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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Lovely Military Campaign Style Pedestal Desk
Located in Crawley, GB
We delight to offer for sake this stunning XX Century Mahogany Military Style Pedestal Brass Bound Pedestal Desk, leather top, three top drawers, flanking pedestals, three drawers wi...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Traditional English Leather Top Black Lacquered Writing Desk
Located in North York, ON
Traditional English leather top black lacquered writing desk. Newly made in the USA with iconic English traditional styling. Featuring imported Italian burgundy leather top with a po...
Category

2010s American American Classical Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

1954 Coen de Vries Desk in Birch with Ebony Base, Red Drawer and Formica Top
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great little writing desk in birch wood with ebony x-base, red drawer and Formica top. Coen de Vries is one of the Dutch pioneers of industrial des...
Category

1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Formica, Birch, Ebony

Fine French Ormolu Mounted Mahogany Directoire Marble Top Mirrored Vanity Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This fine French ormolu-mounted mahogany Directoire marble top mirrored vanity desk is a refined example of neoclassical design from the late 18th to early 19th century. Crafted with...
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1890s French Directoire Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Marble, Brass, Bronze

Jacques Adnet, Art Deco Modernist Desk and Chair, Lacquered Wood, Opaline Glass
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Exceptional semi-circular Art Deco desk by Jacques Adnet. Made of black lacquered wood, featuring a rounded-cut top with an inset black opaline desktop. It rests on two cabinets wit...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Opaline Glass, Wood, Lacquer, Rosewood

Antique Victorian Leather Top Pedestal Desk
Located in London, GB
A smart and very useful antique Victorian leather top pedestal desk. This was made in England, it dates from the 1860-1880 period. The quality is fantastic, this is very well made a...
Category

1860s British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Wood

Mid-Century Danish Teak Sliding Top Desk
Located in Baltimore, MD
A desk with incredible form and presence. This attractive original Danish Modern desk by Nordisk Andels-Eksport made in Denmark, features a rectangle frame with sliding top...
Category

1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Cees Braakman Boomerang Desk with Triangle Legs for Pastoe, Dutch Design, 1950s
Located in The Hague, NL
 Mid-century desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe with Fat Hairpin Legs, This Version has two cabinets with three drawers on both sides, top drawers can be locked with one key. In origin...
Category

1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

English Midcentury Walnut Faux Bamboo Desk with Four Drawers and Warm Patina
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English faux bamboo walnut desk from the mid 20th century with four drawers and warm patina. Created in England during the Midcentury period, this walnut faux bamboo desk features...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Faux Bamboo, Walnut

Floating desk manufactured by Tijseling Nijkerk, The netherlands, 1960 s.
Located in CASTENRAY, NL
Dutch design teak desk by Tijsseling Nijkerk The Netherlands. Hairpin leggs. Look in my Storefront for Tijsseling 'desk chair 'Cow Horn chair' by same manufacturer. Perfect match. ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Alvar Aalto Rare Writing Table from Otaniemi Technical University, 1960s
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Rare writing table, designed by Alvar Aalto, 1960s. Birch with linoleum table top. Later modified with the reading lamp. The writing table is from the Otaniemi Technical University. ...
Category

1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Vittorio Introini Rare Sculptural Fiberglass Desk for Saporiti Italy
Located in Padova, IT
This sculptural free-standing desk was designed by the Italian designer Vittorio Introini. Due to its all-white design and the distinct shapes, this desk has a strong sculptural look...
Category

1970s Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fiberglass, Wood

Boomerang Desk by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Milano, 1950s Italy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Architectural black boomerang executive desk by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Milano. Finished with leather desktop inclusion. Floating pedestal on right side and longer return on the le...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Bamboo Writing Desk with Drawers, 1980s
Located in Roma, RM
BAMBOO WRITING DESK WITH DRAWERS 1980 Product details Dimensions: 90L x 80H x 61D cm.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bamboo

Erik Risager-Hansen Danish Rosewood Desk, c1960s
Located in London, England
Erik Risager-Hansen - Writing Desk, c1960s Rarely seen desk produced by Haslev Mobelsnedkeri in Denmark and designed by Danish master Erik Risager-Hansen (also known as Severin Hans...
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1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Rosewood

Desk in Teak, Oak and Brass by Hans Wegner, 1950 s
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Desk in Teak, Oak and Brass by Hans Wegner, 1950's Additional Information: Material: Teak, oak and brass Style: Mid century, Scandinavian Rare desk model AT-303 Produced by Andreas ...
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20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Live Edge French Burl Elm Slab Dining Table, Desk or Work Table
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
This thick 2” slab of 40 year old French Burled Elm was found in the backyard of a famous French furniture maker, who unfortunately closed his doors after 60 years in business. The beauty of the slab speaks for itself, for I cannot think of any words that could accurately describe what Mother Nature created. Whether you use it for a desk, like I have for many years, or a dining table, or ever a kitchen island work table...
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1970s French Country Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Elm, Burl

