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Vintage Large Bamboo Rattan Woven Wicker Leather Writing Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Lovely oversized bamboo, rattan and woven cane desk with large brass bamboo pull rings. Three
Category
Vintage 1980s American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan
Primitive Antique Early American Cherry Slant Top Writing School Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
A charming 19th century slant top writing desk. Made from cherry with turned legs leading to peg
Category
Antique 19th Century American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
British Colonial Style Ming Inspired Solid Mahogany Five Drawer Desk, 20th C
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This British Colonial style writing desk is made with great craftsmanship of solid polished
Category
Mid-20th Century Hong Kong British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Late 19th Century Dutch Colonial Desk with Drawers, Diamonds and Gilt Rosettes
Located in Yonkers, NY
Antique Indonesian Dutch Colonial desk, 2 drawers, ancestry.
An antique Dutch Colonial desk from
Category
Antique 19th Century Indonesian Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
20th Century French Colonial Art Deco Rosewood Desk
Located in San Marino, CA
20th century French Colonial Art Deco rosewood desk on two pedestal legs. Rosewood is not veneered
Category
Early 20th Century Vietnamese Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Antique Colonial Padauk Wood Leather Top Partners Desk
Located in London, GB
A stunning antique Anglo-Indian colonial partners desk / writing table in solid padauk wood. This
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Padouk
British Colonial Style Faux Tortoise Bamboo and Grass Cloth Desk Set
Located in Southampton, NJ
Midcentury faux tortoise bamboo and grass cloth desk with Asian modern form featuring two glove
Category
Vintage 1970s American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cotton, Bamboo, Cane, Raffia, Rattan
Antique 19th Century Early American Pine Country Farmhouse Writing Desk 44"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique primitive 19th century early American library writing desk. Made of pine featuring
Category
Antique 19th Century American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
British Colonial 19th Century Leather Top Partners Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive William IV antique partners desk handcrafted in mahogany with a lush green tooled
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English William IV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Antique 19th Century Dovetail Joints Secretary Drop Front Writing Desk
Located in Southampton, NJ
19th C. Antique American Pine slant top drop down desk with exposed dovetail joinery, generous
Category
Antique Late 19th Century American American Colonial Desks and Writing T...
Materials
Brass
Antique Early American 19th C Plantation Writing Desk Secretary Cabinet Cupboard
Located in Dayton, OH
A beautiful plantation or secretary desk featuring primitive styling with upper cabinet or bookcase
Category
Antique Early 19th Century American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Poplar, Walnut
Vintage Tooled Leather Traditional Carved Campaign Style Office Writing Desk 62"
By Maitland Smith
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th Century campaign style desk. Features a rectangular form with brown tooled leather top
Category
Late 20th Century British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Hardwood
English British Colonial Style Leather Top Inlaid Rosewood Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Antique English Edwardian desk crafted in rosewood having a tooled brown leather top over a five
Category
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Baker Furniture Milling Road Carved Mahogany Small Writing Desk or Entry Table
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional carved mahogany small writing desk or entry table
By Baker Furniture Milling Road
Category
1990s American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique Spanish Carved Oak Office Desk Writing Sofa Side Table Catalan Iron
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique Spanish carved oak office desk writing sofa side table catalan iron
~Direct from Europe
Category
Antique Early 1900s Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Iron
British Colonial Mahogany Campaign Style Leather Top Gentleman
s Desk, 20th C.
