About a desk

Years ago, when I was still building my business, I went on a hunt for a desk for my office. I’ve always had a strange obsession with vintage office furniture. Perhaps, this infatuation started when I was younger, sitting at my father’s desk in his home office, while he was traveling for work. The desk signified something more to me; it represented work, business, and manhood. Much like sons follow their fathers into specific trades, being gifted tools that hold significant meaning, I too wanted to find the perfect representation of my career and lineage, a simple sign that I had developed my business to the point where I deserved something that had history, craftsmanship, and was designed with purpose and authenticity. I wanted my own desk to sit behind and build my dreams upon. So I began my search, eventually finding two different executive desks, one of which would be for the office, and the other would reside at home. Both were of midcentury design; however, only one would become my primary desk, still a part of my life to this day. 

I found my Monteverdi Young executive desk by chance, not knowing exactly what it was or its significance, through a Craigslist ad. It had been restored by an individual here locally, who procured it from someone in California. At the time, the name Monteverdi Young meant nothing to me; I was just a young Realtor looking for something unique. Little did I know, I had stumbled onto something special, a slice of Americana, and a company that helped foster the Mid-Century movement on the West Coast, having pieces that found their way into Hollywood sets and the muse of prominent individuals of the time. Monteverdi Young, while not well known, was among the highest-quality furniture of the era. Initially opening its doors in the 1930s, they began to grow the brand, becoming a staple of the LA furniture market. In the 1950s and 1960s, the price of their handmade furniture was staggering, with some of their more coveted pieces costing as much as a car, if not more. These were items that people would purchase as a statement, a subtle nod to their status within the communities they resided in. The executive desk took on a mystique, the representation of something more, a brighter future, that coincided with a transitioning population, one that embraced office culture, fashion, and a new burgeoning middle class, emboldened after World War 2; this was a new society, one that wanted to embrace the American dream, and everything that came with it. Along with this came the midcentury movement that grew in popularity for its simplistic design, streamlined approach, and use of wood and metal materials. Monteverdi Young was perfectly positioned to aid in the growth of this movement. 

They found success in what is now known as West Hollywood, attracting affluent shoppers from the region. However, their growth never made it beyond the west coast. And as midcentury began to fade, so did the company, with its name disappearing to the sands of time after the 1970s. It’s not clear what happened to their brand, and I’ve been unable to ascertain what brought about their eventual demise. For now, they’re only known in obscure circles, those of which still appreciate these beautifully American-made pieces, being bought and sold decades after the company went defunct. If you search deep enough, you’ll find brief mentions of them appearing in articles, magazines, and papers throughout the country, often highlighting their design and execution. 

As I sat there staring at this executive desk, tucked away in the garage of this reseller, piles of vintage items surrounding it, I knew in that moment that I needed to have it. There was something about it that appealed to me. It was expensive, but not unattainable. It possessed a classic design that I found charming, and after some negotiation, we settled on an acceptable price. It wasn’t until many years later that I was able to obtain the name of the company and its prominence during the 1950s-1960s. Over the years, I had come close, more than once, to selling this desk, thinking that it had run its course in my life, but every time, I find myself holding on to it, knowing that its significance could be easily lost on some. My hope is that one day, years from now, I will find someone, much like me, willing to take this desk, and all of the memories that have occurred within its presence, and find a way to love it as I have. I know that I am simply a harbinger, and that sometime, decades from now, another soul will own this desk. I will pass along the stories of its creation, the company’s significance, and the memories I have made upon it’s surface, the countless conversations had around its corners, the files it’s held within its drawers, deals completed, laughter had, and most importantly, its prominence as a tool for my trade. This desk will live on, as it lived long before I was born into this world. A slice of history, existing within the presence of those who held it in high regard.