English Burl Walnut Library or Bed Steps. Steps are inset with richly patinated leather panels bordered in delicate gold tooling. The upper two steps open on brass hinges to reveal hidden storage, a clever dual -purpose element typical of the period. Raised on turned legs and constructed of burled walnut, the piece reflects the quality of joinery and materials used in this era. The steps would originally have been used in a private library or bedroom to access high shelves or a tall bed. Today, they serve equally well as an accent table, a practical step unit beside a tall bed or armoire, in a study, or as a conversation-starting decorative piece.