Custom Cherry Drop Front Shaker Desk
with Secret Hidden Compartments
by Delnero Custom Furniture
Custom Made Handcrafted Furniture
Desk of Noah & Hannah ~ Boston, Massachusetts
Custom built for Noah and Hannah of Boston, Massachusetts, this solid cherry drop front desk measured 52" high x 48" wide x 20" deep. The desk needed to be built in two pieces with
specific dimensions so it could be brought down two quite narrow and winding staircases.
The bottom section of the desk consisted of 4 dovetailed drawers to hold hanging files which ran on double tract heavy duty German drawer slides. The upper section has a drop down 3 panel lid.
The paneled lid has a completely flat writing surface on the back side, and conceals a series of vertical and horizontal cubby holes, a row of small dovetailed drawers, and a section to hold a laptop computer. The laptop section had a 2 inch wiring grommet to neatly allow the passage of wires to the back of the desk. The base's top supports the lid when in the lowered position.
For centuries, furniture makers such as Justin here, have enjoyed incorporating secret spaces into their work. The most common piece to find hidden compartments in was the desk, though they have been found in many other pieces as well. The art of hiding a little drawer or box is still alive in custom made furniture. It continues to be fun for both the furniture builder and owner. The 2 hidden compartments in this desk were completely built with dovetail construction.
Noah & Hannah didn't commission us to incorporate these little secret boxes, but were surprised and delighted we took the time to make them a part of their desk.
A shot of an old skeleton key we modified to aid with the extraction of the hidden compartments found within the upper section of the desk.
By simply pulling out the far left or right drawers, one gains access to where the hidden compartments may be extracted.
What would look like a drawer runner, is actually the side of one of the boxes. Each box has a small lip built into one of its lower edges that sits into a small groove that holds the box in the exact spot needed to double as a runner. By inserting a small key into a tiny hole in the side of the hidden space, you can lift the box's edge out of the groove and pull it towards you.
A shot of the hidden dovetail box part way out of its hiding space.
Once the box has cleared the drawer stile, it is free to be pulled out.
A shot of one of the two hidden boxes found within this Shaker custom built desk. The key that opens these boxes also has a hidden space within the desk. That secret will have to be Noah and Hannah's!
The bottom section of the desk consisted of 4 dovetailed drawers to hold hanging files which ran on double tract heavy duty German drawer slides. The upper section has a drop down 3 panel lid.
The paneled lid has a completely flat writing surface on the back side, and conceals a series of vertical and horizontal cubby holes, a row of small dovetailed drawers, and a section to hold a laptop computer. The laptop section had a 2 inch wiring grommet to neatly allow the passage of wires to the back of the desk. The base's top supports the lid when in the lowered position.
For centuries, furniture makers such as Justin here, have enjoyed incorporating secret spaces into their work. The most common piece to find hidden compartments in was the desk, though they have been found in many other pieces as well. The art of hiding a little drawer or box is still alive in custom made furniture. It continues to be fun for both the furniture builder and owner. The 2 hidden compartments in this desk were completely built with dovetail construction.
Noah & Hannah didn't commission us to incorporate these little secret boxes, but were surprised and delighted we took the time to make them a part of their desk.
A shot of an old skeleton key we modified to aid with the extraction of the hidden compartments found within the upper section of the desk.
Here's how the hidden compartment works...
There needed to be a small space on both outer sides of the upper small drawers, so they would clear and not hit the stiles the drop down lid fit into.By simply pulling out the far left or right drawers, one gains access to where the hidden compartments may be extracted.
What would look like a drawer runner, is actually the side of one of the boxes. Each box has a small lip built into one of its lower edges that sits into a small groove that holds the box in the exact spot needed to double as a runner. By inserting a small key into a tiny hole in the side of the hidden space, you can lift the box's edge out of the groove and pull it towards you.
A shot of the hidden dovetail box part way out of its hiding space.
Once the box has cleared the drawer stile, it is free to be pulled out.
A shot of one of the two hidden boxes found within this Shaker custom built desk. The key that opens these boxes also has a hidden space within the desk. That secret will have to be Noah and Hannah's!
Open Daily 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays
Evenings by Appointment
Closed Sundays
Evenings by Appointment
