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Small Early 19th Century Writing Table
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Mahogany Writing table with 2 drawers. Entirely in good and original condition. With beautiful
Category
Antique 1840s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small 19th Century Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful antique mahogany writing table with green leather top. Entirely in perfect condition
Category
Antique 1850s Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small 19th Century Oak Writing Table
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Antique oak writing table with 2 drawers and light brown leather. Standing on brass wheels
Category
Antique 1850s English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Small 1960s Danish Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Small 1960s Danish desk.
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
$2,350
Small Rio Rosewood Desk
Located in London, GB
Small Rio Rosewood desk with a black steel base
Category
20th Century Danish Desks and Writing Tables
$1,520
Writing Desk with Inlays and Leather Top
Located in Buchanan, NY
A small ladies writing desk with 2 drawers and pull out tablets on both ends. The black tooled
Category
Vintage 1940s Spanish Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small English Painted Desk
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Small late 19th C English painted oak 2 drawer desk with leather insert. 1890.
Reference: 7679
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Alvar Aalto Small Desk
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
Small desk in birch plywood by Alvar Aalto, designed and made in the 1930s, it is a clear example
Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch, Plywood
$3,838
Small 19th Century Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful little antique desk from the Victorian era. Warm light walnut color. The desk is finished
Category
Antique 1880s Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
$2,316
Mogens Koch Small Desk
By Mogens Koch
Located in London, GB
Oak desk designed by Koch and made for the hospital in Sønderborg in 1933. Great condition
Category
Vintage 1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
$3,427
Small 19th Century Victorian Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small Victorian mahogany writing table with 2 drawers and light tan color leather top
Category
Antique 1840s British Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Sears Roebuck
co., Writing Desk, Oak, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A small solid oak writing desk from the "Harmony House Ranch-Mode"-series, designed and produced by
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
SMALL DESK WITH ASIAN INFLUENCE
Located in Los Angeles, CA
SMALL DESK WITH ASIAN DETAILS.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Desk, Anonymous, Denmark, 1950s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Small desk, anonymous, Denmark. 1950s.
Wenge Wood.
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wenge
19th Century Inlaid Mahogany Ladies Writing Desk, Denmark
Located in Round Top, TX
Distinctive and elegant, this small ladies writing desk has decorative inlaid brass filigree
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Danish Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
SMALL DESK IN LIMED OAK
Located in New York, NY
Small scale four drawer desk in limed oak with Micarta top and block handles.
Category
20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
$4,500
Small 19th Century Colonial Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful aged small teak antique desk. Originating from colonial India. Dark brown leather top has
Category
Antique 1860s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
George II Small Mahogany Writing Table, 18th C
Located in Astoria, NY
George II small mahogany writing table, 18th C, with rounded rectangular top above a small drawer
Category
Antique 19th Century George II Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small 19th Century Campaign Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small antique teak Campaign desk. The small agency is a real Campaign desk that went
Category
Antique 1840s Indian Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Handsome Mahogany Library Stand or Small Writing Table
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Great looking mahogany stand with adjustable writing surface, great for a small nook or apartment
Category
Early 2000s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small Desk By Mathieu Mategot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Girona, Spain
Small desk by Mathieu Mategot
circa 1960. France
Original condition
Provenence : Hunting lodge
Category
Vintage 1960s French Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Colonial Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Small teak desk with green leather top. Despite its modest dimensions, it is a practical desk to
Category
Antique 1890s Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Small 19th century writing table with 3 drawers
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small antique mahogany writing table with 3 drawers. The top is inlaid with green gold
Category
Antique 1870s British Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small Italian Mid-Century Desk
Located in New York, NY
Small desk composed of four slanted legs ending in brass feet and a thick glass top in the shape of
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Small french walnut desk 1900
Located in LYON, FR
An absolutely irresistible small desk, early 20th century, made of solid walnut. It features
Category
Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small 19th Century Oak Desk
By Maple
Co.
