Modern Desk Accessories
MODERN STYLE
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Style: Modern
Contemporary Coloured Crystal Perfume Diffuser.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Contemporary coloured crystal perfume diffuser.
Contemporary perfume diffuser in cut and coloured crystal.
A beautiful diffuser vase not only enhances the visual appeal of a space, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Desk Trays Set in Rose Gold Finish
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trays in copper with rose gold finish. Dimensions for trays: 35.4 x 23 x 2H cm; 23.5 x 7.5 x 2 H cm; 12.5 x 7.5 x 2 H cm.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Black Polished Wood Chest for 55 Pens with Suede and Leather Detail
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Lockable chest in black polished wood. Holds up to 55 pens.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Suede, Wood
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Set 2 Large Cube Tray in Rose Gold Finish
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trays in brass. The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Rectangular Small Tray in Rose Gold Finish
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tray in copper with a rose gold finish. Tray in brass. Elegant in living and dining spaces alike, this tray can be used to display objects in the living room and bedroom, store paper...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry A4 Tray in Polished Brass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trays in brass. The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Pen and Cards Desk Trays Set in Rose Gold Finish
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trays in copper with a rose gold finish. The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-d...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Contemporary 'Oasi' Set of Six Crystal Bowls Amber and Gold by Ghirò Studio
By Ghirò Studio
Located in Pieve Emanuele, Milano
The set creates a decorative game with a contemporary design ideal to give an unmistakable style to any environment. The shape of a rounded triangle gives sobrietiness and elegance w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
"ZEN" Coffee Table by Yulia Pyanzina (Cristallo, Italy)
Located in Pastrengo, IT
The ZEN coffee table which makes part of the ORIGAMI Collection is a fruit of collaboration between MARMI REGINA, company that creates prestigious wo...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Humidor in Black Polished Ebony Avana Nera
By Agresti
Located in New York, NY
Humidor for 100 cigars in ebony polished. Cedar lining. Two humidification units and hygrometer. Removable tray.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Cedar, Ebony
Business Card Holder with Authentic Fossil Ammonite - Fossiline Collection
Located in Spilimbergo, IT
An exclusive and refined desk accessory: this business card holder combines elegant design with the extraordinary beauty of a genuine fossil ammonite.
Each piece is unique and unrep...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Sonic Bookends - Handmade Contemporary Glass Bookends - Customizable
Located in New York, NY
The Sonic Bookends design was created with the intent of recreating the image of audio waves emerging from the books they are charged with keeping upright, as though to amplify the w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Blown Glass
C. 1952 Pair of Gordon Bunshaft's Personal Monogram Cufflinks Lever House
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of Gordon Bunshaft's personal monogram cufflinks in gold. These cufflinks date back to 1952. These are artifacts from Bunshaft's Travertine House in East Hampton. They...
Category
1950s Unknown Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Small Parallelepiped Tray in Copper by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Tip Top Pencil Holder in Rose Gold by Richard Hutten
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Pencil holder in stainless steel
When you look at the top view of the Tip-Top series, all the triangles have the same size. In 3D these triangles have been stretched, which creates ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel
Ghidini 1961 Tip Top Pencil Holder in Gold by Richard Hutten
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Pencil holder in stainless steel
When you look at the top view of the Tip-Top series, all the triangles have the same size. In 3D these triangles have been stretched, which creates ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Stainless Steel
Set of 2 Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Trays in Copper by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Squared Small Tray in Brass by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Axonometry squared small tray in brass by Elisa Giovanni.
Materials:
Brass
Net weight:
0.55 kg
Dimensions:
W 20 x D 20 x 2 H cm.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Large Cube Tray in Brass by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Office Set in Copper by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Small Cube Tray in Copper by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Large Parallelepiped Tray in Copper by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Small Cube Tray in Brass by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Set of 3, Ghidini 1961 Axonometry Trays in Copper by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Copper
Nickel-plated Brass and Blue Agate Geode Paperweight - Fossiline Collection
Located in Spilimbergo, IT
This elegant paperweight is part of the Fossiline collection, a line of decorative objects that enhance the beauty of natural stones.
