Desks and Writing Tables
Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
19th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Irish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1780s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary British Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1960s English Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Glass
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Amboyna
Early 1900s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Queen Anne Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1890s English Art Nouveau Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1880s English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Hardwood
Late 18th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Satinwood
20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1790s British George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Satinwood
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Gothic Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ebony, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
19th Century British Other Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Faux Bamboo
Early 19th Century English George IV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Amboyna
1780s British Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1830s British William IV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century British Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Satinwood
19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century English Campaign Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century English Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Sterling Silver
2010s British Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Bronze
1840s English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1830s British William IV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1860s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
19th Century English William and Mary Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
19th Century English William IV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Hardwood
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ebony, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1820s English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1790s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Biedermeier Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mid-18th Century English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
19th Century English Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Tulipwood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century English Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1880s English High Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1840s English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Hardwood
1790s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Antique and Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
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.
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