$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
French Louis XV Style Kingwood Bombay Writing Table Desk
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
French Louis XV Style Kingwood Bombay Writing Table Desk
Kingwood
Late 19th Century French Barley Twist Writing Desk
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
Late 19th Century French Barley Twist Writing Desk
Birdseye Maple
Antique French Flip Top Envelope Library Table Console Sofa Entry Table Oak
Located in Tyler, TX
BEAUTIFUL Versatile Size Antique French Oak Flip Top Envelope Table, Writing Desk or Sofa Table with Trestle Base and Double Drawers ~~c. 1920s-30s Versatile piece that can be used ...
Oak
Melting Vanity Table in Cream Shagreen and Bronze-Patina Brass by R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The melting vanity table's simple but elegant design, makes for an adaptable elegant piece of furniture. The cream shagreen inlaid surface is framed with an irregular surface bronze-...
Brass
Louis XVI Style Writing Table or Desk of Walnut with Leather Top from France
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome French writing table or desk in the Louis XVI style - featuring an embossed leather top set within a moulded, shaped walnut surround, over a frieze with paneled sides and ...
Metal, Brass, Ormolu
Mid-Century Rosewood Floating Top Executive Desk by Fristho
By Fristho, Kho Liang Ie
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Executive desk by Fristho features a commanding floating rosewood top suspended 2.5 inches above dual cabinet bases. White lacquered supports create dramatic visual separation betwee...
Leather, Rosewood, Lacquer
Art Deco Machine Age Partner Desk in Rosewood with Ebonized Fluted Detailing
Located in New York, NY
This Art Deco Machine Age partner desk, crafted in France circa 1940, is an exceptional example of streamlined sophistication and masterful craftsmanship from the era. The desk is co...
Bronze
G-Plan "Fresco" Dressing Table or Desk by Victor Wilkins, Circa 1960.
By G-Plan
Located in Banner Elk, NC
Beautiful five-drawer 1960s teak dressing table or vanity by G-Plan in outstanding condition. Designed by Victor Bramwell Wilkins for G-Plan during the Mid-Century Modern era in Brit...
Teak
1960s Mid-Century Italian Walnut Rattan and Black Glass Top Writing Desk Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful Italian Mid-Century Modern desk writing table, in wood with elegant rattan wicker bamboo frame, decorated legs and black glass top. The unique and typical design, with the ...
Glass, Wood, Bamboo, Rattan
Gio Ponti Style Teak Writing Desk for Dassi, Mid-Century, Italy, 1950s
Italian writing desk attributed to Gio Ponti for Vittorio Dassi exemplifies the designer's refined aesthetic through geometric precision and material contrast. Rich teak construction...
Brass, Steel
$2,880Sale Price / item|20% Off
Modern Dennis & Leen for Formations Waterfall Writing Table Desk
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Modern Dennis & Leen for Formations Waterfall Writing Table Desk.
Giltwood
Desk Smoked Glass President Gallotti e Radice Dattilo Model Midcentury Italy 70s
Located in Palermo, IT
GALLOTTI E RADICE Produced by Gallotti e Radice, Italy, ca. 1971. President desk, "Dattilo" model, chromed brass frame, rectangular top and sides in smoked glass. Please note that th...
Crystal, Chrome
Antique English Jacobean Dining Table Breakfast Table Oak 6' Wide c.1920s-30s
Located in Tyler, TX
CHARMING Antique English Jacobean Oak Dining Table or Breakfast Table ~~72" Wide~~c. 1920-30s ~~One of our most often requested items~~hard to find in this...
Oak
1950s Wim Rietveld Friso Kramer Reply Drafting Table Ahrend de Cirkel
By Ahrend de Cirkel, Wim Rietveld, Friso Kramer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare Wim Rietveld 'Reply' drafting table with rare side tray. The hinging mechanism was a collaborative design with Wim Rietveld and Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel in 1958. Adjust...
Metal
French Art Nouveau Mahogany & Leather Partners Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Essentially two people would comfortably use this remarkable French 19th century mahogany partner’s desk, that is they are willing to share such a magnificent design. A wonderful anc...
Brass
Antique Italian Walnut Burl Wood Writing Desk Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful Italian Antique desk writing table, in beautiful veneer burl wood with great inlay decors and different fruitwoods, elegantly shaped with curved sides completed by two cent...