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Nice small antique oak desk in good and completely original condition. Brown leather leaf with
Category
Antique 1880s British Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Small Mid-Century Wood Desk
Located in Alhambra, CA
Mid-century modern desk with three storage drawers and built in shelving. Made of a lovely pale
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Louis XV Style Small Writing Table, 19th C
Located in Astoria, NY
Louis XV / XVI transitional style leather topped mahogany veneered small writing table or "Table a
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Georgian Small Mahogany Writing Table with One Drawer
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Very nice small writing table. Beautifully built and with 1 drawer. The table is on bronze wheels
Category
Antique 1810s English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Georgian Small Mahogany Writing Table with Two Drawers
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small antique writing table with two drawers, standing on brass wheels. Completely in
Category
Antique Early 1800s English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small Vintage 1950s Italian Desk
Located in London, London
Compact sized desk
Red formica top
Red and yellow drawers
Geometric shape
Italy 1950s.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Formica, Wood
Small Dassi Desk, Italy, 1960s
By Dassi
Located in New York, NY
Diminutive desk by Mobilifico Dassi with a glass top and ebonized legs and top trim. Has two
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Small Dutch Metal Industrial Desk
By Ahrend de Cirkel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Minimalist Industrial desk with grey metal frame and original Linoleum top. 7 drawers with brushed
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Small French Art Deco Desk
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1930s French desk in polished wood with sleek, curved lines, slender center drawer, three
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
20th Century Carved Walnut Wood French Writing Desk, 1920
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
Small French writing desk from the first half of the 20th century. Furniture of excellent quality
Category
Vintage 1920s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Veneered Walnut Italian Ico Parisi Writing Desk, circa 1960
By Ico Parisi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A small Ico Parisi Italian writing desk, circa 1960 in veneered walnut wood, with painted black
Category
Vintage 1960s Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small 19th Century Oak Victorian Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small oak desk from the Victorian era, circa 1860. The desk is completely handmade and of
Category
Antique 1860s Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Antique Writing Table with Five Drawers
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small antique writing table with five drawers in perfect condition. The table is on
Category
Antique 1860s English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Antique Writing Table with Two Drawers
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small antique writing table with two drawers in perfect condition. The table is on
Category
Antique 1860s English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Antique Writing Table with Four Drawers
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small antique writing table with four drawers in perfect condition. The table is on
Category
Antique 1860s English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Oak Victorian Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small oak desk from the Victorian era, circa 1860. The desk is completely handmade and of
Category
Antique 1860s Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
French 1960
s small bamboo desk
Located in Santa Monica, CA
French 1960's small bamboo desk
Category
Vintage 1960s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo, Wood
Small 1950s Italian Desk in Rosewood
Located in London, London
Small desk.
Wood.
Painted drawers and cupboard door.
1950s Italy.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Small Rustic Oak French Table / Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Small rustic oak French table / desk with large front drawer. Sturdy.
Category
Late 20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Small 19th Century Burl Walnut Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small pure antique desk with warm lived-in Patina The walnut has a very warm color
Category
Antique 1860s British Early Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small 19th Century Burr Walnut Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful small pure antique desk with beautiful weathered patina. The burr walnut has a very nice
Category
Antique 1830s Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small 19th Century Victorian Mahogany Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful little high quality Victorian mahogany desk. Desk has 9 drawers. Finished all around, so
Category
Antique 1860s English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small 19th Century Victorian Oak Desk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Beautiful little antique oak desk. Nice light color with the original brown oil cloth sheet. The
Category
Antique 1840s English Early Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Friso Kramer Style Small Industrial Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant little metal enameled desk with linoleum top, grey body with Mediterranean blue drawers and
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Sheet Metal, Steel
Small Dutch Industrial Desk or Vanity
By Ahrend de Cirkel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Light grey industrial metal office desk. 4 drawers with brushed chrome hand pulls. Original black
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Small Modernist Desk by K+ d
By Knoll
Drake
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A compact Modernist desk by K+ d. It is made of walnut and cream colored metal Has three plastic
Category
20th Century Scandinavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Brass
Writing Desk by Gianfranco Frattini for Bernini Vintage Italy 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Milano, IT
Writing desk with small shutter and pullout top designed by Gianfranco Frattini (1926-2004) for
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood, Walnut
Small 19th Century English Mahogany Writing Table with Leather Top
Located in Atlanta, GA
A small mahogany writing table with green leather top, 2 sliding drawers, turned legs and brass
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Small Antique French Gründerzeit Desk, Kids Desk, Oak and Walnut Veneer
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
Original antique small "Gründerzeit" desk from France, standing on 4 turned feet. Solid oak made
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Other Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Burr Birch 19th Century Pedestal Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Delightful Swedish burr birch desk circa 1870.
Comprising of 5 sections this desk is of smaller
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Small french vintage desk with turned legs
Located in LYON, FR
. Perfectly stable on its 4 legs, this small desk which does not lack charm will be very practical on a daily
Category
Vintage 1970s French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Beech, Oak
French Small Size Three-Drawer Wooden Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French early 20th century wooden desk or table of small size made of fruitwood (very likely maple
Category
Early 20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fruitwood
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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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