look, and you will be in a great mood. For work you will need the following: – an old chair; – fabric,

From the book Practical homemade crafts for the garden with your own hands author Team of authors

The new kind old kitchen Any woman who spends a lot of time in the kitchen wants kitchen equipment looked stylish and beautiful and at the same time ensured sufficient operating efficiency. But time passes, and the hostess begins to think (or maybe this is actually the case)

From the book How to make country house cozy and comfortable author Kashkarov Andrey Petrovich

From the book Master's Handbook painting works author Nikolaev Oleg Konstantinovich

From book Suburban construction. The most modern construction and Decoration Materials author Strashnov Viktor Grigorievich

From the book Speech without preparation. What and how to say if you are caught by surprise author Sednev Andrey

From the author's book

3.11. We are building new house on an old stone foundation In the North-West region of Russia, many old houses are “built” on a stone foundation, made from natural materials found around the area. Quite often it is necessary to build a new one on an old foundation.

From the author's book

Preparing surfaces with old paint The surface before painting is carefully prepared, removing all old paint, rust and mold, clean the base from dust and other types of contaminants. If you decide to apply a layer of paint over the old coating, i.e. serious

Transformable furniture has become popular recently due to the lack of space in small apartments for useful things.

But such pieces of furniture were invented quite a long time ago. This applies to such an interesting piece of furniture as a secretary. Despite the fact that previously living space was measured not by individual rooms, but by floors, houses and entire palaces, this multifunctional cabinet gained its popularity even then. Later, this furniture began to be replaced with heavy walls and began to be taken to dachas or simply got rid of it. Now secretaries are again at the peak of popularity, however, the variety of models allows them to be successfully fitted into almost any room. We will tell you below why it has gained such popularity and how to use a modern secretary in the interior.

Secrets of the secretary

It is believed that the first secretary was created in 1730, but the prototype of this piece of furniture appeared in the 12th-13th centuries. Then it was exclusively ladies' furniture, where romantic young ladies wrote messages to their lovers, and women close to power decided the destinies of individuals and entire states. Later, men also appreciated the charm of such an unusual cabinet-table, and it was used by the highest strata of society, right up to kings and emperors. The furniture of some of them still amazes the imagination, delighting the eyes of connoisseurs in historical museums and galleries. Also, secretaries were often used by doctors, since in its numerous compartments it is convenient to store papers, medicines, and various medical devices.

It is worth noting that the secretary has always been a combination of a cabinet, a desk and a safe, and it has remained the same to this day, only appearance Thanks to the efforts of furniture designers and manufacturers, it can now be completely different. Sometimes a written secretary is compared to a bureau. However, there is one main difference between them: a secretary is a type of cabinet, i.e. storage places, and a bureau is a type of table, i.e. workplace. Thus, the main function of these multifunctional interior items is different.

Interior use

Designers have always understood the beauty of such interior items, although they could not always use them. And if a modern secretary occupies a separate place in the interior and is an independent piece of furniture, then quite recently, in Soviet times, it was often built into furniture walls or sets. Thus, a separate section or module was allocated to bookshelves, several drawers and an invariable folding tabletop, which make up the secretary. We can say that this was a version of the built-in secretary.

Advantage modern models is that they can either be part of a furniture group belonging to the same collection or skillfully matched to each other in color and style, or differ from all other pieces of furniture, being the main object or accent in the space.

The options for today's secretaries can be completely different: massive and miniature, stationary and mobile, ordinary rectangular and corner. Appearance - shape, fittings, color and other characteristics - can please people with completely different tastes.

It could be a classic desk secretary made of solid wood, an elegant console cabinet for the hallway, a multifunctional secretary for the bedroom that looks more like a chest of drawers, a modern computer desk-secretary, etc. There are specialized or, better to say, “professional” secretaries, for example, accounting, filing or library models.

The variety of models allows you to imagine a modern secretary in the interior of any room. In the office, this is an indispensable writing secretary, combining a durable tabletop with convenient storage for papers and small items. In the living room this is a storage area with the possibility of turning it into a work area. In a nursery, this is a convenient place for creativity, where all things are in order, but at the same time always at hand. Also, in all these rooms you can install a computer desk-secretary if there is no separate place for it.

Many remote workers will like this, because such interior items are designed not only for laptops, but also for desktop computers. In any case, if necessary, for example, when receiving guests, you can hide the workplace by raising the table top or closing the door if the secretary is a table in a closet.

You can use a modern secretary in the bedroom interior either to create a work area that can be easily hidden during relaxation by raising or sliding the tabletop, or to store bedding, women's magazines and other small items, as well as write plans for the next day or keep a diary every night.

The kitchen can also include a transformable cabinet such as a secretary, but still few people organize a work area here in order to work with papers or at the computer. For the kitchen, it is better to choose desks or buffets similar to secretaries with retractable or folding tabletops.

A small writing secretary on high legs can be placed in the hallway or hall so that it is convenient to put the press on it, sign bills or leave some small things (keys, change for travel, a shoehorn) so that they do not get lost.

Models for different design styles

Antique secretaries look great in classic styles interior, especially retro style, and a modern secretary - in the interior of a minimalist design, high-tech style or others modern directions. An antique writing secretary is usually massive, “pot-bellied” and solid: made of solid expensive wood and decorated with carvings. Such aristocratic furniture dark colors Suitable for Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau and other classical interiors. Use of antiques or artificial aging new furniture is also quite typical for these interior styles.

Refined furniture options with graceful shapes and original fittings are suitable for the Art Deco style. Typically, secretaries for them are more like narrow console tables with small drawers on top. Such tables are usually made in black and white, which is one of the characteristic features of Art Deco.

A modern computer desk-secretary is represented either by a light, airy model, or combines a spacious bookshelf with a retractable or opening tabletop.

Such secretaries with a minimum of finishing and simple fittings are suitable for minimalism, hi-tech, pop art styles, however, the materials and colors for each option should be different. Thus, the high-tech style is characterized by translucent matte facades, grey colour, laconic shape, chrome parts and technological options for transforming the table. Pop art “loves” the combination bright colors, slightly naive details, pictures or photographs on the facades. Basically, for some modern styles In the interior, you can decorate your computer desk-secretary yourself, using an inexpensive purchased model as a basis.

For ethnic styles, you can choose your own shapes. So, French, English or scandinavian interior easy to create using furniture from certain manufacturers. Country style provides slightly naive desk cabinets with natural or artificial abrasions on the body. Small secretaries of laconic forms made of wood and rough finishing are suitable for eco-style.

Proper use of the secretary's features, rational storage of books, papers, writing instruments and other things necessary for work, as well as the interesting appearance of this piece of furniture will certainly be appreciated by any home owner. By the way, the secrets of some ancient secretaries have not yet been solved, maybe your furniture will become interesting to your descendants later?