Colonial Writing Desks
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Early 20th Century Superbly Crafted Solid Teak Wood Ladies Desk from Sri Lanka
Located in Houston, TX
This desk is made up of three parts. Made of solid teak wood in the 1920s. Specially made for
Category
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Exceptional Small Iron and Copper Side Table with Chair
Located in Pasadena, CA
Side table and iron chair, circa 1920s. The iron work is incredibly well executed.
Measures: 32" H x 31.25" W x 13" D.
Category
Vintage 1920s North American Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
20th Century Italian Wooden Pastry Counter with Drawers, 1940s
Located in Florence, IT
20th century Italian wooden pastry counter with drawers, 1940s.
Measures:
cm 130 x cm 80x H cm. 80-108.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Spanish Childrens Lift Top Writing Desk, 19th Century
Located in Cookeville, TN
This Spanish writing desk for a child has a lift top for storage. It features great metal detailing
Category
Antique 19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks
Materials
Wrought Iron
Military Campaign Brass Bound Victorian Walnut Veneered Writing Slope with Keys
Located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
A Military Campaign brass bound walnut veneered writing slope,
opening to reveal the usual fitted
Category
Antique 1850s English British Colonial Desk Sets
Materials
Brass
Writing Desk
Located in Clinton, AR
Handcrafted. Excellent condition. Beautifully craved doors.
Category
Antique 1890s English British Colonial Cabinets
Materials
Wood
$3,500
Military Campaign Brass Bound Victorian Walnut Veneered Writing Slope with Key
Located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
A military campaign brass bound walnut veneered writing slope, with a vintage pen.
Opening up to
Category
Antique 1850s English British Colonial Desk Sets
Materials
Brass
Victorian Walnut Writing Slope Ebony and Abalone Shell Decoration to Borders
Located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
A mid-19th century early Victorian burr walnut writing slope desk tidy box having an inset silver
Category
Antique 1850s English British Colonial Desk Sets
Materials
Brass
Antique Writing Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique British Colonial Writing Desk in Teak. Circa 1890.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier British Desks
$6,392
British Colonial Faux Bamboo Writing Desk and Matching Chair
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Stunning writing desk and matching chair in the British Colonial style having a smart combo of
Category
Vintage 1960s Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
Colonial Style Writing Desk Bamboo, 1970
s
Located in Barcelona, Cataluna
Mid-century seven drawer desk, and woven grasscloth panels on the tops, sides, back and front.
Category
Vintage 1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Faux Bamboo
British Colonial Secretary Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
This impressive secretary was once found in an colonial office in Rangoon, Burma. The large door
Category
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Antique Mahogany American Empire Colonial Small Secretary Writing Desk Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Mahogany American Empire Colonial Small Secretary Writing Desk Table. Item features
Category
Antique 19th Century Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Antique colonial desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Antique partner desk with green leather top. Completely in good condition. It is a desk that is
Category
Antique 1890s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
$1,365
British Colonial Style Bamboo Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Mid century desk crafted in bamboo and featuring lacquered panels on the top under glass, sides
Category
20th Century American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo
English British Colonial Partners Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
19th century English partners desk hand crafted in mahogany and French polished in the traditional
Category
Antique 19th Century English British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Nice Americana Style Colonial Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Measures 30 wide x 39 tall x 17 deep.
Category
Vintage 1980s American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
British Colonial West Indies Server or Writing Table
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Transporting 19th century British Colonial West Indian writing table or server crafted in mahogany
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Caribbean British Colonial Desks and Writing ...
Materials
Mahogany
British Colonial Leather Top Partners Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
English mahogany partners writing desk with a tooled oxblood leather top, handmade construction
Category
Antique 19th Century English British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Boho British Colonial Bamboo
Rattan Desk
By Dal Vera
Located in Trenton, NJ
Introducing this Vintage British Colonial Style Grasscloth and Bamboo Writing Desk – a tropical
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Wood
Midcentury Colonial Style Desk by Baker
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial style midcentury bamboo desk with a black lacquered top, sides and storage
Category
20th Century American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Faux Bamboo
Asian Modern Bamboo Writing Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial style writing desk with an Asian modern faux bamboo frame featuring a pagoda form
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo
Antique Colonial Teak Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful colonial antique desk made of teak. Entirely in good condition and very solid. Green
Category
Antique 1860s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Chippendale Style Solid Mahogany Colonial Williamsburg Kittinger Writing Table
By Kittinger Furniture Company
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
in the Chippendale style. The desk measures 42 wide x 30 tall x 21 deep.
Category
Vintage 1950s American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Midcentury British Colonial Bamboo and Grasscloth Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial style desk with a tortoiseshell bamboo frame including a pagoda shaped gallery and
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Bamboo
British Colonial Style Bamboo and Canvas Desk
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial three piece seven drawer desk with a bamboo frame and panels of tan canvas on the
Category
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo
British Colonial Drawing Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Incredibly spacious piece for drafting, drawing and for the simple writer. Also invites ample space for storage.
