$7,500
H 28 in W 63 in D 45 in
Half Round Horse Shoe Shape Drop Leaf Ends Serving Writing Library Gallery Table
By Gustav Stickley
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Half Round Horse Shoe Shape Drop Leaf Ends Serving Writing Library Gallery Table. Hand Forged Iron
Iron, Wrought Iron
Mid-Century Modern Rosewood Writing Desk by Borsani & Buffa, Italy
By Paolo Buffa, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A dark-brown, vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian half-round writing desk with a clear glass top
Brass
Jens Risom Mid Century Half Round Executive Desk
By Jens Risom
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Jens Risom mid century half round executive desk. Desk measures: 96 wide x 48 deep x 29.5 inches
Wood
Italian Mediterranean Style Half Round Demilune 3 Drawer Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Italian Mediterranean style half round demilune 3 drawer desk. Item features a half round demilune
Glass, Plastic, Wood
Sold
H 29.53 in W 70.87 in D 55.12 in
Half Round Mid-Century President Desk in Rosewood and Chrome Base
Located in The Hague, NL
Outstanding rosewood and chrome president desk. The base has brilliant mirror polished chrome feet
Rosewood
Vintage Italian Mediterranean Half Round Demilune Writing Table Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage demilune writing or library desk featuring half round form with scrolled acanthus accents
Glass, Hardwood
Jens Risom Style Mid Century Half Round Walnut Executive Desk
By Jens Risom
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Jens Risom style mid century half round walnut executive desk Desk measures: 95.5 wide x 48 deep
Walnut
Kittinger Semi-Circular Dropleaf Walnut Desk
Located in Pasadena, TX
A Kittinger half-round writing desk in walnut raised on four legs with rounded spade feet on brass
Brass
Sold
H 32.29 in W 59.06 in D 30.71 in
Half-Round Desk or Writing Table in Biedermeier Style Black Polished
Located in Berlin, DE
Fancy desk in the Biedermeier style Piano black polished veneer on solid softwood. Semi-oval
Beech
Vintage Italian Brown Leather Bound Gold Gilt Half Round Bookends
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Italian Brown Leather Bound Gold Gilt Half Round Bookends. Circa Mid 20th Century
Leather
Sold
H 36.6 in W 22 in D 16.5 in
Early 1900s Georgian Style Walnut & Burl Inlaid Ladies Secretary Desk by Gillow
By Waring & Gillow
Located in Lisse, NL
further introduction. The elegant legs are made of solid walnut and the stylishly rounded top half of this
Brass
Antique Half Round Wooden Executive Desk
Located in Retie, BE
Impressive half round wooden executive desk. Antique handmade Art Deco desk from the 1940s. Used
Wood
Chippendale style desk with split half round stetcher
Located in Hudson, NY
painted chippendale style desk with two drawers
Wood
Art Deco Curved Writing Desk in Rosewood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Handsome curved half-round desk with rosewood veneer and high gloss lacquer finish. The desk
Lacquer, Rosewood
Half Rounded Art Deco Desk in Macassar
Located in Los Angeles, CA
French Art Deco desk featuring a curved end with round pedestal leg. The other end featured a
Macassar, Lacquer
Rosso Wall Mirror
By Specchi Veneziani
Located in Milan, IT
Crafted in the finest Murano tradition, this exquisite Venetian mirror is a true work of art. Assembled with crystal and gold elements, and adorned with red glass flowers, each piece...
Glass
Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables
By Theodore Alexander
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Pacific walnut side table, the square top with rounded corners and a reeded edge above a similar under tier, on bobbin turned legs. Dimensions: 26" W x 26" D x 28.5" H.
Wood
Paolo Buffa, Walnut Mid-Century Daybed, Italy 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Argelato, BO
Paolo Buffa (1903-1970) Rare and very elegant wooden daybed Varnished walnut and fabric Model created circa 1940 H 58 × L 205 × W 95 cm Paolo Buffa was an Italian furniture des...
Velvet, Walnut
Gio Ponti Italian Post-War Rosewood & Mahogany Cabinet
By Gio Ponti
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Post-War Design (1950s) rosewood and mahogany wall unit bar with 3 lower commodes and upper cabinet decorative tiles on white lacquered doors and a large mirror (att: GIO PON...