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This British Colonial Mahogany campaign style desk features a top with three leather lined panels
Category
Mid-20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Mid Century Baker Colonial Campaign Style Satinwood and Brass Leather Top Desk
By Baker Far East Collection
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This branded Baker Collector’s Edition Gold Label Campaign style desk from the Far East Collection
Category
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century French Colonial Mother of Pearl Table
Located in San Marino, CA
A lovely 19th century French Colonial black table featuring stunning floral mother of pearl inlay
Category
Antique 19th Century Vietnamese Colonial Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl
Brazilian desk
Located in Paris, FR
Brazilian work,
Solid mahogany desk with a rectangular top, partially gouged, and resting on four
Category
Late 20th Century Brazilian Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$8,907
Walnut Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Walnut writing desk with two pencil drawers, barley twist legs (or salamonic) and iron
Category
20th Century American Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
$8,740
Midcentury Zebra and Chrome Writing Table
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Chic midcentury library or writing table with a visually compelling mix of material. The top is
Category
20th Century American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
Spanish Colonial Revival Richly Carved Bureau and Chair - 1930-1940
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
This striking Spanish Colonial Revival bureau and chair set, crafted between the 1930s and 1940s
Category
Vintage 1930s Peruvian Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
18th Century Spanish Colonial Baroque Walnut Two Drawer Table
Located in Milford, NH
A good example of a Spanish Colonial Baroque solid walnut two drawer table with original lock
Category
Antique 18th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wrought Iron
Midcentury Rattan Kneehole Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Seven drawer desk crafted in pencil reed featuring flowing wave patterns on the sides and back over
Category
20th Century Italian British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rattan
Antique Desk with Drawer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Antique cedro wood desk from Guatemala with beautifully turned legs. The top consists of two wide
Category
Antique 19th Century Guatemalan Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Hardwood
$3,705
British Colonial Table with Marble Top
Located in Chicago, IL
Handsome selection with refined legs. Marble top adds a great touch to this piece.
Category
Early 20th Century Thai Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
Bamboo and Grasscloth Pagoda Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Asian modern British colonial style desk crafted with a bamboo frame and painted grasscloth
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Dutch Colonial South African Laurel wood table
Located in New York, NY
A Dutch Colonial South African Baroque style Laurel wood (stinkwood*) table with four cabriole legs
Category
Antique 19th Century South African Desks and Writing Tables
Vintage One Drawer Desk from Indonesia
Located in New York, NY
A dark wood Dutch Colonial-style desk with a single drawer, turned legs and side stretchers with
Category
Vintage 1950s Indonesian Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Central Java Desk, 100 Years Old
Located in New York, NY
Wooden desk or table from Central Java. The desktop is one solid teak piece. 100 years old. Two
Category
Early 20th Century Indonesian Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Bamboo and Grasscloth Desk and Chair
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Faux tortoise two-drawer desk crafted with panels of grasscloth framed in bamboo and metal splayed
Category
20th Century American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Grasscloth, Bamboo
$6,950 / set
Maitland-Smith Vintage Faux Trunk Convertible Foldout Desk
By Maitland Smith
Located in Palm Beach, FL
converts to a foldout desk featuring three drawers on each side, a tooled leather writing surface, and an
Category
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Grasscloth
Vintage Mahogany Gray Wash Finished Campaign Desk
Located in North York, ON
Vintage mahogany gray wash finished campaign desk. Vintage, circa 1940s mahogany campaign desk
Category
Vintage 1940s American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
18th Century Spanish Walnut Table or Desk
Located in Winter Park, FL
A period 18th c. Spanish table in walnut, Featuring a solid one-piece figured walnut top, attached via sliding dovetail joints to a wonderfully carved and turned legged base. Iron st...
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century Walnut Three Drawer Desk, Spain
Located in Round Top, TX
5' carved walnut writing desk from Spain with turned legs and iron scrollwork stretcher.
Three
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Iron
Ebony Desk with Leather Top, Early 1900
s
Located in Nantucket, MA
A rare ebony British Colonial desk with two reeded drawer fronts, reeded sides and reeded, tapered
Category
Early 20th Century British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Ebony
Jesus Ballester Marco Spanish Revival Mahogany Sideboard Library Console Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage Jesus Ballester Marco of Valencia, Spain sideboard, library console or writing desk. Made
Category
Late 20th Century Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
British Colonial Table with Two Drawers and Twist Legs with Casters
Located in Chicago, IL
This handsome British Colonial desk was made in Rangoon, Burma, and dates to circa 1910. The desk
Category
Early 20th Century Burmese Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak, Lacquer
20th Century English style desk in oak, United Kingdom ca. 1950
Located in Meulebeke, BE
United kingdom / 1950 / desk / oak / English
A charming writing table or desk in full oak crafted
Category
Vintage 1950s British British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Carved Spanish or Italian Walnut Library Table Desk Heavy Carved Base
By Berkey
Gay Furniture
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Fine Italian or Spanish carved walnut library or farm table or desk. Stunning walnut wood grain
Category
20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
19th Spanish Old Pine Desk with Folding Leaf and File Space
Located in Miami, FL
19th Spanish old pine desk with folding leaf and file space
Small desk made of native hardwood
Category
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
English Green Nautical Ship Painted Plymouth College Double School Desk Bench
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Solid wood and metal English painted double school desk or child's writing table with depictions of
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European British Colonial Desks and Writing Ta...
