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English Walnut Davenport Writing Desk
Located in Katonah, NY
English Walnut Davenport / Writing Desk ca 1860
This exquisite Victorian davenport writing desk
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks
Materials
Walnut, Leather
English Bureau Mahogany Writing Desk Chest
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive early 20th century walnut writing bureau.
The marquetry adorned fall flap enclosed
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks
Materials
Mahogany
English Georgian Cylinder Bureau Writing Desk Chest
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
panel above a tambour front enclosed a fitted interior comprising tooled leather writing surface
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century English Brass Inkwell
Writing Desk Set, circa 1880
Located in Worcester, Worcestershire
condition. Heavy. Minor wear commensurate with age
19th century English brass inkwell & writing desk set
Category
Antique 19th Century European Desk Sets
Materials
Brass
English Davenport Early 19th Century Mahogany Writing Desk
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive rare form mid-19th century davenport.
The polished flamed mahogany boasting a rich wild grain.
A gradual inclined fall flap - enclosed storage with hinged drawer ...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks
Materials
Mahogany
Victorian Era English Walnut Davenport Writing Desk, circa 1870
Located in Charlevoix, MI
A handsome and very traditional English Davenport or writing desk, with lockable side storage
Category
Antique 1870s English Victorian Desks
Materials
Brass
English Edwardian Mahogany and Kingwood Carlton House Writing Desk
By Jas Shoolbred
Co.
Located in Macclesfield, GB
leather writing surface with letter compartments, central cupboard and drawers. The desk still retains its
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Edwardian Desks
Materials
Kingwood, Mahogany
Sheraton Style Desk in Walnut Writing Table English Furniture
Located in Potters Bar, Herts
Gorgeous English Sheraton style desk or writing table, clean and minimal design makes this great
Category
2010s Sheraton Desks
English Antique Oak Bureau Arts
Crafts Writing Desk Chest
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive early 20th century solid oak writing bureau.
The fall flap enclosed writing surface
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks
Materials
Oak
19th Century English Satinwood Pedestal Writing Desk with Original Leather Top
Located in London, GB
An exquisite 19th century pedestal desk in satinwood, the original tooled leather top over a
Category
Antique 1860s English Victorian Desks
Materials
Leather, Satinwood
English Mid-19th Century Burl Walnut Davenport Desk with Leathered Writing Slope
Located in Wells, ME
English mid-19th century burl walnut davenport desk with Wellington locking bar for the five side
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Desks
Materials
Brass
Early 19th Century English Writing Table
Located in Raleigh, NC
Constructed of Burled Walnut, this beautiful women's writing table also was used for reading
Category
Antique 1830s English George III Desks
Small 19th Century English Regency Writing Table
Located in Alexandria, VA
Fine antique English writing table in mahogany, having a rectangular top with tooled and gilt
Category
Antique 1820s British Regency Desks
Materials
Leather, Mahogany, Wood
English 19th Century Rosewood and Brass Writing Box
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century English mahogany and brass writing box with leather writing top and storage
Category
Antique 1880s English Desks
Materials
Brass
English William IV Rosewood Two Drawer Writing Table Carved Turned Legs
Located in Wells, ME
English William IV rosewood writing table with replaced hand tooled and hand dyed antique green
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English William IV Desks
Materials
Brass
English Mid-19th Century Mahogany Writing, Library or Sofa Table Pedestal Ends
Located in Wells, ME
English Early Victorian mahogany leather top writing, library, or sofa table with bold pedestal
Category
Antique 1840s English Early Victorian Desks
Materials
Cowhide, Mahogany
English 19th Century Inlaid Burr Walnut Writing Table by Johnstone and Jeanes
By Johnstone, Jeanes
Co.
Located in Poling, West Sussex
An exhibition quality Victorian period writing table by the prestigious cabinet makers Johnstone
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Desks
Materials
Walnut
English Antique Oak Bureau Tambour Roll-Top Writing Desk Chest Edwardian
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive Edwardian solid oak roll-top writing bureau.
The tambour fall flap enclosed
Category
Early 20th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Oak
English Vintage Teak Bureau Writing Desk Retro Mid-Century Modern, 1960s-1970s
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive mid-20th century teak writing bureau.
The angled paneled fall flap enclosed a fitted
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Secretaires
Materials
Teak
English Mahogany Sofa Writing Table Desk Bevan Funnell Drop-Leaf Console Antique
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive mahogany drop-leaf table by Bevan Funnell and originally retailed by Chapmans.
The mahogany with a rich patina and well figured grain.
The cross-banded drop leaf top ...
Category
20th Century English Sofa Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Late 18th century George III Mahogany Chest on Chest
Located in Savannah, GA
English chest on chest with writing desk.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier George III Secretaires
George IV 19th c. Birds Eye Maple Buffet
Located in Savannah, GA
Two tiered early 19th century English chiffonier. Multi purpose sideboard, writing desk and storage
Category
Antique 19th Century English Buffets
English Writing Desk
Located in Culver City, CA
English writing desk with original green leather top, simple turned legs.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$4,200
English Writing Desk
Located in Culver City, CA
English writing desk with original green leather top, simple turned legs
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$4,200
English Writing Desk
Located in Culver City, CA
English writing desk with original green leather top, simple turned legs.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$2,900
English Writing Desk
Located in Culver City, CA
English writing desk with original green leather top, simple turned legs.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$2,900
English Writing Desk
Located in Culver City, CA
English writing desk with original green leather top, simple turned legs.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$4,200
English Writing Desk with Leather Insert
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Small late 19th C 2 drawer English writing desk with leather insert. 1890.
