Writing Desk Bureau
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Ercol Bureau Writing Desk Model 518 Elm Beech Vintage Mcm
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
A rare opportunity to acquire an Ercol model 518 bureau.
The solid elm carcass boasting a well
Category
Mid-20th Century English Desks
Materials
Elm
Antique Swedish Gustavian Bureau 19th Century Painted Writing Desk Serpentine
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
Large 19th century Swedish painted and carved bureau in the Gustavian manner.
The carved fall
Category
Antique 19th Century Swedish Desks
Materials
Paint
Antique 18th Century Louis XVI Cylinder Bureau Writing Desk from France
Located in Vienna, AT
Very elegant freestanding antique French cylinder writing desk veneered with polished Acajou
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Materials
Marble, Brass
Large Boulle Louis XVI Desk Writing Table Bureau Plat Marquetry Inlay
Located in Potters Bar, Herts
Absolutely stunning French Boulle style desk or bureau plat.
One of the things that attracted us
Category
Vintage 1980s Louis XVI Desks
19th Century Burr Walnut Bureau de Dame or Writing Desk c. 1890
Located in East Sussex, GB
A most attractive bureau de dame c. 1890.
The elegant cabriole legs with brass sabots to the feet
Category
Antique 19th Century Desks
Mahogany and oak writing table (bureau-plat) by Fidelys Schey
By Fidelys Schey
Located in New York, NY
This desk has a rectangular gilt and tooled brown leather-inset top with molded surround. Each side
Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks
Materials
Ormolu
Charles X Bureau-Plat, France 1825, Writing Desk
Located in Bamberg, DE
France, around 1825
This unusually large, free-standing piece of writing furniture stands on
Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Charles X Secretaires
Materials
Wood
English Antique Oak Bureau Tambour Roll-Top Writing Desk Chest Edwardian
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive Edwardian solid oak roll-top writing bureau.
The tambour fall flap enclosed
Category
Early 20th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Oak
French Bureau De Dame Ladies Writing Desk 19th Century Rosewood Satinwood
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
A fine quality French 19th century bureau de dame.
Fine quality floral marquetry panels and
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Materials
Bronze
English Vintage Teak Bureau Writing Desk Retro Mid-Century Modern, 1960s-1970s
Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB
An impressive mid-20th century teak writing bureau.
The angled paneled fall flap enclosed a fitted
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Secretaires
Materials
Teak
French Boulle Bureau Plat / Library Table, Late 18th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Charleston, SC
marquetry writing desk is finished on both sides with three drawers on the front and faux drawers on the
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Metal Alloy Writing Desk/Bureau-Plat
Located in Washington, DC
Metal Alloy Writing Desk/Bureau-Plat with Five Drawers
Category
Vintage 1950s French Desks and Writing Tables
French Louis XV Style Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Astoria, NY
French Louis XV style cherry wood writing desk or bureau plat with shaped rectangular top banded in
Category
Antique 18th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Victorian Antique Davenport, English Oak Writing Desk, Bureau, circa 1870
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a Victorian antique Davenport in English oak. A small writing desk bureau, dating to circa
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Desks
19th C. Louis XVI Writing Desk Bureau with Leather Top
Located in Dallas, TX
Elegant 19th C. Louis XVI style" bureau à cartonnier" (c: 1830). The mahogany and king wood bureau
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Neoclassical Mahogany
Ormolu-Mounted Antique Writing Desk Bureau Plat, France
Located in Shippensburg, PA
This inordinately fine bureau plat from the last quarter of the 19th century is a powerful and
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Antique Victorian Quartersawn Oak Roll Top Tambour Writing Desk Bureau
Located in Dayton, OH
Rare antique Victorian roll top library writing desk. Made of quartersawn oak featuring a tambour
Category
Antique 19th Century Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Louis XV Style writing desk /bureau plat black lacquered finish
Located in Houston, TX
The unique black lacquered finish on this desk is dramatic
And has great contrast with the silvered
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
French Louis XV Style Walnut and Bronze Writing Desk / Bureau Plat Leather Top
Located in Darmstadt, DE
The large Louis XV style writing desk / bureau plat has fine inlaid veneer and is decorated with
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks
Materials
Brass
Louis XVI Napoleon Italian Rosewood 5 Drawers Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Carimate, Como
A very good quality Italian 20th century Napoleon 3 / Louis XVI style rosewood bureau plat writing
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Napoleon III Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
A Directoire style ebonized mahogany writing desk / bureau plat, C. 1945.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
In the manner of late 18th-century French design, this elegant and finely proportioned desk
Category
