Massive Butchers Block Table
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Elm, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Pedestals and Columns
Oak
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Walnut
20th Century Toys and Dolls
Metal
Antique 18th Century Central American Baroque Religious Items
Wood, Pine, Paint
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
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Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights an...
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Brutalist Night Stands
Oak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
2010s American Modern Stools
Oak
20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Oak
2010s Belgian Modern Sofas
Linen
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Wood, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Textile, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Bohemian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Organic Modern Center Tables
Travertine
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Travertine
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Travertine
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Austrian Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
20th Century Belgian Rustic Side Tables
20th Century Industrial and Work Tables
Early 20th Century Hungarian Primitive Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Rustic Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Antique 19th Century Spanish Industrial and Work Tables
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1970s American Industrial and Work Tables
Maple
Antique 19th Century Belgian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Antique 1890s French Country Industrial and Work Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century Hungarian Rustic Side Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Rustic Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
20th Century Rustic Butcher Blocks
Wood
Vintage 1920s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Maple, Chestnut
Antique 19th Century French Rustic Butcher Blocks
Wood
20th Century American Rustic Butcher Blocks
Metal
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Side Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Rustic Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Rustic Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
20th Century Industrial and Work Tables
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Maple
Vintage 1930s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Finding the Right industrial-work-tables for You
From drafting tables to preparation tables to kitchen islands and more, the collection of antique and vintage industrial tables and work tables on 1stDibs features a wide range of robust furnishings that fit seamlessly into modern interiors.
Work tables, just like most tables, have evolved considerably over the years.
More than 1,000 years before iconic American furniture brand Herman Miller would help shape the way we work — and later, how we live at home — monks who lived and worked in medieval-era monasteries stood at what you might call crude writing desks, translating religious texts and copying them by hand.
While those who practiced the art of handwritten letters definitely needed a suitable writing desk, the world wouldn’t see proper roll-top desks and the like until the 19th century. Owing to the work of architects such as Antoni Gaudí, these monastery “desks” were essentially work tables. (Chairs, much less actual desk chairs, weren’t a part of the workspace until the Renaissance.) It was a far cry from the cozy home office that affords many of us the opportunity to work remotely today.
Near the end of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution brought with it the founding of mills and factories, and hand production methods gave way to machinery and mass production. Factory workers needed sturdy industrial tables to perform tasks that required precision and to support the manufacturing industry. Spare work tables — durable and easy to clean — were constructed of metal and wood and became essential on assembly lines and in packing facilities. Today, industrial-style furniture celebrates the past even as it suggests vigor, productivity and brawn.
Aside from how well antique and vintage industrial tables and work tables will fit in your industrial-style interior — think raw brick walls, exposed steel beams and oak floors — these furnishings have practical uses. They’re a must-have item for a number of creative endeavors: They’re an ideal food-prep surface in your kitchen or an efficient work surface for any kind of hands-on workshop or painting and drawing studio. With some creativity, you can turn a vintage wood industrial table or work table into a desk, dining room table or coffee table.
At 1stDibs, we love the industrial-style furniture trend, and here you can find a wide range of antique and vintage industrial tables and work tables as well as other furnishings that will look wonderful in your heavenly loft space.
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