Pair of Gustavian Style Painted Tables, Repainted in Light Gray
Located in Atlanta, GA
A rare and elegant pair of Gustavian style tables, repainted in a soft light gray that enhances their timeless neoclassical form. Finding such tables as a matched pair is unusual, ma...
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19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Futuristic Plywood Reception Desk - Parametric Sculptural Office Furniture
Located in Denpasar, ID
A striking blend of sculpture and function, this parametric reception desk features a fluid, dynamic form crafted from 18mm plywood and reinforced with metal rods. Designed to be a s...
Category

2010s Futurist Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Plywood

Sergio Rodrigues Brazilian Rosewood Desk and Chair
Located in Atlanta, GA
Mid Century Clean Lined Rosewood Desk and Chair, designed by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, circa 1960s. The chair is currently being reupholstered and can be completed in your fabric. S...
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1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Art Deco Figured Walnut Pedestal Desk
Located in London, GB
A superb Art Deco figured walnut pedestal desk, made in England and dating from the 1930’s. This is of amazing quality, it is beautifully constructed from solid and veneered walnut....
Category

1930s British Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Small English Victorian Inlaid Mahogany Writing Table / Desk c.1900
Located in Leicester, GB
A beautiful small English Victorian mahogany writing table. An elegant fitted desk from the earlier part of 1900's. The desk comprises of two drawers, in an asymmetric format with th...
Category

Early 1900s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Guy LeFevre for Maison Jansen Lacquered Wood w/ Leather Desk, France C 1970s
Located in Norwalk, CT
Designed by noted designer Guy LeFevre who worked extensively with Maison Jansen in the 1970s, this handsome desk incorporates many of his signature details. The base and hardware ar...
Category

1970s French Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

20th Century Spanish Baroque Style Cabinet on Stand, Bargueno or Varqueno
Located in Miami, FL
This Bargueno is a portable desk. The base is typically a Spanish table and dates from 19th Century. The upper part was added in the 20th century in England and dates from the Arts a...
Category

Early 20th Century Spanish Baroque Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Modern Burl Dining Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Modern burl wood dining table, with Parsons style legs, one drawer, a 'rustic' warm brown finish with subtle distressing and a hand-rubbed finish. Dimen...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

French 19th Century Leather Top Louis XV Style Writing Desk or Bureau Plat
Located in Hopewell, NJ
French writing desk beautifully finished in walnut, leather and inlaid burlwood veneer, is a fantastic piece of 19th century French design in the Louis XV style. The bureau plat is...
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19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Antique French Louis XV Style Marquetry Inlay Petite Demilune Writing Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique French Louis XV Style Marquetry Inlay Petite Demilune Writing Desk. Item features marble top, green leather pull out writing surface, inlaid al...
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Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Louis XVI-style Gilt Bronze Parquetry Bureau Plat, After Jean-Henri Riesener
Located in San Francisco, CA
When Queen Marie-Antoinette of France desired her own suite for overnights at the convenient Tuileries Palace in Paris—while her husband King Louis XVI remained out at Versailles—the...
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Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Artona desk designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto 1979.
Located in Athens, Attiki
The Artona executive desk by Afra and Tobia Scarpa was the first line ever produced by Maxalto. Maxalto was set up in 1975 as a high-end division of B&B Italia to focus exclusively ...
Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut, Burl

White Orix Desk by Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina for Molteni
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
1970s desk made of a single sheet of molded plastic creating the shape for various holders and storage spaces. There is also an integrated glass panel than can be lifted up and a ret...
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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Period Burl Walnut Desk, Green Leather
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This nineteenth century French Louis Philippe period walnut desk features a gold tooled green leather top. Two drawers of dovetail construction fit into the apron on either side of t...
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Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

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 beautiful decorated and veneer wood with three drawers and covered sides. This beautiful p...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

French Empire Mahogany Bureau à Cylindre Writing Table, circa 1810
Located in Rome, IT
A French gilt-metal mounted mahogany bureau à cylindre writing desk. With a grey marble top over three drawers, the fall enclosing a sliding tan leather writing surface, an interior...
Category

19th Century French Empire Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Louis XVI–Style Writing Desk with Leather Top and Pull-Out Extensions
Located in Atlanta, GA
This 20th-century Louis XVI–style flat desk is crafted in blond mahogany and designed to be finished on all sides. The desk opens with three front drawers, while each side contains a...
Category

