A roll top desk is a desk that usually has a built-in set of drawers, cubbies and shelves on top of the writing surface which is covered and locked away by its defining characteristic-a tambour. A tambour is a rounded sliding door made of thin slats of wood that are attached to a piece of cloth or leather. The structure of the tambour is flexible and can be rolled up into its hiding place via an s-shaped track.
The roll top desk is a variant of the cylinder desk. Created in France in the 1760s, the cylinder desk also had cabinets rising vertically from the surface of the desk but was covered by a large, inflexible carved wooden cylinder that slid into place on a fitted c-shaped track
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Today the roll top desk is enjoying a renaissance: many furniture manufactures currently produce them and they are heavy hitters in the antiques market. The lockable tambour, which has always been useful for storing sensitive documents, now has the added benefit of protecting computers and other expensive desktop equipment from theft. Additionally, the tambour is a handy tool for those too busy to keep up on clutter management—its ability to hide the work area instantly neatens a room. A truly all-in-one piece—a work area, a storage device and a room-centering work of furniture art—the roll top desk makes a fine centerpiece for any office
