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French Marquetry Inlay Walnut Burl Secretary Slant Front Desk Writing Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant French desk, writing table, with slant drop front, with the beautiful inlay decors in
Category
Mid-20th Century French Belle Époque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
A French Directoire style Leather Top Mahogany Writing Desk, C. 1950.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Crafted in mahogany with a leather writing surface, this elegant desk features five drawers, bronze
Category
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Regency Writing Desk Receiving Table Rosewood
Bronze Michael Taylor for Baker
By Baker Furniture Company, Michael Taylor
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration: Elegant Regency finely crafted small writing desk in rosewood and bronze
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Gio Ponti, elegant oak desk designed for the National bank
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
Gio Ponti (1891-1979)
Elegant oak desk designed by Gio Ponti for the National bank. Slightly
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Elegant Mid-Century Desk Designed by Severin Hansen Jr. 1950s
By Haslev Mobelsnedkeri, Severin Hansen
Located in Lejre, DK
elegant legs contribute to the desk's stylish expression and create a harmonious balance between form and
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Elegant Desk in the Manner of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant desk in the manner of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, American, circa 1950s. This piece has been
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Mahogany Three Drawer Embossed Leather Top Writing Desk by Maitland Smith
By Maitland Smith
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Elegant rectangular mahogany writing desk with three panel embossed tooled leather top above three
Category
1990s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Elegant French Deco Cerused Oakwood Console Ladies Desk, Midcentury, France
Located in New York, NY
French deco Cerused oakwood console or ladies desk, midcentury, France
Lovely ladies desk in
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Elegant Campaign Style Desk in the Manner of Tommi Parzinger
By Sligh-Lowry Furniture Co.
Located in Dallas, TX
A refurbished campaign desk by Sligh in the manner of Tommi Parzinger. White lacquer top in glossy
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Distress Painted Louis XVI Style Carved Writing Desk or Console, circa 1920
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Elegant French Distress Finished Writing Desk or Console table in the Louis XVI taste. Item
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Minimalist Paul McCobb Brass and Mahogany Writing Desk for the Irwin Collection
By Paul McCobb
Located in Dallas, TX
Elegant and simple writing desk designed by Paul McCobb for Calvin. This piece is an early example
Category
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Travertine, Brass
Elegant Black Lacquer and Brass French Style Desk or Bureau Plat
By Maison Jansen
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant Black Lacquered French Style Bureau Plat or Desk, probably American, circa 1950s. It has
Category
Vintage 1950s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
Elegant Lucite Desk with Mirror Top Style of Charles Hollis Jones
By Charles Hollis Jones
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Elegant three-drawer Lucite desk in the style of Charles Hollis Jones
with a 3/8" thick starfire
Category
1990s American Hollywood Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Lucite, Mirror
Italian Antique Walnut Rustic Table Desk Writing Table with Portoro Marble Top
Located in Carimate, Como
Very charming and elegant small Italian antique desk writing table or console table with stylish
Category
20th Century Italian Rustic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Brass
Elegant Desk by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, circa 1950s
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An elegant walnut desk designed by T.H.Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, circa 1950s, where he was
Category
Vintage 1950s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
1950s Italian Design Desk by Vittorio Dassi - Exquisite, Elegant, and Restored
Located in Rome, IT
Presenting a 1950s Italian desk, a masterpiece of modern design attributed to Vittorio Dassi
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Elegant Mid Century Cerused Ladies Desk with 1 Drawer, France 1950
s
Located in New York, NY
Elegant mid century cerused ladies desk with 1 drawer, France 1950's
Beautiful and elegant
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
French Writing Desk with Embossed Leather Top in the Style of Louis XVI
Located in Chicago, IL
An elegant French Louis XVI style writing desk featuring an inset, embossed chestnut brown leather
Category
20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf
Antique Swedish Gustavian Period Elegant Desk Made by Hand in Solid Pine
Located in Kramfors, SE
Swedish antique elegant desk from the gustavian period during the late 1700s. Frame in solid pine
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Elegant Black Lacquer Desk Bureau Plat Attributed to Jacques Quinet France 1950
By Jacques Quinet
Located in Brussels, BE
French fourties neoclassical bureau plat writing table.
Black lacquer with brass details, sabots "à
Category
Vintage 1950s French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Italian Writing Table
Located in New York, NY
A very elegant Italian fruitwood neoclassical style writing desk with brass accents, a beautiful
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
$7,400
Elegant Black Lacquer Desk with Brass Details by Maison Jansen, France, 1950
By Maison Jansen
Located in Brussels, BE
Black lacquer bureau plat with three drawers, one original key, brass handles and sabots.
Black leather top.
In the style of Louis XVI by Maison Jansen Paris.
Category
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Giò Ponti Very Elegant Wood and Green Glass Desk Table, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Palermo, IT
Beautiful wooden desk, with shaped top in moss green glass, two groups of three drawers on the
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Elegant Black Lacquer
Silver Leaf Glass Elephant Leg Table
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Rare piano shape writing desk or service table, circa 1940's.
3 carved elephant head and trunk
Category
Mid-20th Century Anglo Raj Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Hardwood
Elegant Mirror Topped Dressing Table, by Barbara Barry
By Barbara Barry
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
The cream lacquered dressing table having an antiqued mirrored topresting on a cream-colored dressing table / vanity. The front with a fluted surface with a central drawer flanked by...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mirror, Lacquer
Louis XV Style Lady Desk
Located in PARIS, FR
An elegant Louis XV style lady’s writing desk of serpentine shape, made in veneered wood and
Category
Antique 1880s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
$5,684
Danish Modern Executive Freestanding Rosewood Desk, 1960s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Modern Executive Freestanding Rosewood Desk, 1960s.
