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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Bureau vintage Marcello Gacita et Pierre Tiberi pour Rodet verre fumé, plexiglas
Located in BESANÇON, FR
Bureau vintage des années 70, design de Marcello Gacita et Pierre Tiberi pour les éditions Rodet, plateau rectangulaire aux coins arrondis en verre fumé, piétement design en forme de...
Category
1970s French Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Smoked Glass, Plexiglass
Mid-Century Danish Modern Teak Desk Or Vanity With Floating Top
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a mid-century Danish modern teak writing desk. It has both drawers and open space. It features the iconic floating top. It is 26” vertically for the chair. It is in very good...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
French Vintage Mahogany Directoire Style Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A French vintage leather-topped mahogany writing desk, designed in the Directoire taste for refined proportions & materials. Two hidden extensions on each side add occasional surface...
Category
20th Century French Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Petite Writing Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An ingenious leather-topped mahogany writing desk with hidden extensions on each side to add occasional surface area. The leaves on the sides are a matcha green leather framed by gol...
Category
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Small Burgundy Study Desk with Natural Linoleum Table Top & Drawer, Customizable
By &New
Located in Leicester, GB
This small study desk is made with a beetroot powder-coated steel frame and a burgundy coloured natural linoleum tabletop. The linoleum for our desks is selected for the ecological p...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Leon Rosen for Pace Collection Mezzaluna Demilune Executive Desk
By Leon Rosen
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Leon Rosen "Mezzaluna" Pace Collection Demilune Executive Desk
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
$7,600 Sale Price
20% Off
Swedish Erik Chambert art deco desk, 1940
Located in Uccle, BE
A mid 20th century birch art deco desk with 7 drawers and key included.
Date of manufacture stamped: 20 12 1940
Designed by Erik Chambert (1902-1988) who was a pioneering interior d...
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Swedish Modern Guldheden desk by Carl Malmsten, 1960's
Located in Uccle, BE
This 'Nya Guldheden' desk was created by one of Sweden's best known furniture designers : Carl Malmsten. Born in Stockholm in 1888 and died in 1972, the artist spent his life creatin...
Category
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Arne Vodder Drop Leaf Desk Denmark Teak Sliding Drawers 1960's MCM
By Arne Vodder
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A classic Arne Vodder for H.Sigh and son desk with drop-leaf and sliding rails-allowing the drawers to be on either side. Vintage circa 1960s with nice rich patina. The leaf hangs fr...
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Danish Baroque-Inspired Oak Desk / Dining Table with Barley Twist Legs, 1900s
Located in Odense, DK
This charming table blends rustic craftsmanship with decorative elegance. Made from solid oak, it features beautifully turned barley twist legs – a detail that became popular during ...
Category
Early 20th Century French Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Danish Art Nouveau, Handcrafted Dressing Table / Desk in Pine, Early 20th C
Located in Odense, DK
This elegant Danish Art Nouveau dressing table or writing desk, handcrafted in the early 20th century, showcases the refined craftsmanship of a Danish cabinetmaker. Constructed from ...
Category
Early 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Vintage Kittinger Directoire Style Writing Desk
Located in Houston, TX
1960s Vintage Kittinger Directoire style writing desk composed of satinwood and features ebony inlay and brass hardware. Maker's mark located inside the center drawer.
Category
Late 20th Century North American Directoire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Serving Table in Birch, Danish Cabinetmaker, Twisted Legs, Early 20th Century
Located in Odense, DK
This stunning serving table in oak with twisted legs is a beautiful example of early 20th-century Danish craftsmanship. Made of birch, it features two trays that rest atop gracefully...
Category
Early 20th Century Danish Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Handcrafted 1960s Danish Oak Desk, Deep Patina, Sculptural Mid-Century design
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
A cabinetmaker-built Danish small desk with the most stunning and deep patina. Its light brown tone carries a walnut-like glow. Horizontal carvings on the cabinet doors lend the piec...
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
19th Large Spanish Dining or Desk Table with Carved Legs and Wood Stretcher
Located in Miami, FL
19th Spanish refectory desk table with solid legs and wood stretcher
Original perfect condition
Top table in perfect condition
Very heavy piece
Category
Late 19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Mid-Century Teak & Steel Executive Desk by Friso Kramer & Coen de Vries for EEKA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking example of Dutch mid-century modern design, this executive desk was designed by Friso Kramer and Coen de Vries for EEKA (Eindhovense Eisen- en Kantoorartikelenfabriek) in ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Late 19th Century French Louis XIII Style Walnut Side Table or Writing Table
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This small scale French Louis XIII style walnut writing table or desk from the late nineteenth century is of hand pegged construction and features a beveled top. The top is supported...
