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English Regency Bow Front Desk
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Pretty early 19th century English regency bow front painted pine desk. 1820.
Kneehole height: 25
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English George IV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Carlo Ratti Writing Table Set for Legni Curva, Italy, 1950
By Legni Curva, Carlo Ratti
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very writing table and chair designed by Carlo Ratti, manufactured by Legni Curva, Italy, 1950. The
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
19th Century Swedish Empire Desk
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine 19th century Swedish Empire desk in original color with seven drawers, circa 1840.
Antique
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Louis XV Style Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Handsome Louis XV Style Painted desk or writing table with cabriol legs and brass ormolu decoration
Category
20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Leather
$1,500
18th Century Italian Table/ Desk
Located in Charleston, SC
Handsome, very patinated 18th century mahogany Italian table/ desk with three large drawers on the
Category
Antique 18th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Paint
19th Century English Regency Style Writing Table Speckled by Ira Yeager
By Ira Yeager
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Whimsical late 19th century English mahogany drop-leaf writing table featuring a speckled lacquer
Category
Antique 19th Century English Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Paolo Buffa Vintage Italian Desk
By Dassi
Located in North Miami, FL
Mid-Century wood veneer desk by Paolo Buffa with glass top and brass sabots.
Elegantly styled
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique Patinated French Clawfoot Desk
Located in High Point, NC
A compact desk with flip top storage space and two doors. From turn of the century France, a
Category
Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Painted French Pine Table
Located in Washington, DC
French Country painted pine table with a center drawer and crossed bars underneath.
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Dutch 19th Century Walnut Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A very attractive Dutch 19th century desk crafted from beautiful walnut with a clean design. The
Category
Antique 19th Century Dutch Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Hardwood, Walnut, Paint
Antique English Bamboo Ladies Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Superb 19th century English bamboo and chinoiserie decorated desk depicting colorful scenes of
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Bamboo, Paint
Modern Maitland Smith Style Carlton Desk
By Maitland Smith
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
This listing is for a Modern Maitland Smith Style Carlton Desk. Featuring eleven drawers for
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
Paul Bridston 374 yellow desk
By Kandya, Paul K. Bridston
Located in London, GB
who was famous for the iconic 'Jason' chair. Bridston's model 374 table is made from painted steel rod
Category
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Swedish 19th Century Gustavian Style Desk
Located in Kastrup, DK
Swedish Gustavian style freestanding writing table.
Features a rectangular black-painted top
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Dom Hans van der Laan Desk
By Dom Hans van der Laan
Located in Dronten, NL
Dom Hans van der Laan writing table / desk. Rare and very collectible piece by renown Dutch
Category
Late 20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
$20,500
19th Century Painted Bureau Plat
Located in Charleston, SC
stamped and gold leafed embossing with tooled gold gilt design.The back of the desk is trimmed to match
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Table with Green Painted Legs
Located in New York, NY
A vintage table with green painted legs
Category
20th Century Indonesian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
19th c. English Regency Chinoiserie Desk
Located in Queens, NY
English Regency black lacquered chinoiserie desk with three drawers and two cabinets finished with
Category
Antique 19th Century English Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Rare Cees Braakman Desk for Pastoe
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-century desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe with Fat Hairpin Legs, This Version has a Left Hand
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Rare Ilmari Tapiovaara Desk, 1940s, Finland
By Ilmari Tapiovaara
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Rare Ilmari Tapiovaara desk, Domus Academica student house, 1940s. Birch with painted table top
Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch, Paint
White Lacquered Louis XVI Style Desk
Located in Houston, TX
A vintage Louis XVI style white lacquered desk with ormolu detail and black leather top.
Category
20th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Industrial Architecture
s Desk 20th Century Sweden
Located in New York, NY
A really cool industrial architecture's sketching table in black painted wood and metal. Adjustable
Category
20th Century Swedish Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Midcentury Colonial Style Desk by Baker
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial style midcentury bamboo desk with a black lacquered top, sides and storage
Category
20th Century American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Faux Bamboo
Dom Hans van der Laan Writing Table for Town Hall Budel, 1966
By Jan de Jong, Dom Hans van der Laan
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare and unique small writing table designed by Dom Hans van der Laan and executed by Jan de Jong
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Memphis Style Pop Art Desk by Pace
By Pace Collection, Memphis Group
Located in Hamburg, PA
A Modernist Pop Art Memphis style painted desk or table. The paint has been added later by an
Category
Late 20th Century American Memphis Group Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
Antique White Side Table Small Writing Table With 3 Drawers, Sweden circa 1880
Located in Round Top, TX
an informal writing table or desk.
Drawers function; unique to this table is the center and right
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Country Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine, Paint
Memphis Style Desk or Table by Pace
By Pace Collection
Located in Hamburg, PA
A Modernist Pop Art Memphis style painted desk or table.
Category
Late 20th Century American Memphis Group Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
19th Century Painted Bureau Plat
Located in Charleston, SC
top with nicely stamped and gold leafed embossing design. The back of the desk is trimmed to match the
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood, Paint
French Painted Table
Located in New York, NY
A French painted wood table with a draw Circa 19th Century.
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$2,875
Desk by Gianni Moscatelli for Formanova, 1960s
By Formanova, Gianni Moscatelli
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Desk with chest of drawers by Gianni Moscatelli for Formanova, steel base, 3 drawers and top in
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Signed Hollywood Regency Desk by Phyllis Morris
By Phyllis Morris
Located in New York, NY
This Hollywood Regency desk is designed by Phyllis Morris, renowned for her bold furniture and
Category
Vintage 1960s American Hollywood Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th Century Painted Bureau Plat
Located in Charleston, SC
surface and leather top with nicely stamped guilt embossing design. The back of the desk with finished
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Oak, Paint
Nice 19th Century English Chinoiserie Davenport Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Interesting legs on this stunning English black lacquered chinoiserie Davenport desk.