The square polished nickel-plated brass base acc...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Agate, Brass
Natural Blue Agate Geode Paperweight on Nickel-plated Brass Base
Located in Spilimbergo, IT
A small object of great charm: this contemporary design paperweight combines the luster of nickel-plated brass with the raw, authentic beauty of a natural agate geode.
The bluish hu...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Quartz, Agate, Brass
Italian modern yellow rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern yellow rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020s
Set of 3 round rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, in bright yellow plastic. The r...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern purple rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern purple rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020s
Set of 3 round rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, in purple plastic. The ring has...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
M33 Vessel by Aysun Ay
Located in Geneve, CH
M33 Vessel by Aysun Ay
Dimensions: D15 X H27
Materials: Stoneware Ceramic
Sculptural pieces can vary slightly as each is a unique piece of art.
Improvisational design made by hand.
...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ceramic
Italian modern grey decorated plastic telephone Twin Phone Deco by Swatch, 1980s
By Swatch
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern grey decorated plastic telephone Twin Phone Deco by Swatch, 1980s
Gray plastic landline telephone. On the handset there are printed geometric decorations, in red, yellow, blue and light blue. The number keys and the side keys are made of orange plastic, as are the two feet.
Produced by Swatch in 1980s. Present label on the back and logo printed in yellow.
Good condition, with signs of use and age.
Measurements in cm 7.5x24.5x8h
This beautiful phone is perfect for you if you are a lover of vintage technology...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern dark brown rings for perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern dark brown rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020s
Set of 3 round rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, in dark brown plastic. The ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern light blue rings for perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern light blue rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020s
Set of 3 round rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, in light blue plastic. The ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern light green rings for perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date 2020
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern light green rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, 2020s
Set of 3 round rings for the perpetual wall calendar by Ring A Date, in light green plastic. Th...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Pair of Bookends Balls, 20th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Pair of bookends balls, 20th century"
Pair of Bookends forming two marble balls on a stand, 20th Century decorative object.
Category
20th Century European Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Editioned Italian Fornasetti Calendar Porcelain Plate, 2012
By Fornasetti
Located in Atlanta, GA
A vintage Italian decorative porcelain plate designed and made by Fornasetti. The commemorative plate is for the year of 2012 and features an angle blowing the calendar pieces. The p...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Porcelain
Monterrey Black Marble Carved Small Bowl
Located in Mexico City, MX
Small bowl in carved Monterrey black marble. Handmade in México by local craftsmen. Production time: 6-8 weeks for items without marble / 13-14 weeks for marble pieces. Shipping +1...
Category
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Heather Burl Magnifying Glass and Letter Opener Set - ESSENCE Collection
By Nino Basso
Located in Spilimbergo, IT
Add a touch of elegance to your desk with the exquisite magnifying glass and letter opener set from our exclusive ESSENCES collection.
Designed by renowned designer Nino Basso, this...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Letter opener with Authentic Ammonite - Fossiline Collection by Nino Basso
Located in Spilimbergo, IT
Discover the exclusive letter opener from the Fossiline collection, designed by Nino Basso.
This unique desk accessory is embellished with striking genuine ammonite, making it a uni...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Set of 2 Brass Arc Pen Trays by Stem Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Brass Arc Pen Trays by Stem Design
Dimensions: D 6 x W 18 x H 2.5 cm.
Materials: Brass.
Finish: Tumbled and burnished.
Weight: 0,7 kg (each.)
Finished and assembled by hand in India. Also available in aluminum. Please contact us.
Arc pen tray is designed as a pedestal for a pen that you hold close.
The linear piece with an elevated concave surface graciously exhibits any writing instrument and demonstrates a sculptural quality through its simplified form.
The objects layers on as a metaphor and showcases the beauty of being who you are. It strips off all the layers of ornamentation and artificial finishes to build an immediate and intuitive connection with the product that lasts a lifetime.
Stem is a contemporary Indian product...
Category
2010s Indian Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Vintage Industrial Anvil, 20th Century
Located in New York City, NY
Small, playful vintage Industrial anvil.
Category
20th Century American Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal, Brass
Unique Custom Panes Vase by Kim Thome
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Panes vase by Kim Thome
Dimensions: Custom
Materials: glass, epoxy resin
Kim Thomé is a Norwegian designer based in London.
