Desks
20th Century French Rococo Desks
Bronze
Early 19th Century American Federal Antique Desks
Brass
Early 18th Century American Federal Antique Desks
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Federal Desks
Brass
1790s American Federal Antique Desks
Birch, Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Federal Antique Desks
Brass
2010s Federal Desks
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Federal Desks
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Federal Desks
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Federal Desks
Mahogany
2010s Federal Desks
Leather, Wood
2010s Federal Desks
Mahogany
2010s Federal Desks
Mahogany
2010s Federal Desks
Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Federal Antique Desks
Birch
19th Century French Rococo Antique Desks
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks
Elm, Yew
19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Desks
Brass
1810s American Federal Antique Desks
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Rococo Antique Desks
Bronze
1740s Dutch Rococo Antique Desks
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Rococo Desks
Wood
1980s American Federal Vintage Desks
Burl
1740s German Rococo Antique Desks
Oak
Late 18th Century Scandinavian Rococo Antique Desks
Walnut, Giltwood
1970s Italian Rococo Vintage Desks
Leather, Wood
19th Century North American Federal Antique Desks
Mahogany, Satin
1760s Brazilian Rococo Antique Desks
Rosewood
Early 19th Century American Federal Antique Desks
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Rococo Desks
Leather, Wood
Vintage and Antique Desks for Sale — Shop Handcrafted Mid-Century Modern Desks, Art Deco Desks and Other Desks and Tables on 1stDibs
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.