Brass
Pierre Jeanneret - Authentic PJ-TAT-08-B
Located in Hasselt, VLI
Teak Library Table circa 1955–56 by Pierre Jeanneret - model PJ-TAT-08-B This model was produced in several variants and dimensions for Chandigarh’s public institutions. The detacha...
Teak
$770Sale Price|30% Off
John Stuart Mid Century Modern Hairpin Leg Maple Writing Desk Table Drawers MCM
By John Stuart
Located in Dayton, OH
John Stuart Hairpin Desk, circa 1960s. Features a minimalist open form with plank top set between three dovetailed oak drawers set on turned and tapered legs with brass feet and a h...
Maple
Elegant early 20th century Swedish birch writing desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 20th century Swedish birch writing table circa 1910. We are pleased to offer this stunning Scandinavian writing desk, with art nouveau...
Birch
Severin Hansen Model 36 Rosewood Desk for Haslev, Denmark, Circa 1950s
By Haslev Mobelsnedkeri, Severin Hansen
Located in Peabody, MA
A rosewood desk, Model 36, designed by Hans Severin Hansen for Haslev Mobelsnedkeri, circa late 1950s. Hansen's furniture designs are distinctively recognizable for their sleek profi...
Rosewood
Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Pop Up Davenport Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a gorgeous antique Victorian piano front Davenport Desk, Circa 1860 in date. It is crafted from fabulous burr walnut and the hinged pull out writing slope features an inset ...
Walnut
Mid Century Writing Desk and Chair by Carl Sasse for Casala Germany c. 1950's
By Casala, Carl Sasse
Located in New York, NY
Stylish architectural writing table, desk and chair, designed by Carl Sasse, for Casala made in Germany, circa 1950's. Constructed of solid wood, this example is structurally sound ...
Wood
Small Louis XVI Style Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
This refined Louis XVI–style desk is crafted in blond mahogany and exemplifies the elegance and symmetry associated with the style. The desk opens in the belt with two drawers, each ...
Leather, Wood
Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Partners Pedestal Desk 20th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb and rare antique burr walnut Victorian Revival twin pedestal partners desk, Circa 1900 in date. It is made from beautiful burr walnut. The shaped rectangular top i...
Walnut
English Regency Style Tolled Leather And Walnut Writing Desk Table
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a late 20th century English regency style writing desk or table. It is walnut and has three faux drawers giving the illusion of a partners desk. The leather is a sage green....
Brass
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Steel Tanker Desk in Olive Green w Glass Top and Brass, 1960s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A classic American mid-century modern steel tanker desk, circa 1960s, featuring a olive green finish and custom protective glass top. This iconic double-pedestal form is constructed ...
Metal, Brass
$19,757
Six Dots Design Unique desk
Located in London, GB
Joseph Ellwood is a British artist and designer working under the studio name: Six Dots Design. Joseph has been named one of 10 'Future Icons' in design by Wallpaper* magazine, colla...
Aluminum
1940s Art Deco Midcentury Italian Walnut Burl Waterfall Writing Desk Table
By Guglielmo Ulrich, Paolo Buffa, Gio Ponti, Vittorio Dassi, Ico & Luisa Parisi
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful Italian Art Deco Mid-Century Modern desk writing table, in wood with elegant carved frame, curved sides highlighted by the front and right drawers with beautiful brass hand...
Wood
Mid Century Danish Modern Teak Vanity, Console Table or Low Profile Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A simple modern Scandinavian design from Denmark circa 1970's. This piece features all teak wood construction with generous storage and a unique bowed front. A very versatile piece f...
Teak
Vintage Chinoiserie Burnt Bamboo and Lacquered Grass Cloth Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage pagoda inspired Chinoiserie desk. It is constructed with a bamboo frame and deep red lacquered grass cloth panels. Typically associated with British Colonial Design. Wonderfu...
Bamboo
$3,160Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Standard Raised Panel Oak S-Roll Top Desk With Full Interior c1910
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Standard Raised Panel Oak Double Pedestawl S-Roll Top Desk With Full Interior c1910 Measures - 49 7/8" x 49 5/8" x 33 1/2"
Oak
Eames Desk Unit (EDU - 2nd Generation) by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Mille
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller, Ray Eames, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Saint Paul, MN
Plywood and off-the-shelf parts quickly became the calling card for the Eameses' honest design ethos. The Eames Desk Unit (EDU) was no different with its plywood top, masonite panels...
