Art Deco Desks

ART DECO STYLE

Art Deco furniture is characterized by its celebration of modern life. More than its emphasis on natural wood grains and focus on traditional craftsmanship, vintage Art Deco dining chairs, tables, desks, cabinets and other furniture — which typically refers to pieces produced during the 1920s and 1930s — is an ode to the glamour of the “Roaring Twenties.”

ORIGINS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

Emerged in the 1920s
Flourished while the popularity of Art Nouveau declined
Term derives from 1925’s Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) in Paris, France
Informed by Ancient Egypt, Cubism, Futurism, Louis XVI, De Stijl, modernism and the Vienna Secession; influenced Streamline Moderne and mid-century modernism

CHARACTERISTICS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

Bold geometric lines and forms, floral motifs
Use of expensive materials such as shagreen or marble as well as exotic woods such as mahogany, ebony and zebra wood
Metal accents, shimmering mirrored finishes
Embellishments made from exotic animal hides, inlays of mother-of-pearl or ivory

ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE ART DECO FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Few design styles are as universally recognized and appreciated as Art Deco. The term alone conjures visions of the Roaring Twenties, Machine Age metropolises, vast ocean liners, sleek typography and Prohibition-era hedonism. The iconic movement made an indelible mark on all fields of design throughout the 1920s and ’30s, celebrating society’s growing industrialization with refined elegance and stunning craftsmanship.

Widely known designers associated with the Art Deco style include Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Maurice Dufrêne, Paul Follot and Jules Leleu.

The term Art Deco derives from the name of a large decorative arts exhibition held in Paris in 1925. “Art Deco design” is often used broadly, to describe the work of creators in associated or ancillary styles. This is particularly true of American Art Deco, which is also called Streamline Moderne or Machine Age design. (Streamline Moderne, sometimes known as Art Moderne, was a phenomenon largely of the 1930s, post–Art Nouveau.)

Art Deco textile designers employed dazzling floral motifs and vivid colors, and while Art Deco furniture makers respected the dark woods and modern metals with which they worked, they frequently incorporated decorative embellishments such as exotic animal hides as well as veneers in their seating, case pieces, living room sets and bedroom furniture.

From mother-of-pearl inlaid vitrines to chrome aviator chairs, bold and inventive works in the Art Deco style include chaise longues (also known as chaise lounges) and curved armchairs. Today, the style is still favored by interior designers looking to infuse a home with an air of luxury and sophistication.

The vintage Art Deco furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes dressers, coffee tables, decorative objects and more.

Style: Art Deco

Color: Gold

Art Deco Desk by Ernest Boiceau

By Ernest Boiceau

Located in New York, NY

This Boiceau desk bears his stamp, and was entirely veneered in amboyna, an exotic burlwood named for Ambon, the Indonesian island where it was harvested. The naturally squiggling patterning of the veneer provides an overall surface decoration. The top alone has no fewer than 60 small book-matched squares of it – ten across and six deep – creating a kaleidoscopic effect in subtle monochrome. Applied decoration is minimal. It consists of two inlaid pairs of griffins in boxwood and purplewood facing off across braziers on both the front and the back of the desk, and blind-tooled Greek keys trimming white-leather-topped shelves that slide out to either side. These decorations introduce no color, and, in lying flush with the surface, leave the sleek form undisturbed. Boiceau even eliminated drawer pulls, necessitating a lock and key for each drawer. Born in Lausanne in 1881, Boiceau descended from French Huguenots who had settled in Switzerland. Prominent as bankers, lawyers, businessmen, and diplomats, the Boiceaus were a cosmopolitan family. Ernest studied painting in Munich, and then painting and architecture in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1900 he embarked on a ten-year European sojourn, painting landscapes and portraits along the way. In 1910 he resettled in Paris, became interested in textiles, and established an embroidery workshop that catered to the stage and haute couture. Among his clients were the Folies Bergères, the Comédie-Française, and the Paris Opéra, and the fashion houses of Worth and Molyneux. He also made embroidered table linens, wall hangings, and upholstery fabrics. In a 1913, at an embroidery exhibition in Paris at the Musée Galliera, he presented a boudoir in collaboration with curtains, upholstery fabrics, and a tapestry, embroidered in modern abstract designs. In 1925 he launched a couture line, and branched out to design finely crafted objects and furniture made in rare woods, like ebony and Tasmanian oak...

Category

1920s French Vintage Art Deco Desks

Materials

Bronze, Other

Art Deco Desk by Ernest Boiceau

Category

1940s British Vintage Art Deco Desks

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Hunting Aviation Metal Desk Ernest Race

H 30 in W 46.5 in D 21 in

Art Deco Exotic Wood Inlay Desk by Andrew Szoeke

By Andrew Szoeke

Located in New York, NY

Exceptional Pallisander wood desk with exotic wood inlays. Desk features four pull-out drawers, one shelf and keyed locking. Back is also finished with the same figural inlay. Origin...

Category

20th Century Swedish Art Deco Desks

Materials

Cherry, Sycamore, Walnut

Art Deco Exotic Wood Inlay Desk by Andrew Szoeke

H 30 in W 55.5 in D 28 in

H 30 in W 48 in D 28 in

H 31 in W 57.5 in D 27.5 in

Antique, New and Vintage Art Deco Desks

Antique, new and vintage Art Deco desks bear the hallmarks of the popular movement that originated in France and influenced architecture as well as the design of everyday objects, from furniture to cars. The term Art Deco gets its name from a large decorative arts exhibition held in Paris in 1925.

Furniture makers who worked in the Art Deco style were reacting to — and were inspired by — Art Nouveau. They preferred simple lines and rich, dark woods. Art Deco furniture designs were modern and frequently embellished with bold ornamental elements made from modern metals. Defined by dazzling geometric shapes and intricate details, Art Deco–style desks can add character and class to any office and can be found in a variety of shapes and materials.

On 1stDibs, shop an ever-expanding selection of original antique Art Deco desks and roll-top desks from designers and brands such as Gilbert Rohde, Casa Botelho, Koket and Venfield.