Category
Late 19th Century French Louis XIII Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Stunning Art Deco Blonde figured walnut veneered Desk
Located in Barnstaple, GB
Absolutely stunning Art Deco desk in the most beautiful blonde figured walnut veneers. Comes in 3 pieces for ease of moving. A single curved pedestal one side and the other side capa...
Category
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Antique George IV Goncalo Alves Writing Table Desk Early 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This monumental early George IV antique library writing table is crafted from beautiful Gonçalo Alves and dates from Circa 1820.
The rectangular top features a moulded edge with th...
Category
1820s English George IV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather
Gio Ponti double-sided desk in American walnut and parchment, Italy, 1930s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
An unique and elegant Gio design by Gio Ponti, Italian manufacture, 1930s
Gracefully elevated on geometric and extremely slender legs, this desk designed by Gio Ponti stands out for...
Category
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut, Parchment Paper
Piano desk black lacqued wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A sleek, black-polished, sculptural piece conjuring the presence of a grand piano.
Piano Desk evokes an intricate fusion of the grace in artistic expressi...
Category
2010s Mexican Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
$8,400 / item
Arts & Crafts Solid Oak Roll Top Desk
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Solid Oak English hand crafted roll-top desk with good proportions. Stately, yet not too large. Original patina with English lever lock mark and dovetailed joinery. Pigeon hole compa...
Category
1890s English Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Svend Åge Madsen Sled Legs Teak Desk 1960s
Located in Handewitt, DE
Freestanding teak desk by Svend Åge Madsen for HP Hansen Denmark 1960s. With 3 drawers each site, sled legs and front with book compartment. Key incl.
Category
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Antique English Leather Top Regency Style Desk or Library Table
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Long elegant Neoclassical style antique English desk with three tooled leather panels on top of a case having three drawers with brass hardware on four tapered and fluted legs with c...
Category
Early 20th Century English Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather
Peter Løvig Nielsen Rosewood Partners Desk
Located in New York, NY
Amazing 1970's Peter Løvig Nielsen rosewood partners desk, lightly restored with some wear and patina due to age and use, there is some we...
Category
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Louis XVI Writing Desk
Located in Austin, TX
French Louis XVI style desk of mahogany, finished with a museum quality French polish. The desk is adorned with gilt brass trims throughout, and with tapered legs that boast gilt bro...
Category
1920s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
$6,950
Midcentury Giancarlo Piretti Red "Platone" Folding Desk for Castelli, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful and incredibly rare midcentury red "Platone" folding desk designed by Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Anonima Castelly in Italy during the 1970s. The desk is in amazing v...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Aluminum, Steel
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, collaborated with the luxury brand Rimowa and has exhibited globally..
The aesthetic of the work aims to challenge and disrupt the mid-century norms of furniture today. I have taken inspiration from the likes of Perriand and Prouvé and distorted their pieces to create a body of work that relates to our current generation. The lives we live today are fluid in gender, identity, expression and thought. This collection represents this confusion, indecision and anxiety in a whimsical and endearing way.
This work aims to question what it means to reflect your identity though the objects surrounding you.
This desk is a one off piece designed and fabricated by Joe Ellwood...
Category
2010s British Futurist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum
$17,122
Antique Swedish Rococo Desk with Light Blue Paint, Drawer and Curved Rococo Legs
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique Swedish rococo desk from the late 1700s. The desk is a country house furniture in rococo style with a large drawer. Heavily curved rococo legs and also a curved table top and...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Solace No23 Console Table – Sculpted Organic Forms, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No23 Console Table – Sculpted Organic Forms, Design by Joel Escalona
—————————————————————
Solace Console Table Series
Design by Joel Escalona
The Solace console table serie...
Category
2010s Mexican Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Hardwood
$11,770 Sale Price / item
25% Off
20th Century Italian Rosewood Writing Table - Desk by Osvaldo Borsani & Tecno
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A large vintage Mid-Century modern Italian writing table made of hand crafted polished Rosewood designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, in good condition. The sculptural desk is compo...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Widdicomb Kneehole Executive Desk Cherry Brass Mid Century 1950s
Located in Forest Grove, PA
An unmarked Widdicomb kneehole executive desk. Excellent wood choice, book matched throughout. Cherry veneer with solid cherry feet. Original patina to the brass handles. Professiona...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
R. J. Horner Style Antique Victorian Tiger Oak Ladies Writing Desk, Circa 1890
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional antique Victorian ladies writing desk
In the manner of R.J. Horner & Co.
