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Elegant Louis XVI Flat Desk by P. Sormani, France, Circa 1870
By Paul Sormani
Located in PARIS, FR
Signed on the keylock P. SORMANI PARIS, 10 r. Charlot
Elegant Louis XVI style flat desk in
Category
Antique 1870s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Art Deco Writing Desk in Sycamore with Inset Leather Desktop and Brass Pulls
Located in New York, NY
This elegant Art Deco writing desk in sycamore wood features an inset leather writing surface with
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century French Louis XVI Painted Writing Table Desk with Faux Marble Top
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant, antique ladie's writing desk was carved in northern France, circa 1860. Rectangular
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Paint
DIA Postmodern Glass
Brass Writing Table
By Design Institute America
Located in Chicago, IL
Elegant postmodern writing desk from Design Institute America. Comprised of four sections of 1
Category
Vintage 1970s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass
Antique Georgian Period Mahogany Writing Table
Located in London, GB
Elegant antique period Georgian writing table desk in good original condition and dating from
Category
Antique 1810s English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Antique Georgian Style Mahogany Bonheur Du Jour Desk
Located in London, GB
A beautiful and elegant writing desk in mahogany, this is designed in the antique Georgian style
Category
Vintage 1950s English Georgian Desks
Materials
Mahogany
Chic Writing Table Attributed to Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Elegant Writing Table / Desk Composed of 4 Tapered Legs Supporting a Cantilevered Desk Top Covered
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Hardwood, Leather
1970s Italian Mahogany Writing Table by Saporiti
By Saporiti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegant 1970s Italian writing table or desk by Saporiti with demon table solid Mahogany legs (with
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Black Lacquer Writing Table with Brass Legs and Hardware
Located in Danville, CA
Elegant black lacquer writing desk with polished brass legs and drawer pulls. The desk, with its
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1950 Elegant Italian Secretary by Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
logs in black lacquer folds down to form the writing table, the interior of the furniture in light ash
Category
Antique 1850s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1950s "Madmen" Hairpin Desk
By Pastoe
Located in Dronten, NL
Elegant Mid-Century Modern writing desk with ample storage space.
The asymmetrical desk has
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Desk by Barovero Torino
By Barovero
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Elegant shape for this writing desk in the style of Carlo de Carli.
Label Barovero Torino.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
$4,800
Danish Teak Desk, 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Danish teak writing desk 1960s.
Elegant and small desk with six drawers. Long sculpted
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Elegant Gold Aluminum
Glass X-Leg Trestle Table
Located in Chicago, IL
Elegant gold anodized aluminum X-based glass top writing table, with trestle stretcher. Well made
Category
Vintage 1970s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass
Elegant Table attributed to Paolo Buffa, ca. 1950
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Greding, DE
Elegant Table attributed to Paolo Buffa, ca. 1950
Great dinner table out of walnut. It stands on
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
An Elegant Early 19th Century Louis XV Bureau Plat
Located in Hixson, TN
An elegant Early 19th Century Louis XV bureau plat. The table is raised by four slender cabriole
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Elegant Table by Finn Juhl - Estate of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
By Finn Juhl
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An original, early example of Finn Juhl's writing or small dining table for Baker Furniture with a
Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak, Maple
Carlo Mollino Cavour Desk by Zanotta
By Zanotta, Carlo Mollino
Located in Dronten, NL
An elegant and streamlined writing desk featuring a glass top and bleached oak frame.
Bleached
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Oak
Elegant Sycamore and Box Wood Louis XVI Style Bureau Plat
Located in Montreal, QC
Elegant sycamore and boxwood Louis XVI style bureau plat decorated with gilt bronze and inset with
Category
Vintage 1940s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Sycamore
English Leather Top Partners Desk, c. 1880
Located in Chicago, IL
, the elegant writing table is intended to be shared by two people, with ample leg space and accessible
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Early Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Brazilian 19th Century Carved Peroba Wood Table with Elegant Tapered Legs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Brazilian peroba wood table from the 19th century. This antique Brazilian has a rectangular-shaped top, straight skirt, and is raised upon profiled and tapered legs. The table is p...
Category
Antique 19th Century Brazilian Rustic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Hardwood
Mobili Barovero Torino Boomerang Desk Rosewood Italy 1960
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
Beautiful elegant shaped writing desk manufactured by Mobili Barovero Torino, Italy 1960. The body
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Rosewood
Vintage Desk, Italy, Second Half of the 20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
This vintage desk is an elegant wood writing desk realized in the second half of the 20th century
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Extraordinary Antique French Mahogany Louis XVI Bureau Plat/Desk
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
antique desk or writing table, you don't want to miss this superb example.
