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19th Century French Painted Table with Drawer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century French painted table standing on four cabriole legs with center drawer.
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Paint, Wood
Italian Baroque Style Desk Lacquered by Artist Ira Yeager
By Ira Yeager
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Whimsical charming diminutive scale Italian writing table, desk, or vanity made in the Baroque
Category
20th Century Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
English Chinoiserie / Georgian Style Red and Black Secretary Desk
Located in Queens, NY
English Georgian-style contemporary black and red faux lacquer Chinoiserie two-piece secretary desk
Category
20th Century Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Clara Porset Steel Desk for DM Nacional
By Clara Porset
Located in Mexico City, MX
Made in Mexico the 1950s for the Office steel furniture company DM Nacional Company.
Attributed to Clara Porset.
Category
Vintage 1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cut Steel
Cees Braakman Desk for Pastoe with Hairpin Legs
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cees Braakman desk for Pastoe with yellow cubby door and hairpin legs. Unique Asymmetric Design
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
Organic Modern Basket Weave Cerused Wicker Kneehole Pedestal Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Stylish kneehole or pedestal desk featuring a wood frame covered with basketweave rattan wicker
Category
20th Century American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wicker, Rattan, Wood
Swedish Folk Art Desk from Dalarna
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Swedish folk art desk from the area of Dalarna, scraped to original paint. This would make a
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French Louis XVI Style Mahogany Desk by Maitland Smith
By Maitland Smith
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Handsome mahogany writing table or desk made by Maitland Smith. Made in the grand French Louis XVI
Category
20th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century Painted Bureau Plat
Located in Charleston, SC
19th century painted bureau plat, flat-top writing table in LXVI style with banks of drawers
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Early 20th c. Primitive Farmhouse Desk, c.1920-1940
Located in San Francisco, CA
About
A rustic primitive farmhouse desk with one drawer and metal pull. Painted wood on the bottom
Category
Early 20th Century Rustic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Late 18th Century Gustavian Desk in Pine with Drawer
Located in Kramfors, SE
Swedish Gustavian desk or side table with drawer. The table has been scraped to the first layer of
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
"Centurion Desk" by Evan Lobel for Lobel Originals
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
"Centurion Desk" in mirror-finish black lacquer with three drawers, elegant bronze pulls and sabots
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
$20,000 / item
19th Century Painted Bureau Plat
Located in Charleston, SC
stamped and gold leafed embossing design. The back of the desk is trimmed to match the front in faux
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique French Louis XV Style Bureau De Pente Ladies Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
mechanical cylinder lady's desk. Vernis Martin style paint decorated cylinder depicting romantic couple and
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Antique Black Painted Oak Secretary Bureau from Sweden
Located in Round Top, TX
decorative carving adds a romantic touch to the drop down desk. The traditional interior has 13 unique, small
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Oak, Paint
20th Century Venetian Baroque Style Theater Prop Standing Desk
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
This unique outstanding high/standing desk in the Venetian Baroque style served as a prop in the
Category
20th Century European Baroque Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paper
John Keal Desk with Bookshelf for Brown Saltman
By John Keal
Located in Denton, TX
Mid-Century Modernist design with floating top in two-tone black and white satin finish with three drawers in front and bookshelf on the backside. Can be used against the wall or flo...
Category
20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Paint
19th Century Original White Painted Side Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fine 19th century country side table has nice turned legs and a great scalloped skirt. The top is constructed with breadboard ends and fantastic aged patina.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Adirondack Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
18th Century Painted French Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Painted French Table With Cabriole Legs, Hoof feet and a Drawer on Each End
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Dennis
Leen Belgian Louis XVI Neoclassical Style Library Table Desk
By Dennis
Leen
Located in Rio Vista, CA
and rosettes having an aged, distressed painted finish. The desk has two hidden storage drawers on the
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Desks and Writing Ta...
Materials
Wood
Rare Italian Mid-18th Century Lacca Povera Desk or Bureau
Located in Berlin, DE
A rare mid-18th century Lacca Povera desk or bureau, profusely decorated with decoupage vignettes
Category
Antique 1740s French Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Elegant Rosewood Veneered Desk Inlaid Decorations Glass Brass Vintage, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
An elegant rosewood veneered desk with inlaid decorations, back-painted glass, brass tips
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Rosewood
Vintage Drexel Louis XV Style Chinoiserie Decorated Leather Top Desk
By Drexel
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
timeless elegance. This beautifully crafted writing desk showcases a graceful serpentine silhouette
Category
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique Javanese Kneehole Desk with Polychrome Finish, Drawers and Carved Decor
Located in Yonkers, NY
An antique Javanese kneehole desk from the early 20th century, with polychrome finish and carved
Category
Early 20th Century Javanese Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Memphis Style Post Modern Executive Desk by Dakota Jackson, 1980s
By Dakota Jackson
Located in Hamburg, PA
A gorgeous Memphis style Postmodern executive desk by Dakota Jackson. This desk is made of Santos
Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Glass, Rosewood, Sycamore, Wood
Console or Desk Ceramic Top on Metal Frame by Belarti
By Juliette Belarti
Located in London, GB
Modernist desk or console table with hand painted tiled top in abstract design with splashes of
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Dom Hans van der Laan Desk for Pauluskerk Dongen, 1967
By Dom Hans van der Laan
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare and amazing writing table/desk designed by Dom Hans van der Laan and executed for the
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French Bonheur-du-jour (Desk), Late 18th C.