Clearance is 24.75
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century Trestle-Style English Writing Desk Library Table
Located in Surrey, BC
An exceptional, compact antique English writing desk/library table with trestle-style legs, circa
Category
Antique 1880s English Renaissance Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
19th Century English Writing Desk with Drawers and Original Bronze Fittings
Located in Marbella, ES
19th Century English Writing Desk with Drawers and Original Bronze Fittings
Category
Antique 19th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Antique English Writing Desk with Embossed Leather Top
Located in Round Top, TX
Rich mahogany captures the eye in this classic English writing desk. It has three working drawers
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Leather
English Writing Desk or Table of Mahogany with Embossed Leather Top
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome English writing desk or table of mahogany, from the 19th century, featuring an embossed
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
Petite English Writing Desk
Located in North Miami, FL
Wonderful writing desk crafted of mixed woods - cerused oak and pine set on rolling casters. Inlay
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Pine, Leather
English Writing Desk or Table of Walnut with Embossed Black Leather Top
Located in Austin, TX
A fine English writing desk or table of patinated walnut from the 19th century, featuring an
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
Antique English Writing Desk Table Jacobean Carved Oak Green Leather Bobbin Leg
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique English writing desk table Jacobean carved oak green leather w bobbin legs.
Direct from
Category
Early 20th Century British Jacobean Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
English Writing Desk
Located in Charleston, SC
English Chippendale mahogany knee hole writing desk with pull out brushing slide/ writing surface.
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Desks
$12,000
19th Century Large English Writing Desk
Located in Hixson, TN
A very large and impressive English writing desk/game table from the late 19th century. Gadrooned
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Gothic Revival Game Tables
19th Century English Writing Desk with Lift Panel
Located in Hixson, TN
A fine 19th century English Edwardian writing desk. This desk has a center writing surface which
Category
Antique 19th Century British Regency Desks and Writing Tables
English Writing Desk Table Plat 1930s Fold Down
Located in West Hartford, CT
Magnificent 1930s writing desk with burl accents and in great condition. It features drawer both
Category
Vintage 1930s English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique Leather Top English Writing Desk With Three Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
There is a reserved elegance to this mahogany writing desk from England. The clean lines, slightly
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood, Mahogany
Antique English Writing Desk With Single Drawer and Turned Legs
Located in Sheridan, CO
Antique English desk with single drawer and turned legs. Acquired in Colorado from a TX and NM
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Mahogany
Satin Birch English Writing Desk with Leather Writing Surface, circa 1840
Located in Charleston, SC
An outstanding satin birch writing desk. A deep brown tooled leather with fantastic depth of color
Category
Antique 1840s English George IV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
English Writing Desk or Table of Mahogany with Leather Top from the 19th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome English writing table or desk of patinated mahogany from the 19th century, featuring a
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
English Writing Table of Mahogany
Located in Austin, TX
An English writing desk or side table of mahogany featuring a moulded top over a frieze with one
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
English Writing Table or Desk of Mahogany with Embossed Leather Top
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome English writing desk or table of mahogany from the 19th century, featuring an embossed
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
Antique Side Table in Mahogany, English, Writing Desk, Late Georgian, circa 1800
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique side table in mahogany, an English writing desk dating to the late Georgian
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Georgian End Tables
Pair Early 20th C English Ebonised Side Desks with Drawers
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1900s pair of English writing desks with single locking center drawer and newly ebonised
Category
Early 20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century, English Wooden Desk
Located in High Point, NC
An English wooden desk from the 19th century. This English writing desk is constructed from lathed
Category
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Hardwood
Early 19th Century Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
English writing desk circa 1800
3 ash lined drawers to the front, decorated all round with
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
English Writing Table or Desk of Mahogany with Two Drawers on Turned Legs
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome English writing desk or side table of patinated mahogany from the late 19th c
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
English Writing or Book Table of Mahogany
Located in Austin, TX
A lovely English writing desk or book table of flame mahogany featuring an adjustable top with a
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
William IV Writing Desk or Table of Mahogany with Leather Top from England
Located in Austin, TX
A fine English writing desk or library table of mahogany, from the William IV period, featuring a
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English William IV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Mahogany, Leather
19th Century English Walnut Writing Desk of Reverend William Kelly
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
A late 19th century English writing desk. Made from solid walnut.
High-quality desk standing on
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Antique Side Table, English, Writing Desk, Console, Window, Georgian, circa 1800
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique side table. An English, mahogany writing desk, console or bay window table
Category
Antique Early 18th Century British Side Tables
Materials
Wood
19th c. English Oak Writing Desk
Located in Casteren, NL
Antique English writing desk made of oak wood. When the desk is closed, there are 4 drawers (3 with
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks
Materials
Oak
English Ladies Writing Desk
Located in Charleston, SC
English Satinwood ladies writing desk with painted scene of lady and floral motif. Desk has fitted
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Desks and Writing Tables
$22,000
English Painted Writing Desk
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
19th C English painted oak writing desk. 1890.
24" clearance.
Reference: 7737
Dimensions
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
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English Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the English writing desk you’re looking for. Each English writing desk for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, mahogany and animal skin. There are 805 variations of the antique or vintage English writing desk you’re looking for, while we also have 19 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. There are many kinds of the English writing desk you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. An English writing desk made by Regency designers — as well as those associated with Georgian — is very popular. Many designers have produced at least one well-made English writing desk over the years, but those crafted by Maple
Co., Gillows of Lancaster
London and Heal's are often thought to be among the most beautiful.
How Much is an English Writing Desk?
An English writing desk can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $4,115, while the lowest priced sells for $304 and the highest can go for as much as $177,376.
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 English 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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