Category
Vintage 1930s Thai Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
British Colonial Style Bamboo and Reed Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Mid century sawhorse writing desk with three drawers in the case wrapped with reed over two bamboo
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo, Reed
British Colonial Style Grasscloth and Mahogany Desk
By Maitland Smith
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome British colonial style seven drawer desk crafted in mahogany with bold grasscloth panels
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Grasscloth, Mahogany
19th Century Colonial Partner Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
the colonial era of the English. This desk was made in colonial 19th century India. Beautifully made
Category
Antique 1880s British Indian Ocean Territory Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Colonial Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful aged small teak antique desk. Originating from colonial India. Dark brown leather top has
Category
Antique 1860s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Vintage Spanish Colonial Style Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Nicely detailed Spanish Colonial Style desk with two drawers. Lockable but no key. Iron supports.
Category
Antique 19th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Colonial Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Small teak desk with green leather top. Despite its modest dimensions, it is a practical desk to
Category
Antique 1890s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
British Colonial Style Vintage Bamboo and Grasscloth Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome British Colonial style desk crafted with a bamboo frame and grasscloth panels all around
Category
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Bamboo
British Colonial Roll Top Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Spacious piece complimented with rich color adds to your room or office. Handsome design is shown through the simplicity of this unique find.
Category
Vintage 1930s Thai Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
British Colonial Roll Top Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Simple, yet handsome piece accented with floral drawer pulls. Sleek curve adds a bright smile.
Category
Vintage 1930s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Late 19th Century French Colonial Desk with Single Drawer
Located in San Marino, CA
A late 19th century French colonial desk made in French Indo-China for the expatriot market of
Category
Antique 19th Century Vietnamese Colonial Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Antique English British Colonial Leather Top Partners Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive 19th century English partners desk, regency in style, crafted in mahogany having a
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English British Colonial Desks and Writing Ta...
Materials
Brass
A British Colonial Art Deco Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1950’s British Colonial Art Deco Desk from India made from Teak wood.
Category
Vintage 1950s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
19th Century French Colonial Rosewood Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
A 19th century French colonial rosewood desk featuring a set of four turned legs and two drawers.
Category
Antique 19th Century Vietnamese Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Art Deco Rosewood French Colonial Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
An Art Deco Rosewood French Colonial desk, created circa 1930. This Art Deco desk in rich colored
Category
Vintage 1930s Vietnamese Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Art Deco French Colonial Rosewood Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
A French Colonial Art deco desk that features one very small drawer to the right of the top. The
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
1940s colonial style mahogany desk with faux bamboo detail
Located in London, GB
A striking yet understated mahogany Swedish desk from 1940s with a simulated Faux bamboo border to
Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Colonial Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
19Th. English Colonial Tortoiseshell Bamboo
Lacquer Drop-Front Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Just in, this 19Th. English Colonial Tortoiseshell Bamboo & Lacquer Drop-Front Desk .
Lovely
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo
British Colonial Wooden Desk with Four Drawers and Two Doors
Located in Chicago, IL
This handsome British Colonial desk is from Thailand and was made from wood, circa 20th century
Category
20th Century Thai British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Anglo-Indian Colonial Plantation Desk in Teak
Located in Peabody, MA
A fine campaign style writing desk in the British Colonial manner dating to the mid 20th century.
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Maitland-Smith British Colonial Style Faux Bamboo and Leather Desk
By Maitland Smith
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome midcentury British Colonial style desk having a tooled and gilt decorated brown leather
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Faux Bamboo
Alfonso Marina 18th C Style Portuguese Writing Table Desk
By Alfonso Marina
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Alfonso Marina 18th C Style Portuguese Writing Table Desk
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing...
Materials
Wood
Alfonso Marina Mesa De Respaldo Bordeaux Writing Table Desk
By Alfonso Marina
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Alfonso Marina Mesa De Respaldo Bordeaux Writing Table Desk.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing...
