Small Writing Desks
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French Provincial Fruitwood Table with Scalloped Apron
Located in Locust Valley, NY
. Perfect as a side table or small writing desk.
Category
Early 20th Century Side Tables
Materials
Fruitwood
Post-Modern
Vintage, Stainless Steel Console Table Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
small writing desk. A vintage quality piece with seamless construction, heft and stability, blends style
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Console Tables
Materials
Stainless Steel
Dutch Colonial Teak Side Table, Early 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
with metal pull, turned legs. High enough to serve as a small writing desk, as a console or as a end
Category
Vintage 1920s Indonesian Dutch Colonial End Tables
Materials
Teak
Small Walnut Writing Desk in the Manner of Carl Bissman
By Carl Bissman
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome walnut writing desk in the manner of Carl Bissman’s mid-century modern pieces. It is in
Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Walnut
Antique English Georgian Table Desk Nightstand PETITE Lowboy Highly Carved Oak
Located in Tyler, TX
hall table, nightstand or small writing desk~~drawers with original brass batwing pulls and old pegged
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Lowboys
Materials
Oak
Small Victorian 1880 Solid Walnut Knee Hole Writing Desk Lots of Drawers Storage
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely Victorian walnut knee hole desk with lots of drawers
Category
Antique 1880s English Victorian Desks
Materials
Walnut
20th Century Inlaid Writing Desk in Rosewood
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
chiselled brass, inlaid with geometric patterns in rosewood. Writing desk of small size ideal for a room or
Category
Mid-20th Century French Desks
Materials
Brass, Bronze
English 19th Century Walnut Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
small writing desk. The walnut top rests upon a wooden apron which houses one large drawer over
Category
Antique 19th Century English William and Mary Tables
Materials
Walnut
George III Leather Top Mahogany Writing Desk or Library Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
hardware and keys. Supported by elegant tapered legs ending with brass casters. small-scale writing desk
Category
Antique 19th Century English George III Desks
Materials
Brass
Theodore Alexander French Louis XV Writing Desk Bureau Houses Laptop
By Theodore Alexander
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
with drawers
Wellington small bank of drawers
Writing beuro desk
Most of the other pieces are
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Desks
Materials
Leather, Hardwood
French Napoleon III Louis XV Marquetry Gilt Bronze Floral Salon Table After BVRB
Located in Berlin, DE
richly ornamented floral gilt bronze mounts.
The small writing desk or salon table is inspired by a
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Side Tables
Materials
Bronze
Tommy Parzinger Charak Modern Small Desk Writing Table Console
By Tommi Parzinger
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern solid mahogany writing table entry console table desk. All solid mahogany
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Original Rustic Green Painted Pine Farmhouse Table or Writing Table Desk
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
1900s, this example would work equally well as a small table or a writing desk.
In very good solid
Category
Early 20th Century Welsh Rustic Farm Tables
Materials
Pine
Black Lacquer Ebonized Finish Mid-Century Modern Desk Writing Table
By Dunbar Furniture, James Mont
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern five drawers black lacquer petit small writing table desk.
Heart shape silver
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dessert Tables and Tilt-top Tables
Materials
Hardwood
Lovely 19th Century French Writing Desk Console or Side Table
Located in Hopewell, NJ
A wonderful small size writing desk, finished on all sides with beautiful mahogany inlaid marquetry
Category
Antique 19th Century French Console Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Burl
Henredon Scene Two Burl Wood Console Table or Small Desk
By Henredon
Located in Cincinnati, OH
writing desks for that special compact space .
Category
Late 20th Century American Modern Console Tables
Materials
Wood
Period Regency Metamorphic Library Steps and Writing Table
Located in Dallas, TX
as a small writing or library table
In desk form, it can also be considered a mechanical desk
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Ladders
Materials
Brass
French Oak Bistro or Restaurant Table, Mid-1900s
Located in Dallas, TX
Made from French oak, this table is the perfect size for a small eating area or as a small writing
Category
Mid-20th Century French Side Tables
Materials
Oak
French Oak Bistro or Restaurant Table, Mid-1900s
Located in Dallas, TX
Made from French oak, this table is the perfect size for a small eating area or as a small writing
Category
Mid-20th Century French Side Tables
Materials
Oak
Verdigris Aluminum and Thassos Porcelain Dining Table
Located in Chicago, IL
piece.
Never used outdoors, it would make a striking small dining table or writing desk.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Dining Room Tables
Materials
Cast Stone, Aluminum
Italian Modern Neoclassical Walnut and Black Onyx Glass Console, Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
and allows great functionality as a writing table, small desk or console for living room, bedroom or
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Materials
Onyx, Brass
Early 19th Century Louis XIII Style Side Table
Located in Winter Park, FL
as a writing table or small desk and has good proportions for use as a side table or nightstand. Note
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XIII Side Tables
Materials
Brass
Brazilian Rosewood Dressing Table Vanity Denmark
Located in Miami, FL
drawer pulls push in to pull. Would make a great writing table or small desk as well.
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Vanities
Materials
Mirror
18th Century French Louis XV Mahogany Occasional Table with Marble Top
Located in Dallas, TX
France, circa 1780, the small, delicate side table or writing desk stands on cabriole legs ending with
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XV Side Tables
Materials
Marble
18th Century Bleached Louis XIII Table With Barley Twist Legs
Located in Carmine, TX
piece, that can be used on a daily basis. It is large enough to be a writing desk, but small enough to
Category
Antique Early 18th Century French Louis XIII Tables
Materials
Walnut
Baker Furniture White Lacquered Small Writing Desk or Entry Table, Refinished
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional small writing desk or entry table
By Baker Furniture Milling Road "West Indies
Category
1990s American British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Lacquer
Small Writing Desk by Gio Ponti for Schirolli in Walnut and Brass, Italy, 1950s
By Schirolli, Gio Ponti
Located in Uithoorn, NL
Small writing desk / side table by Gio Ponti for Schirolli in walnut and brass, Italy, 1950s.
