Small Writing Desks
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Italian Small Louis XVI Cherry Desk
Located in Moncalvo, IT
Little cherry inlayed desk from Venice, Louis XVI 1780 Circa
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
Small 18th Century George III Hepplewhite Period Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Bradford on Avon, GB
The mahogany writing table has recently been recovered with a light green leather top. The frieze
Category
Antique 1780s English Hepplewhite Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small Italian Walnut Inlaid 19th Century Desk
Located in Moncalvo, IT
Beautiful small Italian 19th century desk made of walnut with front draw
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
A Small Birch-wood Empire Partner
s Desk
Located in Djursholm, SE
A small birch-wood and birch-root empire partner's desk made in Stockholm c:a 1830.
This item is
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Small 1920s Vintage Side Table or Desk
Located in Freiburg, DE
Polished and oiled
non-toxic wood-worm treatment.
Category
Vintage 1920s German Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fir
Small Desk in the Manner of Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
Small desk with heavy black lacquered metal frame and brass feet. The top is in rosewood and the
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Midcentury Continental Mahogany Dressing Table or Small Desk
Located in Hudson, NY
Traditionally made as a dressing table, this nicely proportioned piece can be perfect as a small
Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Fruitwood Desk with White Top from 1950s
Located in London, GB
Fruitwood desk with five drawers and brass details,
Italian, 1950s.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Rare Wood Small Architect Desk in Teak, 1960
Located in Berkeley, CA
Very elegant and attractive desk, multi positions with the 2 metal piece on the side. Every detail
Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Small Walnut Desk with Round Pulls
Located in Belmont, MA
Mid-Century Modern small walnut desk with round pulls, circa 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small Victorian Side Desk or Washstand with Drawers in Mahogany
Located in Atlanta, GA
Fresh over from England, this small side desk provides function in tiny spaces. Probably made
Category
Antique 1890s English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
1940s Small Italian Desk in the style of Guglielmo Ulrich
By Guglielmo Ulrich
Located in London, GB
Small desk in rosewood and green glass top in the style of Guglielmo Ulrich.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Freestanding nutwood small desk with brass “shoes”. Top with raised edges.
By A. J. Iversen, Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Vejle Øst, DK
Freestanding nutwood small desk with brass “shoes”. Top with raised edges. Front with four profiled
Category
Vintage 1930s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century Small Mahogany Pedestal Desk with Red Leather Top
Located in Glencarse, Perthshire
There are three drawers in the frieze and tohe top is raised upon twin pedestals, each with three drawers.
Sizes:
Width 42 inches
Depth 23 inches
Height 30 inches.
Category
Antique 19th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Small Desk by Ben Thompson for Design Research
By Ben Thompson, Design Research
Located in Belmont, MA
Mid-Century Modern walnut small desk by Design Research, circa 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small Mid Century Modern Zebra Wood Desk By Peter Protzman For Herman Miller
By Peter Protzmann, Herman Miller
Located in Atlanta, GA
keys. Small gouges at the front of the desk. Other minor signs of wear from normal use.
Huge desk with
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Zebra Wood
Antique Small English Mahogany Desk with Embossed Leather Top and Brass Gallery
Located in Houston, TX
Unusual bedroom-size mahogany desk with center drawer and to unusual
side cabinets made to look
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Custom Sit/Stand "Essentials Desk" with Solid Wood Top and Metal Base, Small
By Union Wood Co.
Located in Vancouver, B.C.