Category
2010s British Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Epoxy Resin
Letter Opener with Authentic Fossil Manticoceras - Unique and Exclusive Design
Located in Spilimbergo, IT
Add a touch of history and sophistication to your desk with this unique letter opener with genuine ammonite.
A luxury accessory with an unmistakable design made from a real Manticoc...
Category
2010s Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Antique American Modern Sterling Silver and Glass Inkwell on Stand
Located in New York, NY
Modern sterling silver and glass inkwell on stand, circa 1920. Lobed melon-form glass bowl; sterling silver cover domed with overlapping ovoid ring finial. stand has well and large l...
Category
Early 20th Century American Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Sterling Silver
Wooden Christmas Tree Set – Cedar with Ceramic Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The modern ceramic-tipped Christmas tree brings a vibrant touch to your holiday décor with its rich color and sculptural form. This handcrafted solid cedar set features limited-editi...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree Set – Cedar with Ceramic Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The modern ceramic-tipped Christmas tree brings a vibrant touch to your holiday décor with its rich color and sculptural form. This handcrafted solid cedar set features limited-editi...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree CEDAR – Cedar, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The minimal solid cedar decorative Christmas tree adds a natural and elegant atmosphere to your holiday décor. Inspired by the aesthetic form of the cedar tree, these holiday decorat...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree CEDAR – Cedar, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
Masif sedir minimal dekoratif yılbaşı ağacı, yeni yıl dekorasyonunuza doğal ve zarif bir atmosfer kazandırır. Sedir ağacının estetik formundan ilham alınarak tasarlanan bu yılbaşı de...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree FIR – Cedar, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The minimal solid cedar decorative Christmas tree is designed to enrich your holiday atmosphere, inspired by the elegant form of the fir tree. This handcrafted solid wood tree offers...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree FIR – Cedar, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The minimal solid cedar decorative Christmas tree is designed to enrich your holiday atmosphere, inspired by the elegant form of the fir tree. This handcrafted solid wood tree offers...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree CEDAR – Cedar with Brass Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The natural solid cedar minimalist Christmas trees, with their large-scale design, add both elegance and a sense of nature to your holiday theme. Inspired by the form of the cedar tr...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree CEDAR – Cedar with Brass Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The natural solid cedar minimalist Christmas trees, with their large-scale design, add both elegance and a sense of nature to your holiday theme. Inspired by the form of the cedar tr...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Black marble carved large Bowl
Located in Mexico City, MX
Bowl in carved Monterrey black marble. Handmade in Mexico by local craftsmen. Production time: 6-8 weeks for items without marble / 13-14 weeks for marble pieces. Shipping +10 additi...
Category
2010s Mexican Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Marble
Wooden Christmas Tree FIR – Cedar with Brass Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The solid cedar minimalist Christmas decoration tree is designed to add an elegant touch to your holiday setup. Inspired by the aesthetic form of the f...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree FIR – Cedar with Brass Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The solid cedar minimalist Christmas decoration tree is designed to add an elegant touch to your holiday setup. Inspired by the aesthetic form of the f...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree JUNIPER – Cedar with Brass Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The brass-tipped decorative Christmas tree is designed to complete your holiday décor with natural cedar wood and elegant brass accents. Inspired by the form of the juniper tree, thi...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree JUNIPER – Cedar with Brass Tip, Large Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The brass-tipped decorative Christmas tree is designed to complete your holiday décor with natural cedar wood and elegant brass accents. Inspired by the form of the juniper tree, thi...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree Set – Cedar, Medium Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The minimal modern handcrafted tree set is designed to bring a natural and aesthetic atmosphere to your holiday theme. These solid cedar decorative Christmas objects...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Wooden Christmas Tree Set – Cedar, Medium Size
Located in Orlando, FL
The minimal modern handcrafted tree set is designed to bring a natural and aesthetic atmosphere to your holiday theme. These solid cedar decorative Christmas objects...
Category
2010s Turkish Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood, Cedar
Modern desk accessories for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern desk accessories for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage desk accessories created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, stone and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern desk accessories made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original desk accessories, popular names associated with this style include Ghidini 1961, Danese Milano, Enzo Mari, and AIREDELSUR. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for desk accessories differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $15 and tops out at $57,800 while the average work can sell for $499.