Theodore Alexander Writing Table
Late 20th Century Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
People Also Browsed
Antique 19th Century French Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American American Classical Beds and Bed F...
Wood
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Leather
Early 20th Century Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Desks
Metal, Bronze
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1990s English Régence Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Vintage 1940s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century American American Classical Beds and Bed Frames
Fruitwood
Vintage 1940s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Vintage 1930s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Secretaires
Elm, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Chaise Longues
Cane, Wood
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Metal
Late 20th Century Federal Side Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century North American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Silver
1990s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Early 2000s American Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Walnut
1990s North American Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
20th Century Russian Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
2010s Oceanic Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Glass
1990s American Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
1990s American Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Burl
1990s American Desks and Writing Tables
Burl
Late 20th Century Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Burl
20th Century Unknown Modern Desks
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Victorian Desks
Rattan, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Side Tables
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Desks
Leather, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Night Stands
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Night Stands
Mahogany
Early 2000s Unknown Adam Style Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century English Regency Dining Room Sets
Fabric, Mahogany
20th Century English Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Nickel
Late 20th Century North American French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Steel
20th Century Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Unknown Desks and Writing Tables
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writ...
Wood
2010s American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Theodore Alexander Writing Table For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Theodore Alexander Writing Table?
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.