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French painted wood small-sized writing desk from the turn of the 18th and 19th century. This
Category
Antique 18th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French 19th Century Wood Table with Original Cream Paint
Located in Atlanta, GA
original paint. At one time this table had a single drawer at it's side, which has since been previously
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Gracious Small Desk Stained Mahogany Rosewood Veneer Glass Vintage, Italy, 1950s
Located in Milano, IT
A gracious small desk, stained mahogany wood, rosewood veneer, back-painted glass. Manufactured in
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Mahogany, Rosewood
French Polychrome Painted Lyre Trestle Table
Located in Staffordshire, GB
circa 1880
French Polychrome painted Lyre Trestle table
Measures: W 174 x D 57 x H 72 cm.
Category
Antique 1870s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Black Wood
Leather Samarcanda 1970s Desk by V. Magistretti for Poggi
By Succ. Carlo Poggi, Vico Magistretti
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Large desk or vanity desk in black lacquered wood with top covered in leather from the series of
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Plastic, Wood
Color Block Mid-Century Desk in the Manner of Gerrit Rietveld
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Solid maple, open plan, mid-century desk with custom, color block De Stijl finish in the manner of
Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Maple
19th Century Gustavian Buffet with Fall Front Desk
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Magnificent 19th Century Gustavian period buffet of large proportions.
With original paint, this
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
MCM Superb Japanned or Chinoiserie Lacquer Carlton House Desk
Matching Chair
By Waring
Gillow
Located in CHARLESTON, SC
Carlton House desks, both mid century and of the period are a rare commodity. They are difficult
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese George IV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Lacquer
Cees Braakman Desk for Pastoe with Hairpin Legs, 1950 Dutch Design
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in The Hague, NL
Mid-Century Modern period minimalistic desk design by famous Dutch furniture designer Cees Braakman
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
Horn Tone Neutral Finish X Base Campaign Desk with Brass Hardware
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern grey to white wash horn tone Campaign desk. Glossy finish clear coat finish
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century French Painted Table with Drawers and Pull-Outs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century French painted table standing on six cabriole legs. Four drawers and four pull-outs
Category
Antique 19th Century French Country Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Late 19th Century Dutch Colonial Desk with Drawers, Diamonds and Gilt Rosettes
Located in Yonkers, NY
Antique Indonesian Dutch Colonial desk, 2 drawers, ancestry.
An antique Dutch Colonial desk from
Category
Antique 19th Century Indonesian Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Painted French Table with Carved Leaves and Flowers
Located in Troy, MI
details of carved flowers and leaves. Versatile size - use it as a console, ladies writing desk or side
Category
Antique Early 1900s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
18th Century Painted Oak Bureau Bible Box on Stand
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A wonderful characterful late 18th century portable painted carved oak bureau or bible box on a
Category
Antique 18th Century British Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Rare Lime Green Cursed Oak Curved Executive Desk by Stow Davis
By Stow Davis
Located in Buffalo, NY
Unusual Modernist Curved desk,manufactured by Stow Davis,, Original Grey Green Cursed oak finish
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum
19th C French Bronze Ormolu Mounted Black Chinoiserie Decorated Leather Top Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fantastic antique french chinoiserie desk with impressive bronze ormolu mounting to legs, drawers
Category
Antique 19th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Brazilian Modern Desk in Hardwood
Chrome by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1965
By Sergio Rodrigues
Located in New York, NY
Available now, this Mid-Century Modern desk in Hardwood & Chrome by Sergio Rodrigues, is stunning
Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
French Early 20th Century Two-Drawer Wooden Desk Table with Tapered Legs
Located in Atlanta, GA
An antique French wood desk table. This French two-drawer desk from the early 20th century features
Category
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Antique Danish Table Painted Black, circa 1880
Located in Round Top, TX
and four turned and block legs connected by a low stretcher. The painted black finish is new and is
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Danish Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century Louis XV Style Painted Centre Table with Drawer
Located in Charleston, SC
A charming 19th century Louis XV style table/centre/desk has slender cabriole legs with carved
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Paint
Black Desk Files Drawers, Wood and Metal, Brazilian Mid Century Modern Style
By Atelier BAM
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Marajoara desk with drawers and files (optional) is a study on Mid Century Modern utilitarian
Category
2010s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
French 19th Century Louis XV Style Provincial Desk Table with Cabriole Legs
Located in Atlanta, GA
the table once functioned as a writing table.
Category
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique French Painted Louis XV Style Bureau Plat
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
Beautiful Louis XV style bureau plat with two drawers. Perfect desk for your office, or use as a
Category
20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Beech
Hand Painted Carbon
Bronze Colour Dressing Table with Burr Walnut Drawers
Located in Pulborough, GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely Hand Painted Carbon Colour Dressing Table With Burr
Category
20th Century British Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut, Paint
Chromed Metal and Laminated Plastic Desk Nomos by Norman Foster for Tecno, 1987
By Tecno, Sir Norman Foster
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This desk was designed by Sir Norman Foster and produced in Italy by Tecno in 1987. The solid
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Louis XV Style French Yellow Painted Bureau Plat with Green Leather Top
Located in Atlanta, GA
The Louis XV style French yellow painted bureau with embossed green leather top, 3 drawers and
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Paint
Italian 19th Century Painted
Faux Marble Top Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Italian spectacular faux marble top and painted table with continuous scalloped apron, cabriole
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Mid-Century Modern Desk
Chair in Hardwood
Iron by Geraldo de Barros, Brazil
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
This Brazilian Modern desk and chair set by Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor is nothing less than
Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Early 20th Century Spanish Marble Inset Carved Oak and Painted Dining Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a dining or breakfast room with this elegant antique painted table. Carved in Spain circa
Category
Early 20th Century Spanish Louis XIII Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
Antique Black Painted Secretary from Sweden with Hidden Storage
Located in Round Top, TX
entire secretary was given a (recent) black painted finish, which has been gently rubbed off along edges
Category
Antique Early 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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