Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Palisander
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Glass, Wood, Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
20th Century Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut, Oak, Lacquer
1950s Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood, Beech, Walnut, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Czech Bauhaus Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood, Beech, Oak
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Chrome
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
1970s American Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Mirror, Wood
1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Birch
1930s Slovak Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood
1970s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood, Leather, Fruitwood
1990s Canadian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut
1930s Slovak Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Beech, Birch, Walnut
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Steel
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Opaline Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century North American Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Plywood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Aluminum
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Chrome
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Oak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Metal, Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
20th Century Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood, Spruce
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Glass, Wood
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Fabric, Macassar
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Palisander
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Macassar
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Bronze
1940s Hungarian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Chrome
20th Century French Arts and Crafts Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Oak
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Maple, Oak
1950s Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Walnut
1930s Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
1940s German Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Leather, Walnut
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Leather, Wood
1940s French Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Wood
1940s Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Lucite, Burl
Mid-20th Century Italian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk
Bronze
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Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Vintage Art Deco Writing Desk?
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.