Parlor Desk & Seat

[disneygirl333]

This desk is absolutely amazing! Please bear with me as this is my first time reviewing a piece of furniture

This piece is sturdy and oh so beautiful. And surprisingly is not heavy. We had to lug three bags from NY to NJ and this was the lightest of everything.



I love the golden design on the front and back of the desk.



Front.


Back.

The sides do not have the design on them.



The inside of the desk has room for Cécile to put her newspaper, or her paper dolls or magnifying glass or even her feet if she wants to!



The seat has a nice design to it, but also has a long tag sticking out of the back. I think that I will eventually clip it, but I'll leave it for now.





Cécile can even sit in it in a couple of different ways.


With her legs sticking out.






With her legs inside the desk.

Or, my personal favorite, Cécile with her legs sticking out and the top pulled down.




All in all this is a great piece and I give it an A+!

[reenee11]

I just wanted to add that the table can not be opened all of the way. There is a piece of wood in the back that stops it when it is partially open, as seen in Sweet Repeat's picture. I was just surprised at this.

[Catlin]

I couldn't wait, I had to go back and get the desk. It is gorgeous. The fabric is such a lovely green-blue color and all of Cécile's playthings fit into the hidden compartment. She fits into it very well. This is a solid piece but not too heavy. I'm thrilled that the top can flap back down and become a lap desk to avoid strained dolly backs. A++!

_{MOD EDIT to remove member's dead image links.}

[ladoyle]

Am I the only one who thinks the Parlor Desk should have a tufted seat? It looks very flat and uncomfortable!! Otherwise it is a darling piece. Wonder if that could be fixed by taking off the seat cushion it comes with and adding a new one? Does anyone who has a desk know if that could be accomplished?

[EofA]

You could probably pry it off but if you put one in that was substantially fluffier you would run the risk of the doll not fitting in under the drop leaf. I think the flatness but the richness of the fabric was a way of compromising for practicality plus a more upholstered look.

[Lucy Skylar]

Sorry I overexposed my pics and made Cécile look like a crazy person, but I think the desk is beautiful and very well made. A+

ETA: Cécile has her crinoline on and can still sit fine at the desk.

[EofA]

If you ever get to New Orleans, you will want to visit the Gallier House on Royal Street. This house was designed in 1857 by noted architect father-and son Galliers. The Galliers were quite wealthy, more so than the Reys would have been. Items in the Gallier house served as inspirations for creating the fictional Rey home, including Cécile's bed, Cochon's cage, her doll as illustrated, and the parlor.* In fact, in the Gallier parlor is this convertible Hedges or Metamorphic Desk which dates to 1854:



It was this desk that Cécile author Denise Lewis Patrick reportedly fell in love with and encouraged AG to produce for the collection. We're lucky that AG did so, as it's an incredibly distinctive piece of furniture and seems to intrigue even those not otherwise interested in Cécile and Marie-Grace.

Cécile is able to sit at the desk while wearing her crinoline, and the seat is deep enough that she does not slide off. The under side of the lip would have been leather when flipped over, but AG's version is wood and that's just fine.

No grade less than an A is possible. It's a great, quality piece.

ETA a few quick pictures showing the Parlor Desk with Rebecca's Settee. Strictly speaking, the settee isn't ornate enough for the era but the pieces sort of cry out to be paired together. While the woods don't match, they do complement one another and combine to create an elegant setting.







(Over-exposed settee, ugh, it's not really that pink).







_{* The house also supposedly served as inspiration for Lestat's townhouse in Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire.}

[Eurynome]

The dimensions of the desk are 15" length x 9" wide x 8 1/2 " height. Just want to chime in here and say I think it's one of the best pieces of furniture AG has made. It's beautiful and so unique. To me, it's worth every penny of the $85 price tag. I give it an A+.

[auri]

I don't have pics but I did just go and look at Cécile's desk next to Felicity's original wardrobe. The original wardrobe works beautifully with her writing desk, bed, and table and chairs so I figured that would be a good test. Cécile's desk is a little more redddish brown than Felicity's furniture but I wouldn't hesitate to put them in the same room. They'd work particularly well if you're going for a mid-to-late-19th century or 20th century setting where antiques have been passed down through a family.

[francie]