hidden places in furniture

2021/05/21

When this central door is opened it discloses a compartment with a false back, behind which is a double tier of small drawers. I was wondering if its actually a bobbin table and if not what it is called. Im really attached to my secretary!!! Thanks, just bought an ordinary oak office desk (pretty beat up) and there is a large space, about 6 deep and the depth of the desk behind the drawers..why? Behind it one sees three pockets about a half inch from front to back. ILLUSTRATON VIII: An English Washstand: Here the ball-shaped finial is in two parts and is hollow.

I was doing some research on that type of secretary.

Such a section is an inch or two shallower than the pigeonholes and drawers on either side. In the interior are shown the pair of document boxes and four small drawers concealed behind the cabinet.

These features were excellent hiding places for jewelry. It has a rotating bottom barrel with sections and a small door with hinges on the top.

Some of the most common furniture types that often include a hidden compartment with regularity are spice chests, fall-front desks, and blanket chests. We hope you delight in exploring your Chippendale furniture in the search for hidden treasures. Of course, it is Poes master detective, C. Auguste Dupin, who eventually finds the missing letter and gets the reward of 50,000 francs. While secretary desks may be the most visually impressive, collectors can also find hidden treasures in sideboards, bookcases, or nightstands. Check out this list of twenty fun and interesting ways to create secret doors, hidden compartments, and covert stashes. with-out a doubt this is the nicest-work Ive ever had . These are so popular that you can find them for sale just about anywhere, but if you want a really authentic one, you need to make one yourself. Read our story and our customer reviews to see why people love Laurel Crown. I will do the restoring myself. Found a 4 drawer chest with about 16 confirmed holes ( no bottom);in each drawer. If you arent prepared to go headfirst into a woodworking project, you can try out this easy-to-make and removable fake bookcase door with faux book handle. In addition, we use third-party cookies to help us analyze and understand usage.

The central section has been removed to show the pocket concealed at the back. Many people dont even use the number keypad on keyboards anymore, so why not transform it into something a little more handy to have around? Maker-written books designed to inform and delight! Some pieces have a single secret; others have a score. If youd prefer a convertible table, in 1894 George Hunzinger patented an oak or mahogany table that had a pivoting top. For instance, the back of the central cabinet is false and the upper board neatly dovetailed in place; but if pressed slightly, it moves sidewise and the board is released. And in some cases, a multitude of secret elements.

Sorry for the delay! Thomas Chippendales furniture became so well-known for its undeniable elegance and beauty that his incredible furniture style, as well as design, was named after him. It is 92 inches tall.

Bob Clagett from I Like to Make Stuff shows how he built an in-wall bookshelf that doubles as a hidden door. While this project is a little different than many items on this list, it is too fun to not include. When youre inspecting a piece of antique furniture, examine the grooves and surfaces of a piece. I received a call from a lady that thinks she might have the desk that you are looking for.

What sort of person owns both Overboard and Hotel Rwanda on DVD? Please let me know by email if you can help me. Chippendale has become synonymous with the greatest works of timber art with the celebrated and historic book, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Makers Director. This might readily go unnoticed and provided a good hiding place for pieces of silver. Would be grateful for any info. I discovered a petite side table yesterday at a local thrift store. A celebration of the Maker Movement, a family-friendly showcase of invention and creativity that gathers together tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators across the globe. If you dont have a book thickenough to store what you want, you can put together this fun book storage compartment that involves hiding things behind books rather than in them. March 20th, 2009. The space in between the upper and lower sections of a secretary could masquerade as decorative trim, but hide a gap perfect for currency, documents, or treasure maps. I bought a sideboard made by William kimp furniture co. Grand Rapids Mich. Every day she is inspired by something new and wishes there was more hours in the day to make! Creating secret doors can be a pretty big project to tackle, but if you still want to have your own hidden placesin your house, try one of these six clever compartments. Unlike the previous projects, instead of hiding a door behind an other object, this individual took on the challenge of simply making the door disappear, literally, into the woodwork. In the center of the interior is a small door flanked by classical pilasters.

This decorative dresser hides it all and has an automatic lift system.

ILLUSTRATION II: The Hiding Places Revealed: The interior of this secretary.

