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Vintage Pine Desk from France, circa 1960
Located in Nashville, TN
Vintage Pine Desk from France, circa 1960. Solid pine construction with age related use and wear.
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Midcentury Pine Desk from France, circa 1950
Located in Nashville, TN
Midcentury desk from France, circa 1950. Solid pine construction with one drawer. Great patina and
Category
Vintage 1950s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Vintage Oak Desk From France, Circa 1960
Located in Nashville, TN
Vintage Oak Desk From France, Circa 1960. Oak construction with original hardware. Rare model
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Modern Grey Oak and Leather Top Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Modern cerused oak leather top writing table. The "Coastal wave finish" cerused oak grey leather
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$3,540 / item
Rare Architect
s Desk from France, Circa 1960
Located in Nashville, TN
Rare architect's desk from France, circa 1960. Fantastic model with an iron frame and oak top
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Vintage Oak Desk From France, Circa 1960
Located in Nashville, TN
Vintage Oak Desk From France, Circa 1960. Nice model in excellent condition. The drawers can be
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
20th Century Flame Mahogany Partners Pedestal Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Good quality 1950s flame mahogany pedestal desk.
Green leather writing surface with gold tooling
Category
Mid-20th Century European Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Fine Early 18th Century Walnut Kneehole Desk
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A good example of an early 18th century walnut kneehole desk quarter veneered top, lovely mellow
Category
Antique Early 18th Century European Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Blond Wood 1950s Desk with Red Top
Located in London, GB
This desk was used by the translators at the UN in Brussels in the 1950s.
The original Formica top
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Blonde Wood 1950s Desk with Black Top
Located in London, GB
This desk was used by the translators at the UN in Brussels in the 1950's.
Details under the top
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Antique Burr Walnut Leather Top Pedestal Desk
Located in London, GB
A stunning antique inverted breakfront pedestal desk in walnut, dating from around the 1910-1920’s
Category
Vintage 1910s European Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Louis XV style desk, Late 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Louis XV style desk, Late 19th Century
A rosewood veneered flat desk with fine ormolu ornamentation
Category
Antique 19th Century European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Mid Century Desk by Gio Ponti, c1950
By Gio Ponti
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
A mid century desk produced in Italy by italian master Gio Ponti, good solid construction with
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Carlo Mollino "Reale" Desk
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful architectural solid European Cherry writing desk designed for the offices of the Reale
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century French Kingwood Miniature Partners Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century French kingwood and gilt mounted miniature partners desk, with a middle storage
Category
Antique 1870s European Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Kingwood
Curved Desk in Black Lacquered Wood, 1930s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Curved desk in black lacquered wood opening by two drawers with silvered brass buttons and a
Category
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Executive Desk, Second Half of the 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Large executive desk on eight tapered feet with small bases and a carved scale pattern. The desk
Category
Antique Late 18th Century European Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
20th Century Art Deco Birch Pedestal Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pure one-piece Art Deco desk, circa 1920.
Beautiful desk made from birch with mahogany.
Applied
Category
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Vintage Modern Black Desk from France, circa 1960
Located in Nashville, TN
Vintage Modern Black Desk From France, circa 1960. Original black paint with light traces of use
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Vintage Art Deco Desk from Netherlands, circa 1940
Located in Nashville, TN
Vintage Art Deco desk from Netherlands, Circa 1940. Unusual model in stained and painted oak with
Category
Vintage 1940s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Maurice Calka, Prototype "Grand PDG "Desk, Circa 1969
By Maurice Calka
Located in Paris, FR
Maurice Calka, 1921-1991
France
Prototype of large model desk known as Grand PDG, 1969.
Shell
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fiberglass
Fine Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Fine Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted
Inlaid Marquerry bureau de dame desk.
Category
Antique 19th Century European Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Early 20th Century Edwardian Chippendale Influenced Mahogany Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 20th century Chippendale style mahogany desk with canted corners, the rectangular shaped top
Category
Early 20th Century European Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Mid-Century Iron and Teak Desk, 1950s
Located in Rome, IT
This desk was designed and produced in the 1950s. It is made from teak and iron with brass details.
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Iron
Impressive 19th Century Large Swedish Birch Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Fine quality empire taste desk of large proportions, circa 1880.
Three parts, top and two
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Empire Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Stunning 19th Century Victorian Carved Oak Pedestal Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Here we offer an opportunity to own a stunning desk, circa 1860.
Comprising of three parts
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Gothic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique Continental Chippendale Carved Mahogany Drop Front Desk C1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Continental Chippendale desk offers upper gallery over drop front desk having carved
Category
Antique 19th Century European Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Biedermeier Desk in Walnut Veneer, Germany, circa 1830
Located in Wrocław, Poland
This is a beautiful five-drawer desk from the Biedermeier period. The piece is veneered with walnut
Category
Antique 1830s European Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Two-Drawer Teak Desk
Located in Hudson, NY
The vintage modern two-drawer teak desk, shown here, is perfect in both scale and design
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Teak
Desk in Black and Orange Lacquered Wood, 1950s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Left compartment desk in black and orange lacquered wood opening by four drawers. The desk stands
Category
Vintage 1950s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Contemporary Italian Saddle Brown Leather Desk with Matching Stool
Located in Aspen, CO
Contemporary Italian saddle brown leather luxury folding desk with matching foldable leather and
Category
2010s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather
French Art Deco Rosewood Executive Desk, circa 1930
By Maurice Lafaille
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An imposing French rosewood Art Deco executive desk by Maurice Lafaille, circa 1930, having dual
Category
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Chinese Style Desk in Lacquered Wood, circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Chinese style desk in red lacquered and giltwood standing on four straight legs. Decor of stylized
Category
20th Century European Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Lacquered Black Bronze Gilded Louis XVI Style Desk
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Depth 70
Very elegant desk.
