Hexagonal Small Cabinet In Teak

Svend Åge Madsen’s sleek and simple hardwood furniture captures the essence of Scandinavian modern style. Although an influential mid-century modern Danish designer, not much is known about Madsen today. However, his desks, armchairs and credenzas speak to his mastery of material and form.

Madsen began designing in the late 1950s and was most prolific in the 1960s. Many well-known Danish cabinetmakers and manufacturers produced his furniture, including K. Knudsen & Son, H.P. Hansen, Sigurd Hansen Møbelfabrik, Karl Lindegaard and Moreddi. 

Madsen used woods with qualities of warmth and richness such as walnut, teak and rosewood. His distinctive designs are characterized by curving and sloping forms, giving each piece a natural and organic appeal. While he rarely used decorative embellishments, the bowed surfaces, arching drawers and legs shaped like boomerangs added a visual flair.

Madsen was best known for his sculptural writing desks. Many of his desk designs have an eye-catching curved surface that gives the desktop a concave appearance. They often feature tapered legs — a hallmark of mid-century modern style — and generous drawers for stationary and other objects. Deep wood finishes and visible wood grain add to the charm of these sturdy pieces.

Madsen’s beautiful 1960s dining chairs are still highly sought-after by collectors today. The teak chairs have high and angled backrests which lend some sculptural elegance and provide ergonomic support. A low-profile upholstered cushion and clean lines give the chairs an understated style and fantastic versatility.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Svend Åge Madsen tables, cabinets, seating and more.

There’s no reason that the corner of your home you’ve dedicated to work shouldn’t also reflect your personality and sense of style. A collection of unique vintage and antique desks can be found on 1stDibs today.

The right desk can be a good fit for your space and help keep you organized when you need it most. For many, the word “desk” can have a negative connotation. Derived from the Latin desca, meaning “table to write on,” the word can understandably evoke memories of stuffy classrooms or monotonous workdays.

As working from home has become more widespread for part of the workforce, many professionals who work remotely park themselves at the dining-room table or at the kitchen countertop to do so. If you’ve got the space, it's healthy to set aside an area in your home designated for work. A good desk can keep you on track and keep your newly minted home office free of clutter and distractions. 

Within your own walls, an office area can be both personal and productive, decorated exactly to your taste or just an unobtrusive addition that aligns with the energy of the space as is. When shopping for a desk, keep height, space and specs in mind. It’s helpful to know if you’ll need the desk to offer storage, such as drawers or a hutch, or if it should fit alongside your bedroom wall as cleanly as possible.

An antique writing desk, for example, will offer a spacious, streamlined work experience with a desktop that affords real estate for your notebooks, pens, laptop and research materials. Secretary desks reveal small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — when their hinged leaves are folded out.

Maybe you'd prefer a vintage mid-century modern desk that seamlessly incorporates drawers for storage.

Nebraska-born designer Don S. Shoemaker became inspired by Mexico’s tropical woods, such as cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and he decided to work with the material in the postwar years to create desks and other furnishings. Elsewhere, made according to the same high standards as the company’s chairs, celebrated mid-century manufacturer Herman Miller produced desks over the years in a number of versions, created by designers like George Nelson, Gilbert Rohde and Bruce Burdick.

Whether you want a dramatic rolltop-style furnishing akin to the 18th-century secretary commissioned by Louis XVI or a contemporary piece made of everything from linoleum to fallen trees, a new desk and clever arrangement of desktop accessories can brighten the workday in any home. 

For every passion project, year-end report or spontaneous million-dollar app idea, find the desk you need on 1stDibs.