Thanks for pointing that out. At the back of the well is a hiding spot the full width of the desk interior which is concealed by a thin panel that moves forward when the central cabinet has been taken out. I was told its an old bobbin table. there is a long flip type latch under the top left drawer, but we do not know what piece should be exposed. What can you tell me about the age of this desk from the information I have given you I was told that it is from England. The sweeping statement of the Prefect regarding the stupidity of anyone who fails to find a secret drawer shows that he knew little about these ingenious evidences of the cabinetmakers skill. Beyond concealing items for secrecy or security, furniture moving into the later 19th and 20th century also concealed for storage reasons. That had obviously happened before as the secret drawer was damaged across the bottom. Topics such as microcontrollers including Arduino and Raspberry Pi, Drones and 3D Printing, and more. However, the old cabinetmakers were practical men and probably did not waste their skill on useless details.

Then the slide itself could be taken out and on the underside toward the rear was inset a small pocket just large enough to hold a half-dozen pieces of Continental currency when folded in half. In some models, the plain top could pivot to a fabric-covered poker surface. You probably cant find a house without a wall outlet and they arent always being used. The highboy is another piece of furniture that frequently possessed a secret compartment. If you could contact me i would appreciate it. i have an old roll top when i pull the top down it will not go back up seems to be hitting something ??? This great tutorial was recently updated with a video to make it even easier for you to follow along. So we may assume that the owners of pieces with secret compartments used the latter for hiding certain valuables and in time passed on the knowledge to the next of kin. It slid upward when the top was raised to give access to two or three small drawers concealed in a false bottom. Find out how easy it is tocreate your own false bottom drawer, but dont be afraid to see what it takes to make your own automatic television-raising device. An example of this arrangement (Illustration IV) has such a box on the right and in the base of it is a second concealed pocket that is only found if the box is removed and the outer side studied carefully. Transform one into a great hidden wall safe to stash your small valuables. Membership connects and supports the people and projects that shape our future and supports the learning initiatives for the next generation of makers. Some of these boards may only be slid open by carefully using a fingernail or thin knife to nudge and lift them. This project is perfect for hiding away those boxes and storing additional things for your pet. In fact, I often wonder whether the original owners knew of all the secret compartments in their pieces, or if they did know, how much they used them. When looking for secret compartments within a Chippendale, taking your time is key. Read this makezines article Online Job Help, can you like make article Online Job Help.

There is a secret compartment in the case. I cant find it please tell me if you have any idea of where it is! The theory is that not only did master carpenters and cabinetry makers not like to waste space, they often enjoyed building these extras within their formidable pieces. Enter: furniture with hidden storage.

When approaching an antique secretary, look first for a central cabinet. Shanon Miller replied, that someone said they may have the desk. Many of the original examples enclosed within beautiful pieces of utilitarian and not-so-utilitarian furniture can still be used today, and many are incorporated into contemporary furniture for the same reasons they were created originally keeping secrets. Unlike some of the other bookcase doors, this one is not an actual shelf and is simply a facade. Finding them as an owner of a genuine Chippendale whether youve newly acquired one or have had one in your family for years, maybe a challenge. Just want to change the upholstery or wood color? I have my mothers secretary desk.

the devices are lost and I would love to hear from anyone who has anything similar.

Carefully inspect any cornice molding for any drawers concealed behind them. But the details of the story are beside the point.

This article discusses hidden compartments found in antique furniture pieces, especially desks and secretaries, and describes some examples with multiple secret compartments. Secretaries could also play host to compartments hiding in plain sight. Check all crown molding, some of them may contain hidden drawers using a very simple locking mechanism, called a spring lock or Quaker lock. Your email (will not be published) (required), Finding Secret Drawers and HiddenCompartments, The International Influences of Buffalo Furniture, Chippendale Designs as Reflected in English and American Furniture.

Just how early English and French cabinetmakers began to turn their attention to adding these hiding places to the furniture they made is a question, but I do not think it began until after the Italian furniture influence reached them, coming either directly or via France or the Low Countries. I bought a Chippendale Secretary with a book case a few years ago. Our websites use cookies to improve your browsing experience. The craftsman who designed and made it must have had real inventive ability for these hiding places are so skillfully executed on one-eighth-inch pine that one has to be an antiquarian detective to locate them.

