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Black Lacquered Desk With Blue Glass Top
Located in Sausalito, CA
This beautiful desk has a lacquered black paint and a blue glass top, as well as enough storage
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Lacquer, Paint
Venetian Knee-Hole Desk with Cabriole Legs
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
A Venetian knee-hole desk with cabriole legs, painted with scenes of country life, and Grand Tour
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Metal Desk from the 1940s by Ribeauville Brussels
By Ribeauville Demolder
Located in Cologne, DE
Beautiful writing desk, manufactured in the 1940s in Belgium by Ribeauville Demolder Brussels. The
Category
Vintage 1940s Belgian Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Steel
1920
s Red and Blue Wooden Desk
Located in Brno, CZ
This is a recently restored wooden desk believed to be designed in the 1920’s, with the red and
Category
Vintage 1920s Czech Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th Century Napoleon III Papier Mâché Desk
Located in Stamford, CT
-painted with gold stamping and embellished with mother-of-pearl inserts, very high quality of
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Napoleon III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl
Osvaldo Borsani Desk for Tecno Milano, Italy 1950
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Wilnis, UT
Beautiful large executive desk designed by Osvaldo Borsani, manufactured by Tecno Milano in Italy
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Italian Table Painted Finish in Rococco Style
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful side table
Hand painted with landscapes
Category
Antique 1820s Italian Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Early XIX th venetian gilt roccoco little desk
Located in Marseille, PACA
A rare venitian gilt desk, in grotto's style coming directly from a pallazio in Milano
Category
20th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Giltwood
Unique contemporary modern solid beech tabletop
Arch
desk
Located in София, BG
for home or one-person office-desk needs, the item is engineered to support the hardest tasks at work
Category
2010s Bulgarian Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Beech, Birch, Plywood
President or Directors Desk from Dutch Manufacturer Blerk
By Blerk
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Black steel with tan linoleum top.
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Swedish Rococo Style Table or Desk with Two Drawers
Located in New Orleans, LA
Large two-drawer Swedish table with original black paint and original brass pulls; elegantly styled
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique Austrian German Painted Dowry Table, circa 1875
Located in Houston, TX
A beautiful antique German Austrian painted pine trestle table from Austria, circa 1875 having legs
Category
Antique 1870s German Country Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Hayche WW Desk CS3, United Kingdom, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
The iconic WW collection celebrates the beauty of materials. An exquisite exercise in joinery and a future heirloom. This designed family is ever expanding and the playful juxtaposit...
Category
2010s British Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Oak, Plywood
$1,768 / item
Rounded Luxury Classical Office Desk, Gold Leaf by Modenese Gastone Interiors
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Admire this figured presidential office desk finely finished in ebanon and gold leaf decorated
Category
2010s Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Birka Desk by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1930s
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Kastrup, DK
Birka desk by Axel Einar Hjorth for
Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1930s.
Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch, Paint
Executive Desk by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Milano, Italy, 1950s
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Wilnis, UT
Beautiful large executive desk designed by Osvaldo Borsani, manufactured by Tecno Milano in Italy
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Chrome
1960
s Brazilian Desk Model « 1015 » by Geraldo de Barros Manufactured by Unilab
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
. Crafted from black painted metal, Jacaranda wood, and brass, this desk stands out not only for its
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
LE DUEX PAINTED
PARCEL GILT BUREAUPLAT
By Derapage Design
Located in San Francisco, CA
the painted top and gilt edge. The apron is punctuated with reserves of painted scrollwork with raised
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier American Desks and Writing Tables
18th Century Painted Table, Attributed to George Brookshaw
By George Brookshaw
Located in Richmond, London
A very decorative late 18th century painted table, attributable to George Brookshaw. English, circa
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English George III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
A Red Paint Decorated Hutch Table
Located in Columbus, OH
, with red painted surface throughout.
The presence of a shelf is a rare feature of hutch
Category
Antique 19th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Hayche WW Desk Oak
Black, United Kingdom, Made to order
Located in Liverpool, GB
The iconic WW collection celebrates the beauty of materials. An exquisite exercise in joinery and a future heirloom. This designed family is ever expanding and the playful juxtaposit...
Category
2010s British Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Oak, Plywood
Solid Wood Veneer Office Desk with Curved Legs by Modenese Gastone Interiors
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Complete your CEO office with a high-end Italian desk from the artisanal producer Modenese Luxury
Category
2010s Italian Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf
Solid Wood Veneer Office Desk with Cabinets and Curved Legs by Modenese
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Decorate your CEO office with a high-end Italian baroque open desk from the artisanal producer
Category
2010s Italian Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Antique German Louis XVI French Painted Table with Drawer, circa 1790
Located in Houston, TX
bedside table or writing table desk.
Category
Antique Late 18th Century German Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Midcentury Style, Hampton Desk in Oak Wood and Bronzed Brass, Made in Italy
Located in Casalserugo, IT
Vintage style desk with wooden frame, handles and horizontal elements in bronzed brass. Typical is
Category
2010s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Baroque Figuerd Office Desk with Gold Leaf Details and Veneer by Modenese Luxury
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Furnish your presidential office with a top quality Italian desk from Modenese Gastone Luxury
Category
2010s Italian Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf
Contemporary Laser Cut Stainless Steel Desk with Micro-Cement Coated Wooden Top
By Meoro, Antonio Papadia
Located in Preverenges, CH
"Scrivania Sculptura" is, as its name suggests, a sculpture desk, both worked and refined, light
Category
2010s Swiss Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Stainless Steel
Antique Gustavian Pine Table with Green Paint, Sweden, Late 18th Century
Located in Copenhagen K, DK
Sweden, Late 18th Century
Antique genuine gustavian table from Sweden made around 1790. Painted in
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Pine
Domed Baroque Office Desk with Silver Leaf Details and Leather Top by Modenese
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Admire this domed presidential office desk finely finished in natural walnut and silver leaf
Category
2010s Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Modern Industry Serif Series Desk in Walnut and Oxidized Steel Wishbone Legs
By Modern Industry
Located in Downers Grove, IL
Bookmatched slabs of locally sourced black walnut rest upon a cantilevered version of the signature Serif leg, shown in smooth gunmetal finish steel. An optional pencil drawer provid...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Desks and Writing ...