USA, Circa 1890s
Gorgeous carved tiger oak, with original brass hardware.
Measures: 33.5"W...
Category
1890s American Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Copper
French Carved Wood Partners Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Incredible wood partners desk from France, 1940's. Large rectangular top with four thick carved wood legs and ball feet. Two drawers with brass knobs on each side. Original finish sh...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique French Desk Writing Table Renaissance w Drawer Oak Barley Twist c. 1920s
Located in Tyler, TX
GORGEOUS 19th Century Antique French Oak Louis XIII Renaissance Revival Desk or Writing Table with Full Length Drawer, Barley Twist Legs, Stretcher, Lunette Carved Beveled Edge Top a...
Category
1920s French Renaissance Revival Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Macassar Writing Desk with Bronze-Patina Brass Deatils by R&Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Sonia writing desk is the perfect piece for your room. A more subtle version to her sister the iconic writing desk, the Sonia has elegant legs inlaid in Macassar wood and bronze-...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Italian Small Writing Desk Black Lacquer, Brass by Silvio Cavatorta
Located in Salzburg, AT
Small desk by Silvio Cavatorta, Italy, 1950s.
Re-painted in black high-gloss lacquer.
Stainless steel base powder-coated in black, fine brass details.
Height-adjustable foot sections...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel
Midcentury Italian Trestle Desk or Table in Bamboo, Rattan by Vivai Del Sud, 70s
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful pair of mid-century organic trestles in a beautiful combination of bamboo, curved rattan and hand-woven wicker. These stunning and unique trestles were designed by Vivai del Sud and produced in Italy during the 1970s.
In fabulous condition and with an amazing honey-like color. These sturdy trestles are made in bamboo canes enriched on the bottom with curved rattan and perfect hand-woven wicker work.
Ideal to make a charming desk or also for dining table or a console table in a modern organic entryway. A must have for all the French Riviera style lovers.
These versatile trestles are ideal as a charming modern organic desk...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker
Early Bodil Kjær Executive Desk, Model 901 — E. Pedersen & Søn, Denmark, 1959
Located in Oakland, CA
Iconic freestanding executive desk designed by architect and professor Bodil Kjær. Model 901, manufactured by E. Pedersen & Søn in Denmark in 1959. Constructed of Brazilian rosewood,...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Mastercraft Brass 'Trilobi' Triangular Dining Table or Desk Bases, circa 1970
By Mastercraft
Located in Los Angeles, CA
One of the hottest items currently with interior designers are these gleaming brass 'Trilobi' Mastercraft dining table bases, which also work excellent for a desk or work table, feat...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Baker Louis XV Style Black Ebonized Brass Mounted Leather Top Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions - H: 29 in W: 54 in D: 25 in
Elevate your interior with this exceptional Louis XV style writing desk by Baker Furniture, a piece that seamlessly combines classic French elegance with the renowned craftsmanship of one of America’s most distinguished furniture makers. Finished in a rich black ebonized lacquer, this desk exudes sophistication, while its ornate brass mounts and cabochon-style hardware pay homage to the refined detailing of 18th-century Parisian design.
The embossed leather writing surface offers both visual richness and a practical work area, delicately aged to evoke an authentic antique look. Ideal for writing, working, or showcasing décor, the top is not only functional but luxurious in both material and execution.
The front of the desk houses three spacious drawers, adorned with Louis XV style hardware and framed by graceful curves and shapely moldings. The reverse side of the desk features faux drawers, allowing the piece to float beautifully in the center of a room. This makes it an ideal choice for those designing a centerpiece home office, library, or formal sitting room.
Set on classic cabriole legs, the desk strikes a balance between decorative charm and refined utility. It embodies the hallmarks of French Rococo design, including ornate carving, symmetry, and a sense of lightness that brings elegance to any space.
Whether you're a collector of fine reproduction antiques, a fan of luxury vintage furnishings, or someone looking to add a sense of Gilded Age romance to your décor, this Baker Louis XV...
Category
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
$1,988 Sale Price
20% Off
19th Century Fine Biedermeier Salon Table. Vienna, c. 1825.
Located in Vienna, AT
An Exceptional Viennese Biedermeier Oval Writing Table, Attributed to Josef Danhauser, Circa 1825
This extraordinary early Biedermeier oval writing table, crafted in Vienna around 1...