ILLUSTRATION III: A Sideboard with Concealed Space: The deep drawer at the right has been pulled out to show the false back and additional space behind it. In other chests where a small covered box or till was built into them, usually at the upper left-hand end, the inner side of the till was frequently movable.

At the back can be seen an additional document box that slides behind the pigeonholes on that side. I have forgotten where they are and am looking for help finding them. Floating panels indoors were given sufficient room to shrink over time without splitting, which is one of the many reasons why authentic Chippendale furniture remains in superb conditions even today.

Over time, the rubbing of a sliding secret part may have left its mark. A piece so honeycombed with secrets reminds one of the answer Robert Browning once made to a question regarding the meaning of a particularly involved poem of his: When I wrote it God and Robert Browning knew the meaning; now only God knows.. There are a few visual clues to look for when it comes to accessing whether you may have hidden compartments in your Chippendale. Learn About Antique Furniture and Reproductions, Reproduction Elegant Chippendale Cabinets, How to Find Hidden Compartments in Chippendale Furniture.

Sure enough all 7 little drawers were still there. At the front is a series of three hidden drawers without knobs that are released by using the fingernails along the upright cracks that separate them.

The thing is so plain. The social platform for antiquers, collectors, andenthusiasts. Susan in new bern nc, I am a descendant of William Duer, 1st asst/sec treasurer under Pres. Dont discount compartments only accessible from the back, or cleverly disguised as a collection of old books in the front. We strongly urge caution with any sharp objects near your exceedingly valuable Chippendale! Makendo showed off the directions for this secret door on Instructables.

Does anyone have any idea what the value of this is, or where I can find out

Also beneath the central section will be found another thin pocket of wood with its opening toward the rear which can be raised with ones fingernail or the point of a knife. maybe you know some one with a similar piece. Whether for storage or concealment, these examples show that we cannot always take our vintage finds at face value. It should look much nicer now :), -> I left my 9-5 job and today I earn eighty five bucks hourly.

Take the unused number keypad on your keyboard and use it to stash treasures. If the first large drawer in the lower part was taken out, the pin that stopped the slide when pulled forward could be removed. Those tricky volumes may actually be a door to a secret space or even a hidden bar. Check central cabinets, often they can be removed. The kings of the secret compartment game and the place where you will most commonly find hidden storage is within the intricate details of secretary desks. Thank you. By Thomas Hamilton Ormsbee This gives a unique spin on the traditional hollowed out book. Bookcases, chests, or side tables could also hide compartments in a false bottom or behind a drawer. There is a certain amount of bulk of space to be accounted for in every cabinet. If a drawer looks too shallow for the space it occupies and doesnt quite make sense, further investigation might be in order.

You cant really talk about secret compartments without having a false bottom drawer. Kitty litter boxes can be an eyesore and smelly, but you can cleverly hide them away with a hollow dresser. Chests with secret drawers of this sort were made in both full size and miniatures. A Sliding Dovetail key is a small piece of wood set into a dovetailed groove that can slide and can also lock a hidden drawer of the compartment.

What seems like a relatively simple and plain mahogany piece, for example, upon further inspection one can note he would experiment with cross-grain rather than long-grain on molding to add refinement where other furniture makers would not or would not think of it. We love doing custom projects for our customers! Seems similar to device described by Lynn Wilkins. The interior of a New England Queen Anne desk. ;-) I see what you did there but cute. A thin, straight lath of flexible timber is set at a shallow angle at the rear of a drawer bottom so that the other end is slightly below the level of the front. This cleverly designed vintage book stash offers an alternative way to use your books to hide your treasures.

If the drawer size is smaller than you expected given space, keep looking.

These are arranged as they fit into the space in front of this miniature chest. one end went in the hole, the other end was pushed in to secure it. This gives the needed hold for operating either slots or spring. Their painted decorations also helped to conceal the fact that one end was movable. Please contact me as soon as you can. They also came in checkerboard or backgammon board models and would be a fun addition to any game room. If both the hollow book and book storage compartment arent doing the trick, stack a bunch of old, unused books to make this fun hiding place. They are pretty easy to construct as you only really need a book, glue, and a knife or scissors. Not all hidden areas in Chippendale furniture were large enough for documents either. Its a perfect for puzzle fans, and its all hand-crafted with steampunk-ish decor and arduinos.