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century French Colonial Rosewood Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
An early 20th century French Colonial rosewood desk with a burl top and one centre pencil drawer
Category
Early 20th Century Vietnamese Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Spanish or Colonial-Style Baroque Writing or Library Table
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a charming Spanish Baroque-inspired Library or Writing table in oak that most probably
Category
Early 20th Century Spanish Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
French Colonial Single-Piece Rosewood Top Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
A great petite French Colonial rosewood desk. Top is one single piece of rosewood, with two small
Category
Antique 19th Century Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
1930s Art Deco Rosewood French Colonial Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
An Art Deco rosewood French Colonial desk, created circa 1930 for the expatriate market in Indo
Category
20th Century Vietnamese Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Vintage Bassett Furniture Maple Wood Colonial Style Fall Front Secretary Desk
By Bassett Furniture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Bassett furniture maple wood colonial style fall front secretary desk. Item features a
Category
Mid-20th Century North American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Maple
Late 19th Century Americana Cherry Wood Table/Writing Desk
Located in Bellport, NY
A beautiful little solid cherry wood Americana late 19th century table/one drawer writing desk
Category
Antique 1890s American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
British Colonial Style Burnt Bamboo and Grasscloth Pagoda Desk and Chair
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Midcentury British colonial style desk and chair crafted with a burnt bamboo frame having pagoda
Category
Mid-20th Century Macanese British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Large Vintage Javanese Dutch Colonial Teak Desk with Carved Painted Drawers
Located in Yonkers, NY
A large vintage Dutch Colonial style teak wood desk from the mid-20th century, with burl wood inset
Category
Mid-20th Century Javanese Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Teak
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Colonial Writing Desks For Sale on 1stDibs
Find a variety of colonial writing desks available on 1stDibs. The range of distinct colonial writing desks — often made from wood, metal and hardwood — can elevate any home. Find 187 antique and vintage colonial writing desks at 1stDibs now, or shop our selection of 5 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished furniture. Colonial writing desks have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Colonial writing desks bearing Art Deco or Victorian hallmarks are very popular at 1stDibs. There have been many well-made colonial writing desks over the years, but those made by Dos Gallos Studio, Kittinger Furniture Company and Baker Furniture Company are often thought to be among the most beautiful.
How Much are Colonial Writing Desks?
Prices for colonial writing desks start at $595 and top out at $23,216 with the average selling for $3,703.
Finding the Right Desks-writing-tables for You
Choosing the perfect writing desk or writing table is a profoundly personal journey, one that people have been embarking upon for centuries.
Queen Atossa of Persia, from her writing table circa 500 B.C., is said to have been the originator of the art of handwritten letters. Hers was reportedly the first in a long and colorful history of penned correspondence that grew in popularity alongside literacy. The demand for suitable writing desks, which would serve the composer of the letters as well as ensure the comfort of the recipient naturally followed, and the design of these necessary furnishings has evolved throughout history.
Once people began to seek freedom from the outwardly ornate styles of the walnut and rosewood writing desks and drafting tables introduced in the name of Queen Victoria and King Louis XV, radical shifts occurred, such as those that materialized during the Art Nouveau period, when designers longed to produce furniture inspired by the natural world’s beauty. A prime example is the work of the famous late-19th-century Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí — his rolltop desk featured deep side drawers and was adorned with carved motifs that paid tribute to nature. Gaudí regularly combined structural precision with decorative elements, creating beautiful pieces of furniture in wood and metal.
Soon afterward, preferences for sleek, geometric, stylized forms in furniture that saw an emphasis on natural wood grains and traditional craftsmanship took hold. Today, Art Deco desks are still favored by designers who seek to infuse interiors with an air of luxury. One of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco movement was French decorator and furniture designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. With his use of neoclassical motifs as well as expensive and exotic materials such as imported dark woods and inlays of precious metals for his writing desks, Ruhlmann came to symbolize good taste and modernity.
The rise in appreciation for Scandinavian modernism continues to influence the design of contemporary writing desks. It employs the “no fuss” or “less is more” approach to creating a tasteful, sophisticated space. Sweden’s master cabinetmaker Bruno Mathsson created gallery-worthy designs that are as functional as they are beautiful. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto never viewed himself as an artist, but, like Mathsson, his furniture designs reflected a fondness for organic materials and a humanistic approach. Danish designers such as Hans Wegner introduced elegant shapes and lines to mid-century desks and writing tables, often working in oak and solid teak.
From vintage desks to contemporary styles, 1stDibs offers a broad spectrum of choices for conducting all personal and business writing and reading activities.
Questions About Colonial Writing Desks
- What is a writing desk?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
A writing desk may refer to a desk with a top, often sloping, for writing on or to a portable case with compartments to hold writing materials and a surface for writing.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021A small writing table is also called a davenport table or davenport desk. They normally feature a sloped or inclined top attached with hinges to the back of the table. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage davenport desks.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A writing desk with drawers is also called a secretary. It is a desk with drawers, one of which can be pushed out and the front of the desk lowered to create a flat writing surface. These writing desks have been made in a variety of styles over the years. Shop for a variety of writing tables with drawers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023What an old-fashioned writing desk is called varies by design. Pieces with drop-down fronts are secretary desks (these are typically made of two parts: a chest of drawers on the bottom and a hutch or cupboard with shelves on the top), while ones that rest on two pillars, cabinets or bookcases are pedestal desks. A desk with a small writing surface positioned in front of drawers and cubbies is a bureau à gradin. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of desks.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023In French, the term for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface is secretaire. This type of desk is called a secretary desk in English. Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments, which are called pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers, are revealed. On 1stDibs, shop antique secretary desks from some of the world's top sellers.
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