Car lots, both new and used, showcase cars on the lot. Electronic Stores Showcase mahogany TV cabinets and oak entertainment centres. Walk into any music store and it is like walking into instrument showcase heaven. Clothing store mannequins sport suits and dresses in shop showcase windows. Even bakeries showcase their wares upfront in display cases. So why should the carpenter and builder of fine furniture be any different.

A Carpenter's Showroom?

Well, there is one huge disadvantage the carpenter must deal with. There is no car lot, display case, or showroom floor upon which to exhibit your wares. If you are lucky, you will have room for one piece at your actual location and unless you have an online warehouse, you have to make the most of it. On nice days when the weather cooperates, roll that showpiece out front of your workshop or garage for the world to see. At the very least, take pictures to display on your social website.

Showcase Your Carpentry Skills

So which piece should you use to show the world exactly what you can do? The choice is obvious and easy. Nothing says skill and craftsmanship like the Mahogany Bureau. If you truly have the skills to make beautiful, old world style furniture, you simply cannot go wrong using the mahogany bureau to show what you can do because it is an intricate, highly detailed, and difficult piece to produce for even the most skilled woodworkers among us.

A Dresser or the B in FBI?

If you say you have a mahogany bureau to anyone under the age of 35, chances are you will get a blank, unimpressed expression. That is the result of the newer generations having no idea what a bureau actually is. Most younger men and women think a bureau is a glorified chest of drawers or a place for federal agents to hang out. The carpenter that must build them knows the truth. The Bureau is, in essence, a supercharged desk that most of the younger generation would kill to own if they only knew the truth. Let's compare and see what makes the bureau the "desk" of choice for the older generation.

Computer Desks Equal Simplicity to the nth Degree

Your standard computer desk is nothing more than a table with a roll out tray for the keyboard. If you have a high end computer desk, you may have a shelf for a printer/scanner. Some even have a removable shelf on top, presumably to place an HD or LCD monitor and a knick-knack or two. I even saw one with a drawer once. The computer desk’s best claim to fame is a design built to stand in a corner, the back side cut at a 45 degree angle. (Joy to the world) All you would need is a dunce cap and stool to complete the image.

Better but Still Lacking

A regular desk is a little better. The standard style has a flat, rectangular top with a three inch hole cut-out for the various power cords and usb cables. Beneath is an open space for the user's legs with a sunk in shelf that may or may not hold a printer/scanner if it is not too wide. On either the right or left side is a column of drawers with the bottom drawer large enough to convert to file case status. Outside of this, there is not much more to brag about. Even the fancy desks made of oak or mahogany follow the same basic design with a few charming features like a highly polished glass surface.

The Elvis Presley of Furniture

Enter the mahogany bureau. Take, for instance, a true classic. The Georgian style, 100% hand crafted, mahogany bureau. Solidly put together with dovetail joints from top to bottom, we defy you to find a screw hidden under press board lamination anywhere near it. Even the hardware is impressive; solid brass handles and joints scream high priced luxury. Most come with up to five, glide as if on air, pull out drawers for holding heavier equipment and supplies. On top of the Georgian mahogany bureau is a roll top compartment that could very well feature a desktop that glides outward... the perfect place for a laptop with enough area inside for a 19 inch monitor and small CPU.

Hidden Mahogany Bureau Treasures

That bank of brass handles is the hidden treasure that are smaller drawers. A bank of twelve or more drawers that hold the necessities of writing such as paperclips, writing instruments, stapler and staples, and anything else that you would normally cram into the top drawer of a desk can now be neatly organized and out of sight. This is a much more welcome option than the ubiquitous plastic desk tidy.

The Mahogany Bureau is a Cash Magnet

If this sounds like an expensive slice of heaven to you, the craftsman, you are not alone. If ever, any piece of furniture had a design that naturally called attention to itself... it is the mahogany bureau. If you want to display your work, start with a piece that screams "Look at what This Artist with Wood can do." It is like money in the bank. The mahogany bureau is a cash magnet that attracts customers.