Rosewood, Mahogany, Mirror, Lacquer
$13,757 / item
H 49.22 in Dm 70.87 in
Brass and Parchment Paper Chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Impressive chandelier made of white enameled brass arms holding six beautiful parchment paper shades, which can be adjusted thanks to the handle of each socket. Signed by the arti...
Brass
Paolo Buffa, walnut bar cabinet with maple inlaid front
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2534 Paolo Buffa (1903-1970) Rare walnut bar cabinet with maple inlaid front and lacquered metal interior. Two maple drawers with glass fronts, mirrors and hidden light. Drawing...
Maple
Fabergé Silver Service
By Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinary 128-piece service by Fabergé is a rare treasure in more ways than one. Enclosed in its original oak chest, the exquisite service remains complete and in pristine c...
Silver
$14,953
H 51.97 in W 35.12 in D 16.34 in
Carl-Axel Acking Attributed Cabinet in Elm, Oak and Brass, SMF Bodafors, 1940s
By Carl-Axel Acking, SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors
Located in The Hague, NL
This very rare cabinet was produced by AB Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors, Sweden in the late 1940s. The striking design is attributed to Carl-Axel Acking, one of the leading des...
Brass
$9,400
H 32.5 in W 41.25 in D 11.75 in
Vintage Italian Console Table by Paolo Buffa, Ebonized Walnut, 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A single, vintage Mid-Century modern Italian console table with a small drawer, made of hand crafted ebonized Walnut designed by Paolo Buffa, in good condition. The freestanding Neoc...
Marble, Metal, Brass
A Pendant by Paavo Tynell for Taito Oy
By Taito Oy, Paavo Tynell
Located in Long Island City, NY
Custom commissioned lighting pendant designed by Paavo Tynell for Taito, Oy. Finland circa 1940th/50th. Polished perforated brass with brass leafs decoration. (2) E 27 sockets. Rewi...
Brass
Large Rosewood Console by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A refined and architecturally elegant rosewood console by celebrated Milanese architect and designer Paolo Buffa. Long and precisely proportioned, this piece features Buffa’s hallmar...
Rosewood
$32,000
H 32.7 in W 102.4 in D 18.5 in
Brazilian Modern Rosewood Credenza with Brass Details, Jean Gillon, Brazil, 1965
By Jean Gillon
Located in New York, NY
represents a rare private commission executed at the highest level of Brazilian Modern craftsmanship. Constructed from Brazilian rosewood, the rectangular structure is supported by t...
Brass
2 parts sofa in stainless steel by Studio Glustin
By Glustin Creation
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
2 parts sofa in stainless steel with seating upholstered with a fabric by Dédar. Creation by Studio Glustin. France, 2023.
Stainless Steel
$31,103
H 51.58 in W 48.82 in D 18.12 in
Italian Art Deco Teak and Inlays Bar Cabinet By Paolo Buffa, 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Meda, MB
This Art Deco bar cabinet was produced in Italy in the 1950s by Paolo Buffa. It is completely in teak wood with a chevron pattern. On the doors there are six decorative panels with i...
Brass
$23,157
H 55.12 in W 40.36 in D 17.52 in
A wonderful 1950 two door bar cabinet by Paolo Buffa with faux malachite panels
By Paolo Buffa
Located in London, GB
A wonderful 1950s bar cabinet by Paolo Buffa with stunning herring bone mahogany veneer on both front doors and the sides. Each door has two faux malachite panels with brass surround...
Brass
Italian Mid-Century Paolo Buffa Queen-Size Bed
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Mid-Century mahogany queen size bed with a shaped top having an indented center on the headboard and footboard with a "V" design veneer (PAOLO BUFFA) (headboard, footboard -1...
Mahogany
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.
Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.
Fans of the French film star may be surprised to learn that he had a flair for furniture with sleek lines and disco-era flash.
Like other pieces in the firm’s Candy Box collection, the cheerful limited-edition design showcases French craft.
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
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.
The designer’s innovative use of an unexpected material gives this console a lift.
The stately piece brings both gravitas and whimsy to any work space.
Use them as tables or stools, indoors or out.