Metal
Mid-Century Large Desk, Veneered Wood, Chrome-Plated Steel, Germany, ca. 1960
Located in Berlin, DE
Large Mid-Century executive desk made of veneered wood and chrome-plated steel. The architectural, linear structure conveys a sense of lightness, stability, and order. The top is fin...
Steel, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Desk, Beech & Walnut with Yellow Glass Top, 1950s
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
A beautifully restored mid-century modern desk that combines timeless charm with everyday functionality. The original high-gloss piano black top contrasts elegantly with the oiled ma...
Brass
Pierre Jeanneret - PJ-BU-19-A
Located in Hasselt, VLI
Administrative desk, circa 1960, made for the city of Chandigarh, India. Also known as the PJ-BU-19-A desk. Top fixed on an “X” leg. One side has a small single cabinet door with al...
Teak
Dutch Art Deco Oak Writing Desk, Five Drawers, P.E.L Izeren Style
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dutch Art Deco oak writing desk showcases the refined geometric elegance and functional sophistication of P.E.L Izeren style furniture from the early 20th century. Hand-selected from...
Oak
Egon Ostergaard for SMI Sweden Bookmatched Teak Roll Top Desk or Secretary
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed in the 1960s by Egon Ostergaard, this desk was made by SMI, a somewhat nebulous figure in MCM production. We've had a number of SMI pieces, and the quality is always excelle...
Brass
Rare Complete “Orix” Desk by Vittorio Parigi & Nani Prina for Molteni, 1970s
By Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina, Molteni & C
Located in Marinha Grande, PT
This rare and complete “Orix” desk was designed by Italian architects Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina for Molteni in the early 1970s. A bold example of Space Age Italian design, this ...
Metal
Antique Victorian Flame Mahogany Partners Pedestal Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful antique Victorian flame mahogany pedestal partners desk, circa 1860 in date. The rectanglular top is inset with a lovely gold tooled green leather writing surfac...
Brass
Antique Victorian Twin Drawer Oak Writing Table Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This gorgeous early Victorian antique writing table is crafted from beautiful solid oak and dates from Circa 1860. The rectangular top with rounded corners is fitted with the origi...
Brass
Ultra raro escritorio y silla Bonacina · Negro · Castiglioni
Located in Barcelona, ES
Escritorio Bonacina en acabado negro, pieza poco frecuente posiblemente realizada por Castiglioni, referente del diseño italiano del siglo XX. De líneas limpias y estructura funcion...
Wood
"Voltaire" Figured Oak Desk Table by Christiane Lemieux
Located in New York, NY
The Voltaire Desk reflects the disciplined beauty of mid-century French ateliers. Handmade and hand-finished in wire-brushed oak, it reveals dimensional grain and structured proporti...
Oak
Postmodern Pluto Desk by Pierre Colleu for Starform and Disney, France 1980s.
By Starform, Disney Studios, Pierre Colleu 1
Located in Lille, FR
Table height: 58 cm. Total height with the head: 90 cm Good condition. No restorations. Some fading on the head and legs, with a few spots and other age-related marks.
Resin, Plastic
Art Deco Modernist Desk or Writing Table by Hendrik Wouda for Pander, 1920s
By H.Pander & Zonen, Hendrik Wouda
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare Art Deco Modernist desk or writing table. Design by Hendrik Wouda for H. Pander & Zonen Den Haag. Striking Dutch design from the 1920s. Solid oak base ...
Oak
1930s Bauhaus Children’s Desk with Drop Leaf in Walnut and Chrome
Located in Praha, CZ
This Bauhaus children’s writing desk was produced in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. The design combines a tubular chrome-plated steel structure with walnut-veneered plywood surface...
Steel, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Minimalist Teak Desk from Asko Finland, 1960s
By Asko
Located in Hamburg, DE
A very rare desk from Finnish manufacturer Asko. A minimalist design that impresses with its clean lines. The rectangular tabletop is veneered in teak. The simple legs are set off i...
