Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Metal
People Also Browsed
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
19th Century English Chinoiserie Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Mahogany
Early 1900s German Late Victorian Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Porcelain
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Wicker
1980s English Post-Modern Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Wool
1970s Chinese Hollywood Regency Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Wicker
19th Century British Victorian Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Brass
Early 20th Century Folk Art Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Pine
19th Century English Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Pine
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Chrome
Late 19th Century Mission Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Oak
Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Vintage Metal Lap Tray
Other
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.