Vintage Desks
1950s Belgian Vintage Desks
Steel
1970s French Modern Vintage Desks
Stainless Steel
1970s Swedish Vintage Desks
Metal
1960s Dutch Vintage Desks
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Shagreen
20th Century English Vintage Desks
Brass
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
1960s Danish Modern Vintage Desks
Palisander
20th Century Vintage Desks
Leather, Wood
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Metal, Chrome
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Desks
Oak
20th Century Vintage Desks
Metal
20th Century English Vintage Desks
Brass
1960s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Walnut
1950s French Industrial Vintage Desks
Steel
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Brass
1930s Slovak Art Deco Vintage Desks
Metal
1980s French Provincial Vintage Desks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Rosewood
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Vintage Desks
Wood
1970s North American Vintage Desks
Maple
1980s European Post-Modern Vintage Desks
Wood
1950s French Vintage Desks
Leather, Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Desks
Wood
1990s Post-Modern Vintage Desks
Carrara Marble
20th Century Vintage Desks
Steel
1960s European Modern Vintage Desks
Wood, Mahogany
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Marble, Bronze
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Wood
1960s Vintage Desks
Laminate
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Brass
20th Century French Modern Vintage Desks
Gold Plate
1960s American Vintage Desks
Bronze, Nickel
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Metal
20th Century Rustic Vintage Desks
Driftwood
20th Century French Vintage Desks
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Desks
Metal
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
1970s American Vintage Desks
Brass
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Teak
1970s French Vintage Desks
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century Vintage Desks
Plexiglass, Ebony
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Aluminum, Steel
Mid-20th Century Queen Anne Vintage Desks
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Industrial Vintage Desks
Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Rococo Vintage Desks
Mahogany
20th Century Belgian Vintage Desks
Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks
Chrome
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks
Walnut
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Vintage Desks For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Vintage Desks?
Finding the Right Desks and 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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