20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Rare Solid Mexican Cocobolo Wood Desk Don Shoemaker
Located in Atlanta, GA
A bespoken and rare desk by celebrated Mexican designer and woodworker Don Shoemaker, model no F46. Designed in 1970s and executed in 1981, the desk is constructed with patchwork of ...
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1980s Mexican Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Cocobolo

Philippe Starck Square Mahogany Dining Table M Serie Lang for Driade Aleph
Located in Hanover, MA
A stealth bomber-like sleek square book-matched ribbon mahogany veneer top dining table over four sharply angled polished cast aluminum legs, each having the signature and manufacturer's mark: Aleph by Starck. Designed by Philippe Starck in 1987 for Aleph France: a division of Driade, from the limited series Lang...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

1930 s Desk in chromed tubular with drawers on the side
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2602 Desk in chromed tubular with drawers on the side and a thick ground glass top. Manifactured by Colli Torino around 1930. 110 x 60 h 80 cm
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Early 20th Century Italian Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Desk Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Liberty , Sign: G. Keller Orfevre, 22 rue Joubert
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
The set includes, armchair, desk and desk accessories. It is from the first era. Bibliography: Revue de l’Art N°185 – March 2014, p. 23. Founded in 1857 by Gustave Keller, the Keller...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Baobab Desk by Philippe Starck for Vitra, 2000s
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
Function The BaObab desk, designed by Philippe Starck for Vitra, is ideal for computer-based and paper work. Constructed as a single piece, it is designed ...
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21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Futurist Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Plastic

Antique Victorian Flame Mahogany Partners Pedestal Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful antique Victorian flame mahogany and satinwood crossbanded pedestal partners desk, circa 1860 in date. The rectanglular top is satinwood crosbanded and inset with a stunning gold tooled green leather writing surface. One side of the desk is fitted with nine drawers, three drawers in the frieze and three drawers in each pedestal. The other side of the desk has three drawers in the frieze with a cupboard to each pedestal, each cupbpard is fitted with a central shelf. The drawers are all fitted withbeautiful brass drop handles, the desk is complete with the original brass locks and key, and is raised on plinth bases. Instill the elegance of a bygone era to a special place in your home with this fabulous antique partners pedestal desk. THE BOTANICAL NAME FOR THE MAHOGANY THAT THIS ITEM IS MADE OF IS SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA AND THIS TYPE OF MAHOGANY IS NOT SUBJECT TO CITES REGULATION AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY RESTRICTED MATERIALS. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished waxed and releathered in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 79.5 x Width 166 x Depth 105 Dimensions in inches: Height 2 foot, 7 inches x Width 5 foot, 5 inches x Depth 3 foot, 5 inches Flame Mahogany Thomas Sheraton - 18th century furniture designer, once characterized mahogany as "best suited to furniture where strength is demanded as well as a wood that works...
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1860s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Ico Parisi PA 1947 Table by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table designed by Ico Parisi in 1947, relaunched in 2020. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. The idea for this console table, designed by Ico Parisi in 1947 for a private client, ...
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2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Elefante Desk 21 Clean Lines, Office Elegance, Made of Wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Desk 21 Clean Lines, Office Elegance, Made of Wood — Introduction: Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touch NONO, renowned for its decade-long journey in redefining every...
Category

2010s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Hardwood, Oak

Vintage Herman Miller Table or Desk with Knoll Walnut Top
Located in Pasadena, TX
A vintage dining or conference table or a desk. Beautiful Knoll top made of American Walnut on a Herman Miller aluminum segmented base. We have 8 available.  
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Stickley Brothers Style Antique Mission Oak Arts Crafts Desk or Library Table
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional antique Mission or Arts & Crafts quarter sawn oak library table or writing desk with built-in bookcases In the manner of Stickley Brothers USA, Circa 1900 Measures:...
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Desk Made In Teak, Danish Design From 1960s
Located in Lejre, DK
This desk is a beautiful example of Danish design from the 1960s, made of teak wood, which gives it a natural and timeless look. The beautiful golden color and unique wood pattern ad...
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Post Modern artistic funky Painted 2 Drawer narrow Desk or console table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Post Modern artistic funky painted yellow orange green splatters with 2 drawers wood narrow desk or console table. Would make a great entry way or hallway table. Beautifu...
Category

1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Paint

Rare 19th Century English Eclipse Patented Telescopic Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING an EXCEPTIONALLY RARE 19C English Eclipse Patented Telescopic Desk. Made of oak in the Rococo Style in Great Britain, circa 1880. Fully marked as “The Eclipse“, Brand’s ...
Category

Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

19th Century walnut pedestal desk
Located in Martlesham, GB
19th Century walnut pedestal desk, having a green leather writing surface with blind and gilt tooling, a decorative pierced copper gallery running along the back and sides of the mou...
Category

1890s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Shagreen desk
Located in New York, NY
Shagreen desk by Karl Springer. Signed.
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Shagreen

Heywood Wakefield Mid-Century Modern Solid Maple Desk With Built-in Bookcase
Located in South Bend, IN
A sleek and stylish Mid-Century Modern writing desk with built-in bookcase By Heywood Wakefield USA, 1950s Sculpted solid maple, in original "Champagne" finish. Measures: 44"W x ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Maple

Erik Risager Hansen Oak Writing Desk, c1950s
Located in London, England
Erik Risager Hansen - Model 66 Writing Desk This exquisitely made desk from Severin Hansen Jnr. under his full name of Erik Risager-Hansen was produced by Haslev Mobelsnedkeri in th...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Console Table, Italy 1940s
Located in Greding, DE
Art Deco console table on a U-shaped blackened wooden frame with intermediate metal struts and rectangular table top covered with white goatskin. In unrestored original condition wit...
Category

1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Customizable Marcel Breuer S 285 Tubular Steel Desk
Located in New York, NY
RANGE S 285 1 large corpus, 1 small corpus with central lock It is as though Marcel Breuer had anticipated today’s home offices and mobile computers: The compa...
Category

2010s German Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Larkin Solid Antique Oak Quatersawn Table, circa 1900s
Located in Germantown, MD
Beautiful Solid Antique oak Quarter sawn library table with drawer by Larkin. Original label present. Sturdy construction. Stretcher shelf is 9"H. Beauti...
Category

Early 20th Century American Colonial Revival Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

French 19th Century Walnut Desk with Carved Apron and Lateral Drawer
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French walnut desk from the 19th century with carved apron and lateral drawer. This elegant French walnut desk from the 19th century is a splendid example of classic craftsmanship,...
Category

19th Century French Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Midcentury "Platone" White Folding Desk by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Lovely white "Platone" folding desk. Designed by the visionary Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Anonima Castelli in Italy during the 1970s. The desk is signed on the bottom. In brand new condition, this desk has never been used and is a new old stock. The Platone desk was designed to be presented as a set with the Plia chair. It is also held in the permanent collection of the MoMa in NYC. Its ingenious three-disc mechanism, a signature feature of Piretti’s bestsellers, reaches its boldest expression in the Platone. The white top is a perfect match with the bold design of this little table, with the metal structure sustaining the table on one side. Platone is built to last and integrates seamlessly into any modern or vintage interior. This stylish desk could function perfectly in a modern or midcentury style children's room or office. Dimension (cm): Width - 82 Depth - 64 Height - 69 Italian interior and industrial designer Giancarlo Piretti was born in 1940 in Bologna. He obtained his teaching degree in drawing at the Art Institute of Bologna (dates unknown), and continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 1960. From 1963 until 1970, he taught interior design at the Art Institute of Bologna. Sometime in the 1960s, Piretti also joined Italian design company Castelli as an interior designer, creating home furniture and office furnishings. During his twelve years at Castelli, Piretti obtained numerous industrial patents for his designs, which were mostly chairs. Piretti’s work for Castelli garnered the company an international reputation in furniture design. His most well-known design is the plastic folding Plia Chair (1968), which has sold over seven million copies since 1969 and is still in production. It won the BIO 5 distinction and the SMAU prize at the Ljubljana Biennial in 1971, Germany’s Gute Form prize in 1973, and can be found in permanent collections in various museums world-wide, including Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia and the United States. In 1969 the complementary Plia Table...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Steel

Hans Wegner Danish Oak AT-305 Desk, 1953
Located in London, England
Hans Wegner - Model 305 desk, 1953 Oak desk from Danish icon Hans Wegner produced by master-cabinetmaker Ejner Pedersen for his company PP Mobler c1970s. The whole desk including le...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Small Double-sided Writing Table In Rosewood Louis XV Style From The 19th Centur
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Superb desk in rosewood Louis XV style from the 19th century Very beautiful double-sided desk composed of 5 drawers decorated with bronze on all its sides. It rests on arched legs d...
Category

19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Vintage Mid Century Walnut Desk in Style of Drexel Declaration by Kipp Stewart.
Located in Seattle, WA
A Mid-Century Modern walnut desk designed in the style of Kipp Stewart's iconic Drexel Declaration collection. This piece showcases the clean lines, tapered legs, and functional simp...
Category

1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Industrial Equestrian Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
The Industrial Equestrian desk of walnut and reclaimed wood with an iron base. The parquetry inlaid top with five drawers is flanked by two horse heads...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Industrial Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

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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