Break up long periods of sitting at a desk and improve your productivity by switching to standing
Category
2010s Canadian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
1940s Rare Small Desk or Sofa Table in the Style of Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
Amazing small desk / sofa table with glass top . Original glass
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
Hans Wegner RY32
Ladies
Desk
By Hans J. Wegner, Ry Møbler
Located in Long Beach, CA
An uncommon smaller scale writing desk designed by Hans Wegner for Ry Mobler. Model number RY32, it
Category
Mid-20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Antique Ladies Desk from Vienna, 1820s
Located in Senden, NRW
Elegant ladies desk or small writing table From Vienna. Offers a distinctive red brown wooden color
Category
Antique 1820s Austrian Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
Small Proportioned Arts
Crafts Oak Bureau
Located in Buckinghamshire, GB
Small proportioned oak Arts & Crafts bureau having a pierced gallery above a sloping fall front
Category
Antique Early 1900s English Desks and Writing Tables
Neoclassic Desk, Console-Marquetry Hand-Carved Details, 19th Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th century neoclassic stylish small desk writing table or console with carved and inlay wood
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Small Dresser Marcel Breuer 1926 with Foldable Top
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Berlin, DE
production of this versatile piece of furniture in small series. This version is no longer in production.
Category
Vintage 1980s German Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Bentwood
Exceptional Small Iron and Copper Side Table with Chair
Located in Pasadena, CA
Side table and iron chair, circa 1920s. The iron work is incredibly well executed.
Measures: 32" H x 31.25" W x 13" D.
Category
Vintage 1920s North American Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
George I Walnut Antique Bureau of Small Proportions, Circa 1720
Located in Antrim, GB
An early George I Walnut Antique
Bureau of small proportions.
Circa 1720.
Fitted Interior with
Category
Antique 1720s European George I Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Louis XVI Mahogany and Leather Small Bureau Plat RESTORED
Located in Toledo, Castilla La Mancha
Elegant small Louis XVI writing desk with wheels, leather top with two side drawers and one central
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Danish Teak Desk from the 1960s in the Manner of Arne Vodder
By Arne Vodder
Located in Cologne, DE
Small Danish writing desk in the manner of Arne Vodder. Interesting model, which stands out for
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Antique 18th Century Bureau of Small Proportions In Mahogany ( REF AF-3506 )
Located in Ledbury, GB
original brass handles, adding a touch of classic charm. Its attractive small size makes it a versatile
Category
Antique 18th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small Liseuse Side Table Louis XVI French Mahogany and Fruitwood, 1780s
Located in Mönchengladbach, NW
Rare small furniture in very good condition. Grey Marble top plate with old brass gallery locks and
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Brass
SP01 Holland Console in Green Verde Guatemala Marble, Made in Italy
By SP01, Metrica
Located in Sydney, NSW
hall or small writing desk. The Holland console is available with optional contrasting feet.
Top
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Materials
Marble, Chrome
SP01 Holland Console in White Carrara Marble, Made in Italy
By SP01, Metrica
Located in Sydney, NSW
hall or small writing desk. The Holland console is available with optional contrasting feet.
Top
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Materials
Marble, Steel
Small 19th Century English Regency Writing Table
Located in Alexandria, VA
Fine antique English writing table in mahogany, having a rectangular top with tooled and gilt
Category
Antique 1820s British Regency Desks
Materials
Leather, Mahogany, Wood
19th Century Gustavian Side Table or Small Writing Desk
Located in Copenhagen, K
Very nice painted Gustavian side table or small writing desk. Painted to look like if the top has
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Cees Braakman Small Writing Desk for Pastoe, Netherlands
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Elegant small writing desk by Cees Braakman. Tripod legs black painted (original) and oak veneer
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Italian Mid-Century Small Writing Desk by Vittorio Dassi, 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
This stunning Italian small writing Desk of the 1950s, also named 'dattilo', is attributable to
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique English Georgian Crotch Mahogany Green Leather Top Small Writing Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
.