Materials
Metal
Antique Oak Wood and Cast Iron Adjustable Drafting Work Table Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique oakwood and cast iron adjustable drafting work table desk. Item includes a maple top, cast
Category
Mid-20th Century North American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Oak
Vintage Maitland-Smith Leather Clad British Campaign Desk With Steel Sword Base
By Maitland Smith
Located in Centennial, CO
What a unique statement piece! This vintage Maitland-Smith British campaign desk is made of gold
Category
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel, Gold Leaf
Vintage Colonial Style Faux Bamboo Writing Desk
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Faux bamboo writing desk in colonial style with leather inset top
A British Colonial style
Category
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Desks
Materials
Rattan, Wicker
Spanish Revival Refectory Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Refectory writing table, of walnut, having a rectangular top, over single frieze drawer, raised on
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Spanish Style Natural Wood Table
Located in Pound Ridge, NY
Natural bleached wood spanish style desk or table, two drawers with original iron pulls, central
Category
20th Century French Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Spanish Trestle Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Early 19th c. Mahogany and Walnut table. Two wide Walnut boards with framework in Mahogany. A lot of old repairs. Beautiful top.
Category
Antique 19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
$12,420
18th Century Spanish Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
which do not the stability or functionality and beauty of the piece. Size is ideal for a desk. Use and
Category
Antique 18th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Classic Spanish Trestle Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
be a marriage of two different tables. Would make a great desk or narrow dining table.
Category
Antique 19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chestnut
Walnut Wood Table With Carved Turned Fluted Legs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Walnut table or desk with carved fluted legs. Medium walnut finish with some applied distressing
Category
Late 20th Century American Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Charming Spanish Solid Oak Table with Iron Stretchers
Located in Houston, TX
dovetails in the top of the table.
It make a nice small dining table or a wonderful desk or console.
Category
Vintage 1930s Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
19th Castilian Spanish Table Walnut Wood and Wrought Iron Keyhole
Located in Valladolid, ES
Castilian Spanish walnut wood table with wrought iron keyhole .The walnut wood was the most used in the furniture of this time in Spain, associated with houses of high purchasing pow...
Category
Antique 1860s Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Table and Desk with Chair by Maugrion for Roche Bobois - France - 1980s
By Roche Bobois
Located in Milano, IT
Elegant bamboo console table with folding top, designed in the 1980s by the Maugrion company for the "Le Rotin Prestige" collection and manufactured in France by Roche Bobois. This p...
Category
Late 20th Century French Colonial Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Bamboo, Wood
Spanish Farm Table with Iron Stretchers and Hand Carved Top and Ebonized
Located in Miami, FL
19th century Spanish farm table with iron stretchers
Hand carved top
Completely restored.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Vintage Mahogany American Colonial Kneehole Library Vanity Writing Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage kneehole library / vanity / writing desk. Made of mahogany featuring traditional styling
Category
Late 20th Century American Colonial Desks
Materials
Mahogany
Portuguese Colonial Brazilian Solid Rosewood Slant Lid Writing Desk
Located in Essex, MA
Made in Brazil and purchased as an antique in Rio De Janeiro in the 1950s. With slant lid top opening to a finely fitted compartment with drawers and cubbys and hidden compartments o...
Category
Antique 1760s Brazilian Rococo Desks
Materials
Rosewood
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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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