European Writing Desk
to
71
450
260
637
63
12
105
50
44
31
28
23
19
14
13
13
12
10
10
7
6
3
1
1
32
224
381
75
92
210
45
13
11
18
24
15
48
58
20
9
4
600
206
136
103
97
701
16
8
7
5
712
663
681
15
7
3
3
2
Sort By
Secretary Desk, Northern Europe, circa 1920, Restored
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique secretary desk from Northern Europe, circa 1920.
Very good condition, after professional
Category
Vintage 1920s Swedish Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Antique desk from around 1870, Northern Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique desk from the second half of the 19th century, Northern Europe.
The piece of furniture is
Category
Antique 1870s Swedish Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Antique Fine Quality 19th Century Mahogany Writing Side Table Desk C1850
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique fine quality 19th Century mahogany writing side table desk C1850. Lovely age colour and
Category
Antique 19th Century European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
18th Century French Louis XVI Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Writing Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Late 18th century French Louis XVI mahogany and gilt bronze writing desk. Leather top gilt bronze
Category
Antique Late 18th Century European Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Antique desk from the 1920s, Western Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
A desk from the early 20th century.
Furniture in very good condition.
Dimensions: height 81 cm
Category
Vintage 1920s German Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
French Louis XVI Directoire Style Cherry Custom Leather
Marble Writing Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Unique custom quality cherry demilune form desk in the country French or Directoire Louis XVI taste
Category
Vintage 1980s European Country Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Brass
English Edwardian Inlaid Mahogany Bow Front Ladies Writing Desk with Gallery
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This Edwardian mahogany ladies writing desk is beautifully stringed and inlaid with satinwood. The
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Nice Quality Embossed Leather Top Figured Walnut Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This French Louis XV style leather top desk with brass accents is made of the highest quality and
Category
Vintage 1950s European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
A Northern European 19th Century Walnut 1-Drawer Writing Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
the table has a rectangular rounded edge top with inlays of various woods and one locking drawer supported by four tapering and fluted columnar legs joined by turned stretchers and r...
Category
Antique 19th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Louis XV Style Chinoiserie Decorated Writing Desk Bureau Plat, 19th Century
Located in Shippensburg, PA
Such a fine and interesting writing desk, this is one of those very rare finds that remains in
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Elegant French Louis XV Style Burled Walnut Writing Desk or Bureau
Located in Hopewell, NJ
ormolu mounts. Shaped and finished on the back side as well, this desk can float in the center of any
Category
Vintage 1950s European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Vintage French Louis XVI Style Leather Top Writing Desk, 20th Century
Located in Shippensburg, PA
A most attractive writing table from the second quarter of the 20th century, this desk was crafted
Category
Mid-20th Century European Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Desk on lion legs, Western Europe, circa 1920.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Desk on lion legs, Western Europe, circa 1920.
Very good condition.
Wood: oak + walnut
Category
Vintage 1920s German Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
Desk on Lion Legs, Northern Europe, circa 1920
Located in Chorzów, PL
Desk on lion legs, Northern Europe, circa 1920.
Very good condition.
Wood: oak + walnut
Category
Vintage 1920s Scandinavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
North European, Center, Teak Desk, with 3 Drawers and Bookcase, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
North European, center, teak desk, with 3 drawers and bookcase, 1960s
With 3 drawers (one with key
Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Desk from around 1910, Western Europe. After renovation
Located in Chorzów, PL
An antique desk from the early 20th century.
Furniture in very good condition, after professional
Category
Vintage 1910s German Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Antique Desk with Extension, Northern Europe, circa 1900
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique desk from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Very good condition.
Made of walnut
Category
Antique Early 1900s Swedish Other Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
French Art Deco Carved Walnut Leather Bureau Plat Writing Desk ca. 1940
Located in Shippensburg, PA
3/8" D x 59 1/8" W; 23 3/8" H to underside
A late Art Deco writing desk with carved floral
Category
20th Century European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Modernist Teak and Stained Beech Writing Desk with Drawers and Brass Feet
Located in Madrid, ES
Beautiful Mid-Century desk with extendable boards, file compartment and two drawers on the sides
Category
20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Baker Furniture Victorian Carved Pine Writing Desk or Library Table
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Victorian or Rustic European style writing desk, console, or library table
By Baker
Category
Late 20th Century American Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Office Desk on Lion Legs, Western Europe, circa 1930
Located in Chorzów, PL
Study desk, Western Europe, circa 1930.