Early 20th Century Argentine Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Antique Writing Desk Bureau Chest English Georgian Mahogany Quality, circa 1800
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
A very pleasing original Georgian writing bureau desk presented in good antique condition
Mid-size
Category
Antique Early 1800s Great Britain (UK) Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Antique French Writing Desk Bureau Plat with Tiffany Blue Leather Top
Located in West Hartford, CT
Antique 19th century French writing desk has five dovetailed drawers and features a Tiffany blue
Category
Antique Early 1900s French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Fruitwood
Louis XV Style Chinoiserie Decorated Writing Desk Bureau Plat, 19th Century
Located in Shippensburg, PA
Such a fine and interesting writing desk, this is one of those very rare finds that remains in
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Nice Quality Embossed Leather Top Figured Walnut Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This French Louis XV style leather top desk with brass accents is made of the highest quality and
Category
Vintage 1950s European Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
French Louis XVI Inlaid Kingwood and Rosewood Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a gorgeous desk and has eye appeal all over the place. Look at the gorgeous inlay and
Category
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French Louis XV Style Ebonized Black and Bronze Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in West Hartford, CT
drawer desk, with an inset leather writing surface.
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Inlaid Louis XV Style Writing Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Highly inlaid French Louis XV style desk or ‘bureau plat’ in kingwood, bird’s-eye maple, burl
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Kingwood
Signed Maison Jansen Leather Top Louis XVI Directoire Writing Desk Bureau Plat
By Maison Jansen
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a gorgeous signed Maison Jansen desk from France. The desk is made of solid walnut and has
Category
Vintage 1940s French Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Black Leather Top French Directoire Style Writing Desk Bureau Plat, Circa 1960
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
vintage desk. The desk measures 51 wide x 27 inches deep x 30 tall and has a kneehole of 23 inches. The
Category
Vintage 1960s American Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Theodore Alexander French Louis XV Writing Desk Bureau Houses Laptop
By Theodore Alexander
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Alexander leather inlaid writing desk bureau
This is part of a suite, we have six items all matching
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Desks
Materials
Leather, Hardwood
19th Century Gustavian Writing Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A Gustavian writing desk, bureau plat with original bronze mounts, inset tooled leather, and
Category
Antique Early 1800s Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique Writing Desk Bureau Victorian Mahogany Quality Bon Heur Du Jour
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
Top quality open bureau writing desk, English Victorian, circa 1850
A superior original
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Great Britain (UK) Victorian Desks
Materials
Mahogany
Nils Jonsson for HJN Mobler Danish Teak Writing Desk Bureau Cabinet
By Nils Jonsson, HJN Møbler
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Rare Minimalist Scandinavian Danish Bureau design by Nils Jonsson for HJN Møbler.
Inside, you
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks
Materials
Teak
Late 18th Century Swedish Pine Country Writing Desk Bureau
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish country bureau with writing desk. The bureau is a country house furniture from the
Category
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Country Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Compass Writing Desk Bureau by Pedro Miralles Claver for Punt Mobles, circa 1990
Located in Barcelona, Cataluna
The compass desk was designed by Pedro Miralles Claver for Punt Mobles, circa 1990. He studies at
Category
1990s European Post-Modern Desks
Materials
Cherry
Compass Writing Desk Bureau by Pedro Miralles Claver for Punt Mobles, circa 1990
Located in Barcelona, Cataluna
The compass desk was designed by Pedro Miralles Claver for Punt Mobles, circa 1990. He studies at
Category
1990s European Post-Modern Desks
Materials
Cherry
A French Louis XVI Style Mahogany Writing Desk with Ormolu Mounts
Located in San Francisco, CA
A handsome French Louis XVI style mahogany writing desk/bureau plat with ormolu mounts; ex
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Louis XV Style Orange Lacquer Bureau Plat / Baker Furniture Collector
s Edition
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Dallas, TX
an orange lacquered Louis XV reproduction writing desk / bureau plat by Baker Furniture Collector's
Category
20th Century American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Art Deco Burl Walnut Cloud Shaped Writing Desk Bureau, English , circa 1930
Located in Devon, England
This is a fantastic 1930s Art Deco writing bureau of small proportions, a really superb piece of
Category
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Walnut, Bakelite
1930s Italian Art Deco Mid-Century Modern Wood, Glass and Brass Writing Desk
