Interior Design Consultancies Will Sometimes Incorporate a Replica Davenport as a Miniature

Recently I was honoured to be invited to contribute some material on the davenport desk, a remarkable piece of eighteenth-century British furniture, and one that is still appreciated by many of London’s top interior design consultancies today. The origins of the name are unknown, but it seems to be linked with a 1792 accounts book that includes “Captain Davenport” as a listing. The main alternative to the davenport was the ladies’ boudoir – it was fashionable in the day but is no longer practical for interior design consultancies in the 21st century. The davenport became especially popular among the fashionable young ladies of London in the 1800s. The upper part forms a desk that pulls forward to slide over the knees when extended; underneath are drawers to hold writing equipment and paper. Today, interior design consultancies will sometimes incorporate a replica davenport as a miniature laptop workstation in a scheme that demands an authentic sense of London’s interior design history. I too hope that our interior design consultancy will have the opportunity to use this fabulous piece of furniture in some of our future work!