Elegant and stylish double sided writing
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Cavour Desk by Zanotta, Homage to Carlo Mollino
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
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
Chinese Partner
s Desk with Puddingstone Top, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
doctor's desk, the elegant writing table is a 19th-century iteration of the three-part pedestal table
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Stone
Elegant "Bureau Plat" with His Green Leather Top by Maison Jansen, France, 1950
By Maison Jansen
Located in Brussels, BE
Elegant double -side "bureau plat"with his original green leather top.
Black lacquer with gold
Category
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Palisander
French Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Black Lacquer Desk by Maison Jansen
By Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Elegant French midcentury desk or writing table in the modern neoclassical taste by Maison Jansen
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French Louis XV Style Bureau Plat with Embossed Leather Top and Bronze Mounts
Located in San Francisco, CA
century
An elegant French writing desk with a rich leather top and beautiful bronze mounts. A full
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Italian Midcentury Side Table or Writing Desk in Painted Beechwood, 1950s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
completely.
The table could be used also as a small elegant writing desk due to the perfect height and
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Materials
Beech
Art Deco Secretary Desk Cabinet Cerused Oak, circa 1930
Located in Vienna, AT
/ Germany. Elegant writing desk with cabinet handcrafted from solid cerused oak. Measuring 51.18" (Height) x
Category
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Tambour-Door Writing Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant vintage writing desk designed and manufactured in the United States, circa 1960s. This rare
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Italian Carved Walnut Antique Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and antique Italian writing desk, 1880s. The desk is made of solid walnut wood. Important
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Desks
Materials
Walnut
18th Century Italian Louis XVI Walnut Wood Antique 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 Solid Walnut Wood Antique Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant antique Italian writing desk of the period Louis XVI, 18th century. Rare and precious solid
Category
Antique 1780s Italian Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Walnut
Arne Wahl Iversen Rosewood Desk
By Vinde Møbelfabrik, Arne Wahl Iversen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegant rosewood writing desk appears to float on a sculptural base. Highly figured rosewood desk
Category
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Modern Desks
Classic Modernist Shaw Walker Steel Desk Writing Table
By Shaw Walker
Located in Buffalo, NY
Sleek, simple, elegant steel desk or writing table made by Shaw Wakler, Faux grain painted wood
Category
20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Materials
Stainless Steel, Steel
Vintage Danish Teak Secretary Desk 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
. Very elegant and versatile, both a writing desk and a chest of drawers. Unknown manufacturer but often
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Materials
Teak
19th Century French Louis XIII Carved Barley Twist Walnut Table Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
original wooden knob. The elegant writing table desk is in excellent condition commensurate with age and
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XIII Side Tables
Materials
Walnut
18th Century French Louis XIII Carved Walnut Turned-Leg Side Table Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
knob. The elegant writing table desk is in excellent condition with a rich walnut patina. Intricate
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XIII Side Tables
Materials
Walnut
Midcentury Danish Teak Secretaire by Børge Mogensen for Søborg Møbler, 1950s
By Søborg Møbelfabrik, Børge Mogensen
Located in Asaa, DK
warm golden hue. Elegant and versatile combination of writing desk and chest of drawers.
Perfect
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Materials
Teak
Gustavian Swedish Table with Drawer with Original Blue Paint, circa 1790
Located in New York, NY
/ green paint and black top. Pure form on elegantly tapered legs. Wonderful writing table / desk or side
Category
Antique 18th Century Swedish Folk Art Tables
Materials
Softwood, Paint
18th Century French Louis XIII Carved Walnut and Oak Turned-Leg Side Table
Located in Dallas, TX
decorated with a iron pull knob. The elegant writing table desk is in excellent condition commensurate with
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XIII Side Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
Elegant Curved Desk, Attributed to Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful desk with curved, floating top of rosewood veneer with knife-edge detail. Dark wood
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Gio Ponti, Very elegant and rare desk 1940
Located in Encino, CA
Rare beech and maple veneer desk with two drawers.
The structure is in solid beech and the
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
E.J. Ruhlmann: Rare And Elegant 1930 Desk In Oak And Ash
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Encino, CA
Rare elegant desk by Emile-Jacques RUHLMANN in oak and ash with a suede top and a single large
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Ash
E.J. Ruhlmann: Rare And Elegant 1930 Desk In Oak And Ash
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Encino, CA
Rare elegant desk by Emile-Jacques RUHLMANN in oak and ash with a suede top and a single large
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Ash
Gio Ponti Desk
By Gio Ponti, Schirolli
Located in New York, NY
Gio Ponti elegant writing table/ desk. Rare walnut desk with single center drawer. Side storage
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
$29,000
Elegant Tressle, Dining or Center Table
Located in New York, NY
Tressle table with matched grain rosewood top. Ribbed detail to sides and Platypus feet. Very similar lines to pieces by Paolo Buffa.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Writing Desk by Tommi Parzinger for Parzinger Originals
Located in New York, NY
An elegant mahogany writing desk by Tommi Parzinger. The desk has a lacquered top inlaid with a
Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks
Materials
Brass
Elegant Writing Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Leather topped writing desk with ormolo and cabriolet legs. Three drawers.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
$2,200
Malchiodi Midcentury Italian Center Writing Desk Two Drawers
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Elegant writing desk in natural walnut designed by the architect Paolo Malchiodi Firenze Italy at
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Rosewood Desk, Denmark, 1960s
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
Very elegant writing desk. This rosewood veneer writing desk is very nice with typical Danish
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
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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 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 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 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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