Favoured for its comfort for writing, the bureau plat retains the key furniture status that was a hallmark of Louis XV. This was joined by new models of Louis XV desks. These masterpieces epitomise with great refinement the virtuosity of the cabinetmakers under Louis XV. Intended particularly for ladies, new, smaller desks reveal hidden secrets. The bureau Capucin or "à la Capucine" desk includes numerous complex mechanisms for concealing the secret features.
The bonheur du Jour ladies' writing desk, the bureau dos d'âne or bureau de pente and the secrétaire de Dame complete this range of very feminine desks. The bureau à cylindre appears circa 1750. The bureau de pente also enjoyed a great success: intended to be placed in the centre of the room, it includes a leaf that transforms into a writing shelf. It thus reveals a series of pigeonholes, two small drawers and a secret space when a central panel is pressed.