One
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Century Adams Style Small Writing Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Most charming antique Bonheur Adams style desk with beautiful painted accents and architectural
Category
Antique 19th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
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
Mid-Century Small Writing Desk Made in Italy, 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
Manufactured in the 50s, this writing desk stands out thanks to its elegant yet funcitional lines
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Midcentury 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
Antique Gustavian Side Table or Small Writing Desk, Sweden, circa 1800s
Located in Round Top, TX
Swedish Gustavian style side table, may also be used as a small desk.
Traditional tapered legs
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
Small Writing Desk in Walnut, Blue Glass with Brass Pulls, Italy 1950’s
Located in New York, NY
Lovely combination of materials.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Bauhaus-Style, Tubular Metal Desk with Single Drawer
Located in Surrey, BC
Very nice, small writing desk in tubular metal. Characteristic of Kem Weber designs for Lloyd
Category
Vintage 1940s American Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Walnut Little Desk by Vittorio Valabrega, Italy, 1930s
By Vittorio Valabrega
Located in Rivoli, IT
Beautiful small writing desk made by the designer and cabinetmaker Vittorio Valabrega.
Small
Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Regency Writing Desk Receiving Table Rosewood
Bronze Michael Taylor for Baker
By Baker Furniture Company, Michael Taylor
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration: Elegant Regency finely crafted small writing desk in rosewood and bronze
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Black Lacquered Wood Desk with Tubular Steel Frame, circa 1935
Located in Madrid, ES
Small writing desk with black lacquered wooden top and drawers, tubular steel frame. Made in Europe
Category
20th Century European Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Wiring Desk Swedish 19th Century Original Paint Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Wiring desk Swedish 19th century original paint, Sweden. A smaller writing desk made during the
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Italian mid-century modern wooden writing desk with a small drawer, 1950s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern wooden writing desk with a small drawer, 1950s
Desk or small writing
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique French Console Table or Ladies Small Writing Desk, Restored circa 1800s
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
Petite console Table or ladies Writing Desk, made in France during the late 1800s from solid
Category
Antique 1880s French Country Console Tables
Materials
Wood
French Art Nouveau Folding Secretary in Solid Mahogany
Located in Waalwijk, NL
originality. When closed this seems to be a normal small writing desk, but in fact it automatically completely
Category
Vintage 1920s French Art Nouveau Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Faux Leather, Mahogany
Small vintage Chinese writing desk
Located in Milano, IT
Small Chinese writing desk in black lacquered wood, dating back to the 1940s-50s, an example of
Category
Vintage 1940s Central Asian Chinese Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Floating Kidney Shaped Writing Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Small floating kidney-shaped writing desk. Great for a small desk space in the living room or the
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Hardwood, Fruitwood
18th Century Small Gustavian Writing Desk
Located in Copenhagen, K
Lovely small Gustavian writing desk with one drawer.
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Small Lady’s Writing Desk from the 1940s
Located in Brussels, BE
Small lady’s writing desk from the 1940s.
Category
Vintage 1940s Belgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Small Italian Mahogany Writing Desk with Drawers
Located in Madrid, ES
Small Italian writing desk made of mahogany and root wood, brass handles and mirrored colored glass
Category
20th Century Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Mahogany
Small Ebonized Lady
s Writing Desk with Leather Top
Located in Buchanan, NY
An ebonized Louis XVI style leather top writing table with leather pull-out slides,
France, circa
Category
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Small Swedish Modern Writing Desk / Vanity In Teak
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: Sweden
Designer: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Era: 1960s
Materials: Teak
Measurements: 36.5″ wide x 17.25″ deep x 28.75″ tall
Condition: In excellent original condition.
Category
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Small Asian Red And Yellow Painted Folk Art Desk-Top Writing Desk
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small Asian red and yellow painted folk art desk-top writing desk
The desk top is collapsable
Category
Vintage 1960s Southeast Asian Folk Art Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Italian Antique Walnut Rustic Small Console Table Desk Writing Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Very charming and elegant Italian small antique console table or desk writing table with stylish
Category
20th Century Italian Rustic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Small Georgian Revival Inlaid Burr Walnut Bureau Desk Writing Table
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique small Georgian revival inlaid burr walnut bureau desk writing table. Dates from circa 1910
Category
Vintage 1910s Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Italian Midcentury Small Walnut Writing Desk by Vittorio Dassi, 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi, Dassi et Figli
Located in Traversetolo, IT
This stylish writing desk has been designed by Vittorio Dassi as expression of Gio Ponti, fruit of
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Leather Top Writing Desk
Located in Pomona, CA
A mahogany leather top writing desk with small compartments.
Category
Late 20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
$1,600
Italian Marquetry Writing Desk
Located in Pomona, CA
A small Italian writing desk. This desk is beautifully decorated with inlay featured prominently at
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
1960s Italian Art Deco Midcentury Walnut Brass Small Desk Writing Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant Italian Art Deco Mid-Century Modern small desk or writing table secretaire, in
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique French Louis XV Style Ladies Writing Table or Small Desk
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
Antique French petite writing table, or ladies desk, in the style of Louis XV with one drawer
Category
Antique 1830s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fruitwood
Danish Midcentury Small Kidney Shaped Kai Kristiansen Style Teak Writing Desk
By Kai Kristiansen
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Beautiful Danish small executive desk in teak in the style Kai Kristiansen and made in Denmark in
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
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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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