A Davenport
Category
Antique 1880s Great Britain (UK) Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
Gustavian Style Desk or Secretaire, 19th Century
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Gustavian style desk is a peerless lesson in elegant restraint. The simple exterior, when
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th Century Hand Painted Pine Occasional Table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century hand painted pine occasional table circa 1890.
Good quality table with many
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Rustic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine, Paint
Red Desk with Drawer and Compartment, 1950s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Red lacquered writing desk on glue and plaster preparation, 1950s. Equipped with drawer and open
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Plywood, Lacquer, Paint
Spazio Modernista Desk by Studio BBPR, Italy, 1959
By Olivetti, Spazio Pontaccio
Located in Culver City, CA
Spazio Modernista desk by Studio BBPR, Italy, 1959
Painted metal in original finish with
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
19th century Chinese canton black lacquered desk cabinet
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
export desk, circa 1830. Main feature is the rare alabaster doors which have been hand painted both sides
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Alabaster
Vintage Asian Julia Gray Chinoiserie Partners Desk
By Julia Gray
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A fantastic vintage Asian partners desk. Made by the iconic Julia Gray group. A gorgeous hand
Category
Late 20th Century North American Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold
Late 20th Century Vintage Coastal Rattan Secretary Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A fantastic vintage Coastal secretary desk. A chic rattan frame with inset black lacquered panels
Category
Late 20th Century Philippine Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rattan, Paint
19th Century Painted Bureau Plat
Located in Charleston, SC
Charming small 19th century French Louis XVI style Bureaux plat with drawers with carved tapered legs.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Paint
19th Century Black Gustavian Style Three Drawer Desk
Located in Round Top, TX
Large Gustavian style black painted desk with tapered legs. At just under 6" long, this desk makes
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine, Paint
Late 18th Century French Primitive Slanted School Desk
Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire
A late 18th century French primitive slanted school desk. Featuring its original dry scraped paint
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Antique Danish Oak Baroque Carved Desk, circa 1900
Located in Round Top, TX
baroque style desk. The desk has recently been given a black painted/distressed finish, which creates an
Category
Early 20th Century Danish Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
19th Century Swedish Empire Desk
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
19th Century Swedish Empire desk.
With one single drawer and two doors opening to use full storage
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th Century Chinese Canton Black Lacquered Desk Cabinet
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
export desk, circa 1830. Main feature is the rare alabaster doors which have been hand painted both sides
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Lacquer
Italian Postmodern White Desk, Unknown, 1970s, Italy
Located in London, GB
This stunning Italian postmodern desk has been crafted from lacquered wood, with a dark removable
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Plywood
French Rococo Style Desk with Antiqued Mirrored Top
Located in Los Angeles, CA
French painted Rococo style desk with centre drawer. Top is four antiqued mirror panels detailed
Category
Vintage 1940s French Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mirror, Wood
Faux Bois Paint Decorated Chest
Located in East Hampton, NY
19th century faux bois blue painted writing desk/chest of drawers........extraordinary patina......
Category
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Wood
Black Painted Antique Swedish Oak Library Table
Located in Round Top, TX
The strong visual appeal of this elegant table is due to the matte black chalk paint and sculpted
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Maitland Smith Leather Top Desk Table with Books
By Maitland Smith
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This wonderful "escritoire" style leather top desk has simulated leather book spines within the
Category
20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
Antique White Painted Secretary Bureau from Sweden
Located in Round Top, TX
's. The dramatic serpentine drawers and carved outer panel of the drop down desk add a romantic touch
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Oak, Paint
19th c. Painted Table
Located in New Orleans, LA
Painted Table with Chinoiserie Scene
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$5,800
Art Deco Rattan and Wicker Desk by Heywood-Wakefield
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Sculptural art deco writing table or desk attributed to Heywood Wakefield. The desk features
Category
20th Century American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Jacques Bodart Black Lacquered Desk with Leather Top
By Jacques Bodart
Located in Winnetka, IL
A Jacques Bodart black lacquered desk with leather tooled top. Desk has five drawers, contoured
Category
Mid-20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood, Paint
Aluminium Desk with Laminate Top from Carlotti, 1950s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Aluminium desk with laminate top from Carlotti, 1950s.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Swedish Gustavian Painted Table with Drawer, circa 1850
Located in Atlanta, GA
use, it may serve as a writing desk, console, or accent table, blending effortlessly wherever it is
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
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Painted Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
Find many varieties of an authentic painted writing desk available at 1stDibs. A painted writing desk — often made from wood, metal and paint — can elevate any home. If you’re shopping for a painted writing desk, we have 622 options in-stock, while there are 23 modern editions to choose from as well. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer painted writing desk, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. A painted writing desk is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern, Louis XVI and Louis XV styles are sought with frequency. A well-made painted writing desk has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Ale Preda, Miduny and John Widdicomb are consistently popular.
How Much is a Painted Writing Desk?
A painted writing desk can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $3,262, while the lowest priced sells for $325 and the highest can go for as much as $78,500.
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 Painted 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.
- Can I paint a leather desk top?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertAugust 24, 2021Yes, you can paint a leather desk top. You can transform an old leather desk top and add visual appeal with easy-to-use leather paint. If you don’t feel confident in trying this by yourself, get in touch with a furniture restorer or related professional for help. Find a variety of leather desk tops on 1stDibs.
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