Materials
Metal, Steel
A pair of English black and polychrome-painted bureaux
Located in London, GB
Late 17th century style. Each decorated overall with flower sprays, with fold-over top lined with yellow baize enclosing a fitted interior, above two small and one long drawer, with ...
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Desks and Writing Tables
Curvy Vanity Table Available
By Daniel Nikolovski and Danu Chirinciuc
Located in Concordia Sagittaria, Veneto
Easily transferable from the bedroom to the living room, where it can be used as a writing desk
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
18th Century Satinwood Table with William Penn Family Connections
By Thomas Sheraton
Located in Wendover, GB
This 18th century painted oval satinwood writing table in the style of Thomas Sheraton once
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Domed Baroque Extension Table with Silver Leaf Details and Leather Top, Modenese
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Complete your office with this domed extension desk finely finished in natural walnut and silver
Category
2010s Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Antique Italian Renaissance Table with Brass Ormolu Inlay, Ca 1940
Located in Lakewood, NJ
with delicately inlaid brass trim. A drawer for storage. Can be used as side table or a desk as well
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Renaissance Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Ormolu
Mid-1800s Table of Old-Growth Pine for Hallway, Entranceway, Room Corner
Located in Madison, WI
Classic simplicity. Farmhouse function in its build and usage. A sparse, worn layer of green paint adds
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century American Country Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine, Paint
Late 20th Century, Bookcase, Book Table, Bookrack Table, Vintage Book Table
Located in South Cotswolds, GB
Lovely painted vintage book table, origin English, late 20th century.
with castors underneath.
This
Category
20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique Gustavian Style Table
Located in Helsingborg, SE
Antique table with one-drawer in the Gustavian style. This piece has beautiful decoration. This console table has antique white color. Top has original marble.
Surprising pieces and...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
Remarkable Folk Art Paint Decorated Writing Desk/ Bureau
Located in London, GB
” Painted and Stylised Floral Decoration.
The fall front retains traces of the original inscription and is
Category
Antique 1820s Swedish Folk Art Desks
Materials
Pine
Writing Desk
Located in Greenwich, CT
Refinished and painted slant top writing desk. Noveau style front with three drawers. Interior
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks
$695
Paul Marra Writing, File Desk in Gray Zebra Finish
By Paul Marra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Modern Paul Marra Writing - File Desk shown in oak with gray zebra finish.
Three top flip-doors
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Desks
Materials
Brass
Unique Postmodern Writing Desk by Bohuslav Horák for Anthologie Quartett, 1990
By Anthologie Quartett 1, Bohuslav Horák
Located in București, B
The writing desk was designed by Bohuslav Horák for Anthologie Quartett in 1990. It is a unique
Category
1990s Czech Post-Modern Desks
Materials
Aluminum
Scion Writing Desk
Located in PRAHA 8, CZ
desk transcends between tradition of form and craftsmanship, will help you clear your ideas. We use new
Category
2010s Art Deco Tables
Materials
Silver
$5,668
Gustavian Style Writing Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Writing desk in the Gustavian Style, Sweden, circa 1880. Raised, reeded panels on the three-drawer
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Period Gustavian Writing Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Fall front writing desk from the Gustavian period, Sweden, circa 1800. The drawers and fall front
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Antique French Louis XVI Style Kidney Shaped Painted Vanity or Writing Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage hand painted ladies vanity or writing desk
kidney shaped, delicate cabriole legs, antique
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Materials
Wood
Swedish Slant Front Writing Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
Two-drawer writing desk, Sweden, circa 1880. The slant front features a raised, reeded panel and
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Antique Side Table
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
Side table or Writing Desk
Painted, Grey in Color
Category
20th Century Side Tables
$1,670
Classy Vintage Faux Painted Writing Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Very chic faux painted writing desk having 3 drawers and finished in a camel and black color
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Vintage Art Deco Silver Leaf Painted Writing Desk
Located in Locust Valley, NY
Vintage Art Deco silver leaf painted writing desk with three drawers and a reflective top.
Category
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Silver Leaf
Exceptional Italian Hand-Painted Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional Italian Hand-Painted Writing Desk
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Desks
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
Italian Painted Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
Absolutely one of a kind hand-painted Italian writing desk. Beautiful aged paint with blue details
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Vintage Drexel Et Cetera Chinoiserie Leather Top Hand Painted Writing Desk
By Drexel
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Drexel Et Cetera Chinoiserie leather top hand painted writing desk. Item features leather
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
19th Century Venetian Painted Writing Desk
Located in Bradenton, FL
19th century Venetian painted writing desk. Painted in typical Venetian style, 5 drawer, 1 door
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Baroque Desks
Materials
Wood
Vintage Boho Painted Writing Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A fabulous vintage Boho rustic writing desk. Beautiful bright yellow with hand painted detail
Category
Late 20th Century North American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Paint
Belle Epoch Painted Writing Desk
Located in New Orleans, LA
Lovely center writing table with one drawer.
Category
Antique Early 1900s French 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 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.
- 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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