Decorated on all sides with golden decorative bronzes representing
Category
Antique 19th Century European Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th Century Louis Philippe Side Table or Desk
Located in New Orleans, LA
19th century Louis Philippe side table or desk with gilded detail on its leather top.
Category
Antique 19th Century European Louis Philippe Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
Center desk with beautiful cross on the base
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2470
Center desk in walnut with beautiful cross on the base and little houses on the top
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Vintage Scandinavian Modern Rosewood Desk by Ganddal Møbelfabrikk
By Ganddal Mobelfabrik
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An iconic Scandinavian Modern rosewood desk crafted by Ganddal Møbelfabrikk in the 1960s. This
Category
Mid-20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Mid Century Design Wood Desk with four drawers
Located in IT
Mid century design teak wood desk with four drawers
Size: H 75 cm, W 140 cm, D 75 cm.
Good
Category
Mid-20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Collectible Desk by Arno Declercq, Edition of 12
By Arno Declercq
Located in Antwerp, BE
Arno Declercq, 2020; Collectible Design; Handcrafted
Burned and waxed Iroko wood
Featured at Tefaf, Maastricht 2020
Measures: 233 cm wide x 100 cm deep x 75 cm high / 92” wide x ...
Category
2010s European Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$31,000 / item
English Mahogany Partners Desk with Gilt Tooled Leather Top
Located in San Francisco, CA
An English mahogany partners desk of compact size with a gilt-tooled leather top, each side with
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-Century Modern Desk from Teak and Oak, 1950s
Located in Rosendahl, DE
A very rare writing desk made from teak and oakwood from the 1950s. The desk is excellently
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Teak
Historic Office, Northern Europe, circa 1900, After Restoration
Located in Chorzów, PL
An antique desk from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Furniture in very good condition
Category
Antique Early 1900s Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Brazil" Desk by Peter Shire for Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Peter Shire
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Bureau « Brazil » de Peter Shire pour Memphis Milano, 1981
Sculpturale, la table / console Brazil a été dessinée en 1981 par le céramiste américain Peter Shire. Réalisée en bois laq...
Category
Vintage 1980s European Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Giancarlo Piretti Platone and Plia Folding Desk Set
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Barcelona, ES
Platone folding desk and Plia chair designed in 1971 and 1969 by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima
Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mahogany Desk in the English Style
Located in Opole, PL
Mid-20th century mahogany desk in the English style
The desk top is wide, comfortable, and lined
Category
Mid-20th Century European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Lectern / High Desk, Mahogany Shellac Polished
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
legs with 3 drawers and a beveled writing flap with leather. A very small secret door on the right side
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Burl
Pierre Chapo "B40" desk in solid Elm, France, 1970s
By Pierre Chapo
Located in amstelveen, NL
Pierre Chapo, B40 desk, solid elm, France, 1970s,
Characteristic desk by French designer and
Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Elm
English Art Deco Desk in Solid Cherry Wood c1930
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
ENGLISH ART DECO DESK
This original cherry wood Art Deco desk crafted in England during the 1930s
Category
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
French 1950s Two Drawers Oak Desk with Leather Pulls
Located in Long Island City, NY
French 1950s two drawers oak desk with leather pulls in the manner of Pierre Chapo.
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Modernist Desk in the Manner ff Jacques Dumond, 1950s
By Jacques Dumond
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
Modernist desk designed in the 1950s - 60s. This unique desk is made out of a warm colored wooden
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Exceptional Art Deco Desk in French Walnut and Mahogany
Located in Bochum, NRW
Stunning large Art Deco desk made of solid wood veneered in French walnut and mahogany, moved
Category
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Early Victorian 19th Century Rosewood Pop Up Davenport Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
two drawers and a writing slope that pulls out with ink pot and pen tray, a pair of carved cabriole
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Small walnut desk with two drawers and storage compartment.
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2641
Small walnut desk with two drawers and storage compartment.
Italian manufacture, ca. 1950.
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Oval Georgian-Style Partners Desk; Banded Mahogany and Oyster-Burl
Located in Houston, TX
drawers and a cabinet disguised as
Three drawers. This desk presents well on all sides.
Category
Vintage 1920s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
19th Century European Workbench as Glass Top Table
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming Danish carpenters workbench with modern tempered stand-off glass top. The workbench has fantastic patina, wear and tear. Two large vices.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Danish Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Suspended Desk, Wood and Fabric, 1960s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Suspended Desk, Wood and Fabric, 1960s
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Brushed Steel Desk by Guy Lefevre for Maison Jansen
By Maison Jansen, Guy Lefevre
Located in Paris, FR
Brushed steel structure.
Leather top with three drawers.
Category
Vintage 1970s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
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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 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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