Very good condition.
Wood: walnut
dimensions
Category
Vintage 1930s German Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Women
s eclectic desk, Northern Europe, circa 1860. After renovation.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Women's desk, Northern Europe, circa 1860.
Very good condition, after professional renovation
Category
Antique 1860s Swedish Art Nouveau Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Antique desk with extension, late 19th century, Northern Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
A desk with an extension from around 1890.
The furniture is in very good condition.
Dimensions
Category
Antique 1890s Swedish Louis Philippe Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Antique Oak Double-Sided Desk, Western Europe, Late 19th Century
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique double-sided desk made of oak.
The piece of furniture dates from around 1890.
Material
Category
Antique 1890s Belgian Louis Philippe Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
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
Victorian Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Victorian mahogany writing table with leather insert to the top with decorative tooling to the edge
Category
Antique 1890s European Late Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
George III Writing Table
Located in Greenwich, CT
Very fine George III mahogany writing table, the maroon leather with gilt tooling with mahogany
Category
Antique 1780s European George III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
$16,500
Antique Desk on Lion Legs, Western Europe, Around 1910, After Renovation
Located in Chorzów, PL
An office desk from the early 20th century.
Manufactured in Germany in circa 1910
Furniture
Category
Vintage 1910s German Renaissance Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
Louis XVI Style Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Louis XVI style beechwood partners writing table / desk with bronze mounts and a leather top, circa
Category
Vintage 1930s European Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Antique Desk on Lion Legs from Interwar Period, Northen Europe, circa 1920
Located in Chorzów, PL
Desk on lion legs, Northern Europe, circa 1920.
Very good condition.
Wood: oak + walnut
Category
Vintage 1920s Scandinavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
Biedermeier Writing Table, Sweden, 1815
Located in New York, NY
A light and lovely desk, originally designed for writing tasks in a 19th century family room. Such
Category
Antique 1810s European Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Directoire Style Painted Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Directoire style painted writing table with suede top, brass escutcheons, bronze sabots and writing
Category
Mid-20th Century European Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Suede, Wood, Paint
Antique Biedermeier Style Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Biedermeier style cherry wood and ash writing table, late 19th century. With a rectangular
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ash, Cherry
bamboo and Lacquer Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Aesthetic movement bamboo and lacquer writing table, circa 1910. With a lacquered top with bamboo
Category
Vintage 1910s European Aesthetic Movement Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Baltic Mahogany and Brass Writing Table
Located in Essex, MA
With rectangular top with inset black leather and brass mounted outer edge over two drawers with ring handles and with square tapered legs.
Category
Antique 1850s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Early 19th Century Writing Table
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Mahogany Writing table with 2 drawers. Entirely in good and original condition. With beautiful
Category
Antique 1840s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Large Representative Freestanding Writing Table, 1920s
Located in Praha, CZ
Large freestanding desk with eleven drawers with brass handles and two pull-out plates.
Very good
Category
Vintage 1920s European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Baltic Mahogany Leather Top Writing Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Baltic mahogany leather top and brass fluted writing table with three frieze drawers on square
Category
Antique 1820s European Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Writing Table à la Tronchin, circa 1800
Located in Greding, DE
Writing desk with height adjustable writing surface, laterally extendable as well. The desk stands
Category
Antique Early 1800s European Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Art Nouveau Freestanding Writing Table, 1920s
Located in Praha, CZ
Art Nouveau freestanding desk with 5 drawers.
Very good condition according to age.
