Antique Drafting Table Desks
1870s English Victorian Antique Drafting Table Desks
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Louis XVI Antique Drafting Table Desks
Ebony, Kingwood, Mahogany, Maple, Palisander, Rosewood, Burl, Felt
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 1900s American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Mid-18th Century English George II Antique Drafting Table Desks
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
19th Century European Biedermeier Antique Drafting Table Desks
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Drafting Table Desks
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
18th Century British George III Antique Drafting Table Desks
Hardwood
Recent Sales
19th Century English Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
Late 19th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
1910s American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Antique Drafting Table Desks
Pine
19th Century American Victorian Antique Drafting Table Desks
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century English Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century French Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century Antique Drafting Table Desks
18th Century and Earlier English George III Antique Drafting Table Desks
Mahogany
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Antique Drafting Table Desks
Oak
Early 20th Century North American Arts and Crafts Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 19th Century French Directoire Antique Drafting Table Desks
Brass
Early 20th Century North American Arts and Crafts Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
1920s American Art Deco Antique Drafting Table Desks
Oak
19th Century British George III Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century Belgian Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
1910s Belgian Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
19th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
19th Century French Antique Drafting Table Desks
19th Century French Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
Early 20th Century French Antique Drafting Table Desks
18th Century and Earlier English Antique Drafting Table Desks
Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Chestnut
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Oak, Pine
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 1900s Italian Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
19th Century French Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Drafting Table Desks
Mahogany
1920s American Modern Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 1900s French Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Metal, Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron, Brass
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Late 19th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
1920s French Antique Drafting Table Desks
Metal
Early 20th Century American American Classical Antique Drafting Table Desks
Early 20th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
19th Century American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
Early 1900s European Antique Drafting Table Desks
Oak
People Also Browsed
1940s German Art Deco Antique Drafting Table Desks
Brass
2010s Italian Renaissance Antique Drafting Table Desks
Glass
2010s American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
19th Century French Other Antique Drafting Table Desks
Glass, Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Antique Drafting Table Desks
Steel
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Organic Modern Antique Drafting Table Desks
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Antique Drafting Table Desks
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Antique Drafting Table Desks
Linen
19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Drafting Table Desks
Leather, Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century American Antique Drafting Table Desks
Oak
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Drafting Table Desks
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Antique Drafting Table Desks
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Chinoiserie Antique Drafting Table Desks
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Antique Drafting Table Desks
Murano Glass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Antique Drafting Table Desks
Oak
Antique Drafting Table Desks For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Drafting Table Desks?
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.
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Uchronia’s Plant Stand Gives Pots a Pretty Perch with All the Trimmings
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Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Inspired by the Cosmos, Sandra Nunnerley’s Nova Table Has a Futuristic Feel
The designer’s innovative use of an unexpected material gives this console a lift.
This 19th-Century Gilded Desk Displays a Fanciful Kingdom in Marquetry
The stately piece brings both gravitas and whimsy to any work space.
In Guadalajara, These Luscious Side Tables Are Chiseled from Volcanic Rock
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