Refined Storage for the Collector and Connoisseur
Nicholas Wells Antiques offers an extensive collection of fine antique bookcases, bureaux, secretaires, and display cabinets, each chosen for its rarity, quality, and decorative importance. These pieces have long been essential to refined interiors, designed not only for practical storage but also to showcase intellectual and artistic pursuits.
Our collection includes important English, French, and European masterpieces, alongside rare lacquer cabinets from Asia, perfect for displaying antiquarian books, objets d’art, or treasured collections. From the restrained elegance of Georgian mahogany bookcases to the ornate gilt-bronze-mounted secretaires of 19th-century France, each example reflects the artistry and craftsmanship of its period.
Whether you seek a bureau bookcase for a study, a secrétaire for a drawing room, or a grand display cabinet for rare collections, Nicholas Wells Antiques provides access to some of the finest and most exquisite examples available today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between a bureau, a secrétaire, and a bookcase?
A: A bureau is a sloping fall-front desk often with drawers below. A secrétaire is a more refined Continental form, often featuring a drop-front or fall-front writing surface with drawers or shelves concealed behind. A bookcase is designed primarily for the storage and display of books, sometimes combined with a bureau base.
Q: From which periods are your bureaux and bookcases?
A: Our collection includes 18th- and 19th-century English and French examples, as well as rare Asian lacquer cabinets dating from the 17th century onwards.
Q: What woods and materials are most common?
A: Mahogany, walnut, rosewood, and satinwood are frequently used, often combined with fine veneers, gilt-bronze mounts, and lacquer finishes.
Q: Are these pieces still practical for modern interiors?
A: Yes. Antique bureaux and secretaires provide excellent storage and writing surfaces, while bookcases and display cabinets remain ideal for showcasing books and collections.
Q: Do your lacquer cabinets come with provenance?
A: Yes. Where available, we provide full provenance, including details of their original collections and any exhibition history.
Q: How do you ship large bookcases and cabinets internationally?
A: We work with specialist art shippers to ensure safe, insured packing and worldwide delivery to museum standards.
✨ Explore our Antique Bureaus, Secretaires & Bookcases to discover masterpieces of storage and display, from Georgian mahogany bookcases to exquisite French secretaires and Asian lacquer cabinets.