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Maison Jansen Steel
Lacquered Modern Neoclassical Desk, France 1960
s
By Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Elegant two drawers writing desk in lacquered oak with a tooled leather top, on a solid steel base
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Steel
French Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Rattan
Bamboo Desk /Console Jean Royere
By Jean Royère
Located in New York, NY
Elegant French Mid-Century desk, writing table or sofa table in bamboo, rattan and skai Attributed
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Freestanding Desk in Oak, Danish Mid Century Modern, Henning Kjærnulf, 1950s
By Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Odense, DK
An elegant freestanding writing desk designed by Danish designer Henning Kjærnulf in the 1950s
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century Louis XV Style "Bureau Plat" Desk with Leather Top
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
An elegant antique French desk/writing table in Louis XV style. Also called "Bureau Plat". The desk
Category
Antique 1860s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Early 20th Century Art Deco Ebonised Beech Desk André Groult Style
By Andre Groult
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
An elegant desk or writing table in the taste of André Groult. The base is made of black varnished
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Elegant French Writing Desk, 1940s
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Elegant 2 drawers writing desk in high gloss lacquer with tapering legs with petit bone sabots and
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks
Materials
Metal
Louis XVI style Bureau Plat
Located in Westport, CT
Handsome French Louis XVI style writing desk of elegant proportions, containing three working
Category
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut, Oak
French Directoire Style Black Lacquer and Brass Bureau Plat
Located in Danville, CA
Elegant black lacquer Writing Desk with Brass bordered top, casters, and drawer hardware. One
Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Bureau
Located in London, GB
and a lockable cabinet. The most beautiful feature of the piece has to be the sliding writing desk
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$2,190
Elegant Painted Chinese Chippendale Writing Desk
Chair
Located in Chicago, IL
Finished with a glazed paint in a driftwood taupe, this writing table/desk & matching chair have
Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks
Materials
Wood
Elegant 19th Century Ormolu and Marble Writing Desk Set
Located in New York, NY
This elegant 19th century ormolu bronze and white Carrara marble writing desk fitted with two
Category
Antique 1850s French Baroque Inkwells
Vintage Italian Writing Desk
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A mid-20th century Italian inlaid walnut writing desk on elegant splayed legs with demi-lune
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Desks
French Ebonized Writing Desk
Located in Austin, TX
An elegant French writing desk (or table) of ebonized mahogany, featuring an embossed leather top
Category
Antique Early 1900s French Desks
Materials
Bronze
French Country Parquetry Writing Desk
By Old Hickory Furniture Company, Baker Furniture Company
Located in Southampton, NJ
An elegant French Country writing desk or work table with three dovetailed drawers & striking wood
Category
20th Century American French Provincial Desks
Materials
Brass
Jens Risom Walnut Writing Desk
By Jens Risom
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant modern writing desk designed by Jens Risom for Jens Risom Inc. in the United States circa
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Riis Antonsen Danish Rosewood Writing Desk
Located in Oakland, CA
Elegant Mid-century Danish rosewood writing desk designed by Riis Antonsen, Denmark, 1955. Crafted
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks
Materials
Rosewood
18th Century French Louis XVI Walnut Marquetry Secretary Lady
s Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
secretary is both stylish and functional; the elegant writing desk crafted from solid walnut and cherry wood
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
JANSEN BLUE AND WHITE LADy
S WRITING DESK
Located in New York, NY
Elegant lady's writing desk or vanity table in painted wood with marble top by Maison Jansen
Category
Late 20th Century French Desks
Materials
Marble
19th Century Italian Carved Walnut Antique Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian writing desk. The desk is made of solid walnut wood
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Desks
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Italian Poplar Wood Antique Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian writing desk. The desk is made of solid poplar wood
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Desks
Materials
Poplar
Vintage Walnut Biedermeier Writing Desk With Leather Top
Located in Locust Valley, NY
, known for its clean lines and simplicity, is elegantly showcased in this writing desk. The design is
Category
Mid-20th Century Desks
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Mid-Century Hollywood Regency Kidney Shaped Writing Desk
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Mid-Century Hollywood Regency Kidney Shaped Writing Desk
Elegant mid-century Hollywood Regency
Category
20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Desks
Materials
Wood
18th Century Italian Louis XVI Rosewood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian writing desk. Louis XVI period with Classic spiked legs
Category
Antique 1780s Italian Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Rosewood
B&B Italia Elios Writing Desk by Antonio Citterio
By Antonio Citterio, B&B Italia
Located in San Diego, CA
Elegant "flip" writing desk designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia. The desk sets up as a
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Desks
Materials
Steel
19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Walnut Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant antique Italian writing desk. Rare and precious solid walnut wood. Comfortable size for a
Category
Antique 1850s Italian Louis Philippe Desks
Materials
Walnut
18th Century Italian Louis XV Walnut Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant antique Italian Louis XV writing desk. The desk is made of walnut wood. beautiful wavy line
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Desks
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Italian Walnut and Poplar Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian writing desk. The desk is made of poplar and walnut wood. The
Category
Antique 1880s Italian Desks
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Italian Walnut Wood Antique Writing Desk, Restored
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant antique Italian writing desk. Rare and precious solid walnut wood. Comfortable size for a
Category
Antique 1880s Italian Desks
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Walnut Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant antique Italian writing desk. Rare and precious solid walnut wood. Comfortable size for a
Category
Antique 1850s Italian Louis Philippe Desks
Materials
Walnut
Vintage Regency Burl Wood Writing Desk With Tambour Doors
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Elegant Vintage Regency burl wood writing desk with tambour doors, combining timeless design with
Category
Mid-20th Century American Regency Desks
Materials
Leather, Burl
19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Walnut Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian writing desk. Rare and precious solid walnut wood
Category
Antique 1850s Italian Louis Philippe Desks
Materials
Walnut
18th Century Italian Louis XVI Walnut Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant antique Italian Louis XVI writing desk. The desk is made of walnut wood. Simple essential
Category
Antique 1780s Italian Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Walnut
18th Century Italian Louis XVI Walnut Wood Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian writing desk. Louis XVI period with Classic spiked legs
Category
Antique 1780s Italian Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Walnut
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Elegant Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the elegant writing desk you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, metal and brass, every elegant writing desk was constructed with great care. If you’re shopping for an elegant writing desk, we have 133 options in-stock, while there are 2 modern editions to choose from as well. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer elegant writing desk, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. An elegant writing desk made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Art Deco — is very popular. Many designers have produced at least one well-made elegant writing desk over the years, but those crafted by Paul Frankl, Baker Furniture Company and Haslev Mobelsnedkeri are often thought to be among the most beautiful.
How Much is a Elegant Writing Desk?
Prices for an elegant writing desk can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $645 and can go as high as $27,100, while the average can fetch as much as $4,800.
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 Elegant Writing Desk
- 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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