Desks and Writing Tables
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Belgian Black Marble, Marble, Brass
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Carrara Marble, Travertine, Onyx, Brass, Steel
1950s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Formica, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Onyx, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Onyx, Brass
1970s American International Style Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
1970s German Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
1930s Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Marble
2010s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
2010s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
2010s European Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Plywood, Oak
2010s European Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Wood, Plywood
2010s European Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Plywood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
2010s Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Ash, Hardwood, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
2010s German Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
2010s American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1960s French Brutalist Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Fir
Late 19th Century French Directoire Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
2010s English Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Ash
Mid-20th Century French Belle Époque Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Beech, Plywood
2010s American Primitive Desks and Writing Tables
Reclaimed Wood
1980s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Goatskin
Late 20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Beech, Plywood
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.
Read More
This 19th-Century Gilded Desk Displays a Fanciful Kingdom in Marquetry
The stately piece brings both gravitas and whimsy to any work space.
Ask an Interior Designer: Work-from-Home Edition
Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.
18 Home Offices for Workaholic Design-Lovers
Proof that working from home is a perk.