Its hard to have a list of secret hiding places without including the classic hollow book. I have my secret doors in the house but it keeps getting up some water whenever I got a water damage. Is anything loose or does anything slide when touched? A few years later. You dont want to damage the surface, and most often the access to hidden compartments is only by using your fingertips to find irregularities. I remember commenting at the time that if you didnt know it was there you would never find it. While it can be difficult to construct secret passageways, there are many ways to hide your privatetreasures from prying eyes. find out here now ->.

I know of a collector who owned a piece of furniture for several years before finding that it even had a secret compartment. How? To see an example of a sneaky secretary desk in person, be sure to check out the Roetgens Berlin Secretary Cabinet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. If you own any Chippendale pieces that are: You may very well have a piece that also has a secret hidden compartment too. Everyone is going digital nowadays, so why not use your old DVD cases for a nice little popout compartment? Look for scratch marks on interior surfaces or marks that emanate from someplace distinct. Now you can have them close by for your cats convenience while making them fit much more nicely with your decor. As stated before, this Italian design inspired the central section of the interior (Illustration I) as the most logical position for concealed compartments. We offer a satisfaction guarantee because we stand by the quality of our workmanship. Some of these are essential for the basic functionalities of our websites. Italian cabinetmakers popularized multi-purpose furniture in the late 16th and 17th centuries, and the handy trend made its way around Europe and to the western world in the 18th century. Learn how you can cleverly hide a button inside a bust.

You can even jazz it up with a lined interior, electronics, or some type of lock. Lastly, keep an eye on painted pieces.

When you slide the bottom of the books out, it shows 2 hidden drawers. Get hands-on with kits, books, and more from the Maker Shed, Skill builder, project tutorials, and more, Subscribe to the premier DIY magazine today, Community access, print, and digital Magazine, and more, Browse and Vote on Your Favorite Projects, Learn More About the Amazing Maker Awards, Graphics and More to Help Spread the Word. Using a bookcase for cover is the most popular method, but there are different styles and difficulties when it comes to the design. ILLUSTRATION VI: A Queen Anne Flat-Top Highboy: The drawer concealed behind the cornice molding has been opened to show its size and location. This is great for hiding things, but is even more handy to store remotes for your television. It may be time to do a little investigating and determine if we have any purloined letters hidden in cabinets, or want to add any secret storage to our decor.

Burned into the door very finely it states patented , July 18th 1871. Thanks, I have about decided that it is magnetic somehow but I have tried every suggestion I have found on the internet to no avail. The best way is to examine the interior by the Braille method in order to find a slight depression for a fingertip. Some may be no larger than the size of a coin to hide a single secret. Nicole is a former Editorial Intern at Make: She is a long time maker and previously worked for Instructables.com (Penolopy Bulnick).

Secret compartments for money, securities, documents, jewelry, perhaps a silver plate or a will or a place to hide carefully written confessions were often included in many of Chippendales' furniture. my email is shanon@auctionzip.com. When such highboys were new, the cornice molding and the drawer behind it fitted so closely that there was no indication that a drawer was concealed behind it. Most were useful, offering hiding places at a time when advanced security, or space, wasnt available. The flat-top highboy of the sort made during the William and Mary, Queen Anne, and Early Georgian periods, with a broad cornice molding, was sometimes constructed with a shallow drawer, the width of the piece, concealed behind this cornice molding (Illustration VI) .

The door is partly open, showing its pigeonholes and drawer. Because of the bulk of such a piece and the shallowness of the concealed drawers, this false bottom could readily pass unobserved.

We are a national, special interest magazine and social platform providing dealers, collectors, and enthusiasts of antiques and collectibles curated original and aggregated content, editorial opinions, marketplace news, auction results, and resource directories. The article mentioned that usually one or two of the little drawers usually become lost over the years.

There is a certain amount of bulk of space to be accounted for in every cabinet.. Dividers may be hollow to create small spaces for extra drawers or a hidden compartment far at the back of a drawer itself.