Antique English Georgian Crotch Mahogany Green Leather Top Small Writing Desk. Item features 3 hand
Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Baker Furniture Milling Road Carved Mahogany Small Writing Desk or Entry Table
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional carved mahogany small writing desk or entry table
By Baker Furniture Milling Road
Category
1990s American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Bleached Oak Small Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
secretary desk gives it a more contemporary and fresh look. With 2 large drawers and additional interior
Category
20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
19th Century Italian Solid Walnut Antique Small Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Elegant and essential antique Italian small writing desk. The desk is made of solid walnut wood
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Desks
Materials
Walnut
Small writing desk 2 sides, 1790, Denmark
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small double-sided writing desk, 1790, Denmark
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Danish Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century Italian Solid Walnut Antique Small Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
essential antique Italian small writing desk. The desk is made of solid walnut wood. Important
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Desks
Materials
Walnut
Small Writing Desk with Glass Top, Italy, 1950s
Located in Greding, DE
Italian small desk with four drawers and a black writing surface with glass top. The desk stands on
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century Italian Solid Poplar Wood Antique Small Writing Desk
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Rustic and essential antique Italian small writing desk. The desk is made of solid poplar wood
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Desks
Materials
Poplar
Completely restored funkcionalism Chrome small Writing Desk, Thonet 1930-1939
By Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Writing desk made in Czechoslovakia
Material: Chrome
Completely restored.
Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
French Louis XV Small Writing Desk With Leather Top Pullout
Located in West Hartford, CT
This French Louis XV petite desk embodies the elegance of 18th-century French craftsmanship
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Small Writing Desk with two Drawers, Italian Manufactory, Mid-20th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Small desk with two drawers on the sides and rectangular veneered table top. The desk stands on an
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Rare Exquisite Maple Small Writing Desk or Dressing Table with White Marble
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Exquisite and rare versatile writing desk or dressing table of lively grained maple having inlay
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
Antique French Ladies Dressing Table or Small Writing Desk Old Paint Unrestored
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
Antique French ladies dressing table or small desk in old putty grey paint with its original marble
Category
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
19th century French Carved Oak Side Table Small Writing Desk Renaissance Gothic
Located in Shreveport, LA
19th century French carved oak side table writing desk renaissance gothic
~Direct from France~
An
Category
Antique 19th Century French Renaissance Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique 1900s Era Adams Paint Decorated Ladies Vanity or Small Writing Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a beautiful small size Adams paint decorated vanity or desk. The piece is in its original
Category
Antique Early 1900s English Adam Style Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Satinwood
Mid-Century Italian Small Writing Desk Black Lacquer, Brass by Silvio Cavatorta
By Silvio Cavatorta
Located in Salzburg, AT
Small desk by Silvio Cavatorta, Italy, 1950s.
Re-painted in black high-gloss lacquer.
Stainless
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel
19th Century Italian Solid Walnut Antique Small Writing Desk or Side Table
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
essential antique Italian small writing desk or side table. The table is made of solid walnut wood
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Side Tables
Materials
Walnut
Dressing Table or a Small Writing Desk, Swedish 1940s-1950s by Carl-Axel Acking
By Carl-Axel Acking
Located in Skanninge, SE
can use this piece as a small writing desk.
Perfect for a laptop.
Nice original condition.
Height
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Materials
Brass
19thc French Side Table / Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
French Napoleon lll Side Table or Small Writing Desk. Classic Napoleon III legs.
Center
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19thc French Napoleon III Writing Desk / Side table
Located in New York, NY
Marble top / ebony base / turned legs with finial center / two drawers / ideal for small writing
Category
Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble
Rare Writing Desk by George Nelson
Located in New York, NY
Rare small writing desk No. 5495 in walnut with metal frame, laminate top, and sliding doors over
Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks and Writing Tables
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Small Writing Desks For Sale on 1stDibs
At 1stDibs, there are several options of small writing desks available for sale. Each of these unique small writing desks was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and hardwood. We have 725 antique and vintage small writing desks in-stock, while there are 39 modern editions to choose from as well. Small writing desks have long been popular, with older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. There are many kinds of small writing desks to choose from, but at 1stDibs, mid-century modern, Art Deco and Victorian small writing desks are of considerable interest. Vittorio Dassi, Matthias Demacker and Gio Ponti each produced beautiful small writing desks that are worth considering.
How Much are Small Writing Desks?
Small writing desks can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $3,512, while the lowest priced sells for $83 and the highest can go for as much as $495,000.
Finding the Right Desks And 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 Small Writing Desks
- 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.
- 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 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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