Only minimal
Category
Vintage 1920s European Art Nouveau Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique Louis XIV Style Walnut Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Louis XIV style walnut writing table, circa 1910. With a 3 board top with thumb molded
Category
Vintage 1910s European Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Louis Philippe Birch Leather Top Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Louis Philippe birch writing table / desk with a tooled leather top, mid 19th century. With an
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Louis Philippe Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Birch
Early 19th C. Sheraton Satinwood Writing Table
Located in Worcester, GB
George III Sheraton Satinwood Writing Table
Early nineteenth century, English
Fine
Category
Antique 19th Century European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Satinwood
Midcentury Desk
Located in Collonge-Bellerive, GE
This Midcentury Desk is a timeless piece that blends classic elegance with functional design. The
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
$1,302 / item
Louis XV Provincial Style Walnut Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Louis XV Provincial style walnut writing table, circa 1890. This writing table features, shell
Category
Antique 1890s European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Aesthetic Movement Bamboo and Lacquer Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Aesthetic movement bamboo and lacquer writing table, circa 1910. With an Asian style bamboo top
Category
Vintage 1910s European Aesthetic Movement Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Continental Walnut Inlaid Writing Table, circa 1880
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Continental walnut inlaid writing table with embossed brown leather top, 3 drawers below ending
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Directoire Fruit Wood Leather Top Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Directoire fruit wood writing table, with engraved and ebonized decorations and a tooled leather
Category
Antique Early 1800s European Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Fruitwood, Paint
Antique Louis XIV Style Occasional / Writing Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Louis XIV style walnut and elm occasional / writing table, 19th century. Height from floor
Category
Antique 19th Century European Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Elm, Walnut
A Regency Rosewood Kidney Shaped Writing Table
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A regency period rosewood lyre eneded kidney shaped writing table, with brass lyres and leathered
Category
Antique 19th Century European Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century Elm and Birch Root Writing Table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Good quality ladies writing table desk circa 1890.
Inlaid with elm,birch root and fruitwoods.
3
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Early 19th Century Regency Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
The Regency mahogany writing table with embossed blue leather top, inlay, two drawers with brass
Category
Antique Early 19th Century European Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Italian Desk
Located in Madrid, ES
Desktop with metal structure lacquered in black with brass feet and handles. Drawers in wood covered with rosewood with lacquered fronts in white. Painted glass envelope.
Category
Vintage 1950s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
$3,789
19th Century French Napoleon the III Writing Table
Located in New York, NY
The Napoleon the III writing table consists of brass inlaid and drawer in apron.The serpentine top
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Napoleon III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th Century Victorian Walnut Kidney Shaped Writing Table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
A lovely quality 19th century inlaid walnut ladies writing table, the kidney shaped top with rear
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Modern Campaign Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Modern Campaign desk with a Cerejeira swirl veneer plank top on a solid beech open trestle leg
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$2,475 / item
Chippendale Mahogany Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Chippendale style mahogany and flame veneered bureau plat desk, the serpentine brass bound top
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$8,880 / item
- 1
- ...
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "European Writing Desk", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
European Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal European writing desk for your home. A European writing desk — often made from wood, metal and mahogany — can elevate any home. Find 277 options for an antique or vintage European writing desk now, or shop our selection of 28 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer European writing desk, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. A European writing desk is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern, Victorian and Louis XV styles are sought with frequency. You’ll likely find more than one European writing desk that is appealing in its simplicity, but Jacques Adnet, Lukas Friedrich and Privatiselectionem produced versions that are worth a look.
How Much is a European Writing Desk?
The average selling price for a European writing desk at 1stDibs is $3,691, while they’re typically $540 on the low end and $184,235 for the highest priced.
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 European 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.
Read More
20 Inviting Dining Rooms Perfectly Arranged for Entertaining
Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.
This Alain Delon–Designed Table Is Almost as Handsome as He Was
Fans of the French film star may be surprised to learn that he had a flair for furniture with sleek lines and disco-era flash.
Uchronia’s Plant Stand Gives Pots a Pretty Perch with All the Trimmings
Like other pieces in the firm’s Candy Box collection, the cheerful limited-edition design showcases French craft.
The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Inspired by the Cosmos, Sandra Nunnerley’s Nova Table Has a Futuristic Feel
The designer’s innovative use of an unexpected material gives this console a lift.
This 19th-Century Gilded Desk Displays a Fanciful Kingdom in Marquetry
The stately piece brings both gravitas and whimsy to any work space.
In Guadalajara, These Luscious Side Tables Are Chiseled from Volcanic Rock
Use them as tables or stools, indoors or out.
More Ways To Browse
Rosewood Flip Desk
Watch Display Case
Antique Ladies Drop Front Writing Desk
Arts Secratary Desk In Walnut
Locking Display Case
Art Deco Writing Bureau
Mode Desk
Rolex Emblem
Watchmakers Desk
Slant Front Desk On Ball And Claw Feet
Pierre Cardin Evolution
Antique Pharmaceutical Jars
Antique Pheasant Figurines
Antique Pine Bedside Cabinet
Antique Pine Mule Chest
Antique Pipe Box
Antique Pipe Cabinet
Antique Pixies