By Guglielmo Ulrich, Vittorio Dassi, Melchiorre Bega, Paolo Buffa, Ico
Luisa Parisi
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful Italian 1930s writing desk, bureau with elegant and classic wood worked according its
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Teak Bureau with Writing Desk
Located in London, GB
ingenious feature is however the concealed writing desk, hidden as the surface top, the desk can be slid out
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Industrial Brushed Steel Desk By Library Bureau Makers
By Library Bureau Makers
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Handsome, industrial, brushed steek desk by Library Bureau Makers circa 1940's features a single
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Antique Georgian Writing Bureau Desk
Located in London, GB
A lovely antique Period Georgian writing bureau. This was made in England, it dates from around the
Category
Antique 1790s English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Beautiful Military Campaign Writing Bureau Desk
Located in Crawley, GB
This beautiful writing bureau desk is a stunning example of military campaign furniture retail
Category
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French Marquetry Bureau Plat Writing Desk
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
An elegant French Louis XV style ‘bureau plat’ profusely inlaid throughout with mahogany, fruitwood
Category
Vintage 1910s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Kingwood
Ornate Antique French Bureau Plat Desk/Writing Table
Located in Round Top, TX
This classic French design writing desk is known as a "bureau plat." It is opulently finished with
Category
Vintage 1930s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Liberty
Co Arts
Crafts Bureau Writing Desk 1895
By Liberty
Co.
Located in Norwich, GB
Liberty & Co Arts & Crafts ash bureau writing desk. Circa 1895. Labelled.
Retaining the red
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ash
Louis Philippe Period French Bureau Plat Writing Desk
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
A handsome French bureau plat (writing desk), c.1840, Louis Philippe period, with figured walnut
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Louis Philippe Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
French Mahogany Writing Desk Writing Table with Leather Top Bureau Plat
Located in West Hartford, CT
Magnificent mahogany writing desk with leather top and inlay and medallions.
Two drawers at top
Category
Vintage 1970s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Antique Writing Bureau
Located in London, GB
An elegant neo-classical style antique writing bureau in wood with gilt bronze mounts, dating from
Category
Vintage 1920s English Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$1,506
Antique Writing Bureau
Located in London, GB
A superb antique writing bureau in the Georgian style. This was made in England, it dates from
Category
Vintage 1910s British Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
$1,711
Antique French Mahogany
Ormolu Bureau Plat Writing Desk C1910
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French bureau plat writing desk offers shaped mahogany construction with paneled case
Category
Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Georgian circa 1810 Flame Mahogany Bureau Desk Writing Table
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique Georgian circa 1810 flame mahogany bureau desk writing table.
This is a lovely bureau
Category
Antique 1810s Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
French Louis XVI Leather-Top "Bureau Plat" Writing Desk
Located in Austin, TX
French Louis XVI leather-top "bureau plat" writing desk, the fine construction combined with a
Category
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Gold Leaf
Antique French Bureau Plat Writing Desk, Louis XV Style
Located in Round Top, TX
This French writing desk or ‘bureau plat’ in the Louis XV style, is finished with ornate brass
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Bureau, Writing Desk, Continental, Polychrome-Painted, Cylinder, circa 1900!!
Located in Austin, TX
Gorgeous Antique Bureau, Writing Desk, Continental, Polychrome-Painted, Cylinder, circa 1900, Early
Category
20th Century European Other Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
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Writing Desk Bureau For Sale on 1stDibs
With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the writing desk bureau you’re looking for. Each writing desk bureau for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and animal skin. If you’re shopping for a writing desk bureau, we have 899 options in-stock, while there are 12 modern editions to choose from as well. There are many kinds of the writing desk bureau you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. A writing desk bureau is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Louis XV, Louis XVI and Georgian styles are sought with frequency. François Linke, Maison Jansen and Scarlet Splendour each produced at least one beautiful writing desk bureau that is worth considering.
How Much is a Writing Desk Bureau?
The average selling price for a writing desk bureau at 1stDibs is $6,670, while they’re typically $171 on the low end and $1,844,713 for the highest priced.
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 Writing Desk Bureau
- 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.
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