Teak, Walnut
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
Sculptural Rosso Levanto Marble Desk, Deep Red Natural Stone Custom Desk
Located in İnegöl, TR
Material: 100% Authentic Rosso Levanto Marble Dimensions: 72" Length x 30" Width (Approx. 180 cm x 76 cm) Base Style: Matching Sculptural Marble Bases Finish: Polished (Honed/Matt...
Travertine, Marble
Freestanding 'Model 36' Desk in Oak by Severin Hansen for Haslev, 1958
By Severin Hansen, Haslev Mobelsnedkeri
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Beautiful freestanding desk with 4 drawers designed by Severin Hansen in 1958. Made of oak with a lovely grain and patina thanks to age and use. Ultra high-end manufacturing with fan...
Oak
Soho Writing Desk in Cream Shagreen and Bronze-Patina Brass by R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Soho writing desk is the perfect piece for a living room, bedroom or office space that merges vintage and modern sensibility. Add a mirror and this desk becomes a vanity table. T...
Brass
$1,560Sale Price|20% Off
Antique French Louis XIV Inlaid Rosewood & Ormolu Lady’s Desk C1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique French Louis XIV Inlaid Rosewood & Ormolu Lady’s Desk C1890 Measures - 38 1/2" x 30" x 19 1/2" This lady's desk is crafted around 1890, the desk features intricate inlaid r...
Rosewood
1950s Curved Rosewood Paolo Buffa Desk
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Florence, Tuscany
A superb Italian mid-century rosewood desk, attributed to Paolo Buffa (1903–1970), Milan. The piece is distinguished by its beautifully fluted Art Deco rosewood façade and thick rais...
Brass
MCM Drexel Profile Walnut Desk by John Van Koert
By Drexel, John Van Koert
Located in Trenton, NJ
Drexel Profile Walnut Desk by John Van Koert with Integrated Organizer This walnut writing desk is a well-executed example of John Van Koert’s work for Drexel’s Profile series, a li...
Wood
Art Deco Oak Corner Desk, Amsterdam School Design, 1920s Vintage
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A remarkable example of Dutch design, this unique Art Deco 'Amsterdam School' corner desk is a piece of quiet authority, dating to the 1920s. The desk embodies the period's expressio...
Oak
Vintage Danish Rosewood Desk by Erik Riisager Hansen, 1950s.
By Haslev Mobelsnedkeri, Erik Riisager Hansen 1
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Danish rosewood desk by Erik Riisager Hansen 1950s. Spectacular Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern freestanding writing desk model 66 in Rosewood/Palisander designed by Erik Se...
Rosewood
Anglo-Indian Danish Modern Style Secretary Desk / Vanity by Hayat, Circa 1960s
Located in Peabody, MA
A mid-century Anglo-Indian rosewood secretary desk / vanity by the world renowned M. Hayat firm of Peshawar, Pakistan. In a rare fusion of cultures, this bespoke desk of drawers was ...
Brass
1950s Art Deco Mid-Century Italian Walnut Root Burl Writing Desk Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Stunning Italian Art Deco Mid-Century Modern desk writing table, in beautiful veneer burr walnut wood with beautiful and elegantly decorated and shaped legs, completed by the central...
Brass
Italian Antique Solid Walnut Rustic Table Desk Writing Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Very charming and elegant Italian antique dining kitchen table or desk writing table in solid walnut wood with stylish carved legs and central drawer. Ideal in any room as a small st...
Wood
Mid century Paul McCobb #1560 Double Drawer Desk Black Lacquer with chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful vintage Paul McCobb planner group #1560 double drawer desk original Black Lacquer finish on maple with brass knobs. All solid maple wood. Desk is in great vintage condition...
Brass
Unique Studio Craft Modernist Rosewood and Teak Doctor's Desk, Circa 1970s
Located in Peabody, MA
A one-of-a-kind studio craft doctor’s desk fashioned from solid planks of rosewood and teak. Built in the 1970s by a student of RIT’s “School for American Crafts” for his doctor and ...
Steel
Pierre Jeanneret original PJ-BU-02-A Pigeonhole Desk, Mid-Century Modern.
Located in Stockholm, SE
This iconic original PJ-BU-02-A / Pigeonhole desk in teak by legendary designer Pierre Jeanneret. Dark brown re-covered leather top. A single drawer and open pigeonhole shelving. Je...
Leather, Teak
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.
The stately piece brings both gravitas and whimsy to any work space.
Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.
Proof that working from home is a perk.
