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Writing Desk Bureau

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Antique French Louis XV Tulipwood Marquetry Ormolu Bureau Plat Writing Table
Located in Portland, OR
A fine antique 19th century French Louis XV tulipwood and marquetry, ormolu mounted bureau plat
Category

Antique 1880s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Outstanding Pair of Red Laquered Bureau Plat Desks
Located in Swadlincote, GB
A wonderful pair of French red laquered partners bureau platt desk, with outstanding ormolu mounts
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

19th Century Louis XVI Style Leather Top Writing Table / Bureau Plat
Located in Madrid, ES
A 19th century Louis XVI style French writing table or desk, known as a "bureau plat”. It has a
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Gustavian Neoclassical Mahogany Writing Chest / Bureau on High Stand, 1800s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Swedish Gustavian mahogany writing cabinet. The writing part is covered with a black patent leather
Category

Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Louis XVI Tulipwood Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive late 18th century French writing desk with a tooled black leather top, probably original
Category

Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Tulipwood

Le Bureau De Paolo Desk by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Le Bureau De Paolo Desk by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Sam Baron. Dimensions: D 80 x W 175 x H 75
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Royal desk / bureau plat in Louis XV style
Located in Berlin, DE
Royal desk / bureau plat in Louis XV style flamed birch veneer on solid beech wood with rocaille
Category

20th Century Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Regency Style Bureau Plat Desk with Bronze Figures
Located in Dallas, TX
Fine Bureau Plat with Parquety top and bronze figures all in excellent conditions.
Category

Antique 1890s French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Early 19th century French Empire Bureau Plat / Desk
Located in Troy, NY
French Empire Bureau Plat of Stately Size, the top inset with a dark leather writing surface
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Wonderful 18th Century French Roll Top Desk (Cylinder Bureau)
Located in Poole, GB
Wonderful 18th Century French Roll Top Desk ( cylinder bureau ) A very elegant and with great
Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

19th Century antique Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Writing Table bronze
Located in Berlin, DE
Castle worthy desk, solid wood. Rosewood veneer edged by finely engraved brass fittings. On angled
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

19th Century French Oak Barley Twist Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Spectacular 19th century French bureau plat writing table or desk featuring barley twist legs and
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XIII Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Signed Paul Sormani French Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk
By Paul Sormani
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
A very Fine Writing Desk by Paul Sormani. Sormani, counted among the most elite Parisian
Category

Antique Early 1900s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Large Antique Fall-Front Bureau, English, Oak, Writing Cabinet, Georgian, C.1780
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a large antique fall-front bureau. An English, oak five-drawer writing cabinet, dating to
Category

Antique 1750s British Georgian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Royal Empire Desk/Bureau Plat, Gilt Bronze, 19th Century
Located in Berlin, DE
Royal Empire Desk/Bureau Plat, Gilt Bronze Mahogany with gilded bronze fittings in the form of
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century European Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

French Empire Desk work table, wood , ormolu , Bureau Plat
By Empire Furniture
Located in Valladolid, ES
One of a kind and Amazing Large Empire French writing desk or bureau plat with embossed black
Category

Antique 1810s French Empire Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Le Bureau de Paolo Wooden Desk with several drawers
By Sam Baron
Located in Roma, IT
Le bureau de Paolo is a desk constituted of wide variety of boxes and drawers. These boxes have a
Category

2010s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

19th Century French Louis XV Walnut Desk ~ Bureau Plat
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Louis XV Walnut Desk ~ Bureau Plat is a beautifully preserved historical piece
Category

Antique 1880s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

20th Century antique Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Writing Table Piano Black
Located in Berlin, DE
Bureau plat writing table in the style of Louis XV style, silvered bronze fittings. Piano lacquer
Category

20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech

French Bureau Plat 20th C. with Black Gilt Trim Writing Surface
Located in Houston, TX
This exquisite desk is very well made with beech wood and oak with Kingwood marquetry decorative
Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech

Maison-Jansen Attributed French Leather, Top Bureau Plat Desk
By Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Vintage French leather top bureau plat desk with pull-out slides. The table extends 12.5" on each
Category

Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Elegant veneered bureau plat / desk in Louis XV style
Located in Berlin, DE
Elegant veneered bureau plat / desk in Louis XV style Solid beech wood and veneer. Very fine
Category

20th Century Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Bronze

20th Century antique Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Writing Table Piano White
Located in Berlin, DE
Bureau plat writing table in the style of Louis XV style, silvered bronze fittings. Piano lacquer
Category

20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech

Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Queens, NY
Louis XVI style (19th-20th century) gilt bronze mounted 3-drawer bureau plat desk having a center
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Antique 19th Century Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Writing Table Mahogany veneer
Located in Berlin, DE
Bureau plat in the style of the Louis XV Napoleon III Paris, circa 1850-1880. In Bois-Satiné veneer
Category

Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Vintage Ebonized Leather-top French Bureau Plat Faux-Partner s Desk
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Ebonized French Bureau Plat Faux-Partner's Desk with Tooled Red Leather Top and Tapered
Category

Mid-20th Century French Directoire Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Elegant antique Louis XV Style Veneered lady Bureau Plat / Desk
Located in Berlin, DE
Exclusive Louis XV style ladies bureau plat/desk Solid beech wood with exotic root veneer
Category

20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Vintage French Ormolu Mounted Marquetry Bureau Plat Desk 20th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a gorgeous vintage French Louis Revival walnut, ormolu mounted, marquetry bureau plat
Category

Late 20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Royal desk/bureau plat in Louis XV style with veneer
Located in Berlin, DE
Royal desk/bureau plat in Louis XV style with Kingveneer Kingveneer on solid beech wood with
Category

20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

20th Century Louis XV Style Ladies Bureau Plat or Desk
Located in Berlin, DE
Elegant ladies bureau plat desk in the Louis XV style, rosewood and shaded precious wood, veneered
Category

20th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Bureau Plat
Located in London, England
Paris made French walnut bureau plat / desk. France Circa 1940
Category

Vintage 1940s Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Baker French Louis XV Style Lacquered Writing Table Desk
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Opulent French Louis XV style writing table bureau plat desk crafted by Baker Furniture. The desk
Category

20th Century American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Baker Furniture Egyptian Revival Rosewood Leather Top Executive Bureau Plat Desk
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Egyptian Revival, Neoclassical, or Empire style executive writing desk or bureau plat
Category

Late 20th Century American Egyptian Revival Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Antique Louis Revival Ormolu Mounted Bureau Plat Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a gorgeous antique French Louis Revival gilt bronze mounted amaranth bureau plat, Circa
Category

Antique 1860s French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

French Bureau Plat / Desk in Louis XV, Paris, circa 1880
Located in Berlin, DE
French Bureau plat / desk in Louis XV, Paris, circa 1880. Solid beech wood veneer. Extremely
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Circa 1780-1800 George III Slant Front Bureau or Desk
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Circa 1780-1800 George III slant front bureau or desk, English. Mahogany. A handsome example - the
Category

Antique Late 18th Century English George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Maitland Smith Tessellated Penshell Desk or Bureau Plat Louis IV Style
By Maitland Smith
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant Maitland Smith Tessellated Penshell Desk or Bureau Plat, American, circa 1970s. Executed in
Category

Vintage 1970s American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Louis XV Style Bronze Mounted French Leather Top Desk Bureau Plat
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exquisite Louis XV style French bronze mounted bureau plat desk exemplifies refined
Category

Vintage 1920s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

French Jacques Adnet Brass Mounted Black Lacquered Writing Desk
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Queens, NY
French 1940s brass mounted black lacquered bureau plat /writing desk with tan leather inset top
Category

Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century Louis XVI Bureau à Cylindre or Roll Top Desk
Located in Winter Park, FL
A fine late 18th century Louis XVI period bureau à cylindre, or roll top desk, made of solid walnut
Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Marble, Brass

Fine Antique French Ormolu Bureau Plat Desk After Linke 19th Century
By François Linke
Located in London, GB
A fine antique French wood, porcelain and ormolu mounted bureau plat, in the manner of Linke, Circa
Category

Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Baker Furniture French Regency Louis XVI Walnut Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Southampton, NJ
Louis XVI style Regency Bureau Plat writing desk on brass casters boasting striking tooled leather
Category

20th Century American Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

1800 s Antique French Empire, Bronze MTD, Leather Slides, Mahogany, Desk, Bureau
Located in Austin, TX
Gorgeous 800's Antique French Empire, Bronze MTD, Leather Slides, Mahogany. Desk, Bureau!! Antique
Category

Antique 19th Century French Empire Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Expressionist Rococo Berlin Deko Bureau-Plat/Desk, Lacquered in Saffron Yellow
By Bruno Paul
Located in Petershagen, DE
This Berlin Deko Bureau-Plat represents the evolution of women's writing furniture from the private
Category

Vintage 1920s German Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Maple

20th Century Imperial French Bureau Plat or Desk by Charles Boulle
Located in Berlin, DE
Imperial French bureau plat or desk by Charles Boulle This model was built by the most important
Category

20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Mahogany Gold Bronze "Bureau Plat" Desk.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Fine Quality Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Mahogany & Gold Bronze "Bureau Plat" Desk.
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Magnificent Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
proportions, this Louis XV style bureau plat makes a bold statement as an executive desk, writing table, or
Category

Antique 1880s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Early 19th Century French Empire Period Bureau a Cylindre Gentleman s Desk
Located in Forney, TX
A exceptionally rare Period French Empire (1804-1814) walnut bureau a cylindre. Exquisitely
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Enamel Decorated French Louis Revival Ormolu Mounted Bureau Desk Table Console
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Enamel decorated French Louis Revival Ormolu mounted Bureau plat partner desk table console mint
Category

20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Elegant Black Stained French Style Bureau Plat or Desk by Kittinger
By Kittinger
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant Black Stained French Style Bureau Plat or Desk by Kittinger, American, circa 1960s. It has
Category

Vintage 1960s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Brass

Antique French Louis XVI Style Leather Top Desk or Bureau Plat
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive antique French desk crafted in mahogany and tulipwood, featuring a top with three tooled
Category

20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Ormolu

19th Century Louis XVI Bureau à Cylindre or Roll Top Desk
Located in Winter Park, FL
A fine early 19th century Louis XVI period bureau à cylindre, or roll top desk, made of solid
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Charlotte Perriand Desk "Petit Bureau en forme libre" for Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Berlin, DE
Prices vary dependent on the chosen material. Available in Mahogany or American walnut or a lacquered version (different colors available). A design table crafted by Charlotte Perr...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

French Louis XV Bureau Plat Leather Top Desk With Mounted Bronze Ormolu
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
A gorgeous French Louis XV style executive writing desk or bureau plat desk Mahogany, with bronze
Category

20th Century Unknown Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Superb Chinoiserie Paint Decorated French Louis XV Mirrored Top Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This superb Chinoiserie painted decorated French Louis XV bureau plat desk is a stunning example of
Category

Vintage 1920s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Antique French Carved Oak Secretary Desk Bureau Drop Front Louis XV Style
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique French carved oak secretary desk Bureau drop front Louis XV style. Direct from France, a
Category

Vintage 1920s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Antique Roll-Top Desk, English, Bureau, Aesthetic Period, Victorian, Circa 1880
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique roll-top desk. An English, mahogany and leather tambour bureau in Aesthetic
Category

Antique Late 19th Century British 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
  • 1stDibs 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, 2021
    A 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, 2021
    A 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, 2023
    What 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, 2023
    In 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.