Category
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Mid-Century Italian Walnut Sliding Glass Top Secretary Tall Desk Writing Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant and classic Mid-Century Modern Italian walnut wood desk console, writing table, secretary with sliding top with black glass for a seated position when extended, a top sh...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Glass
Handsome English Vintage Fruitwood Writing Desk with Leather Blotter
Located in Hopewell, NJ
English style beautiful fruitwood writing desk having black leather blotter on top. Distressed marks intentional to add character to the piece. Tapered reeded legs terminating in b...
Category
1980s British Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Fruitwood
Melting Vanity Table in Blue Shagreen and Bronze-Patina Brass by R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Versatile Mid Century Walnut Writing Desk Dining Table 1960s
Located in Forest Grove, PA
A versatile Mid century walnut kitchen, dining table or writing desk. Book matched top with solid legs. The top and legs are in superb condition and almost look new. The underside an...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Danish Modern Desk by Ernst Kühn, Lysberg, Hansen & Therp, Danmark, 1930s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare Danish Modern desk by Ernst Kühn, made from mahogany with unusual lines and proportions. Hidden handles for the drawers make them easy to pull out, the key is missing.
Category
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Arne Wahl Iversen for Vinde Møbelfabrik Writing Desk in Teak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Arne Wahl Iversen for Vinde Møbelfabrik, desk, model 65, teak, brass, Denmark, 1961.
The refined model 65 desk by esteemed Danish designer Arne Wahl Iversen. This elegant writing ta...
Category
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Midcentury Bamboo, Rattan and Wicker Desk Console Table, Italy 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful Italian writing table or desk in bamboo, rattan and wicker with two drawers.
Made in Italy in the 1970s.
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Wood
Original Otto Wagner for Thonet 1905 Writing Desk Postal Saving Bank Vienna
Located in Vienna, AT
Otto Wagner writing desk from the Postal Saving Bank in Vienna. Made by Thonet, Vienna.
Otto Wagner Writing Desk, Postal Saving Bank, Vienna - Lit.: Asenbaum/Haiko, Otto Wagner, Möbe...
Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Jugendstil Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French 18th Century Louis XV Style Painted Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This archetypal 18th century Louis XV-style desk was given a distinguishing update in the 20th century: washing the pine construction in white paint and black pinstriping to accentua...
Category
18th Century French Directoire Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine, Paint
Nº113 Vein-cut Romano Travertine Console Table by Amee Allsop
By Ameé Allsop
Located in East Hampton, NY
Meticulously and simply crafted with solid 3cm thick travertine slabs, the proportions create a lightness of form juxtaposing the materiality.
A continuation of Coffee Table Nº 106,...
Category
2010s American Minimalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Travertine
Antique Derby Oak Raised Panel S-Roll Top Desk with Carved Pulls c1920
Located in Big Flats, NY
***Reduced In-House Delivery Rates - Click on “Ask Seller” to Request a Quote***
Antique Derby Oak Raised Panel S-Roll Top Desk with Carved Pulls c1920.
50 3/8" x 55 1/8" x 35 5/8...
Category
Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
$3,160 Sale Price
20% Off
Paolo buffa cherrywood writing desk, Italy, 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
An elegant cherrywood writing desk with fabric-covered drawers, design by Paolo Buffa, Italian manufacture, 1940s
This refined piece deserves to be observed from every angle to full...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fabric, Cherry
Hekman Furniture Federal Inlaid Flame Mahogany Slant Front Secretary Desk
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Federal or Hepplewhite style bureau with slant front writing desk or secretary desk
In the manner of Baker Furniture
By Hekman Furniture
USA, Circa Late 20th Century
B...
Category
Late 20th Century American Hepplewhite Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Vintage Florence Knoll Teak and Chromed-Steel Partner's Desk / Executive Desk
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Executive Table/Partners Desk Model 2485D originally designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates in 1961 (this example was executed in 1980) successfully marries form and fu...
Category
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Fine Quality Coromandel and Marquetry Inlaid Victorian Period Kidney Lady Desk
Located in Miami, FL
A fine quality Coromandel Victorian style kidney shaped writing table. The kidney shaped top having a fine quality velum green leather writing surface with gilt and blind tooled deta...
Category
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Mid-Century Danish Teak Desk
Located in Baltimore, MD
Beautiful remarkable statement in design and craftsmanship. This mid-century teak Danish desk, precisely crafted in exceptional teak grain wood, with a fully finished back the finish...
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Mid-Century Modern Executive Free Standing Desk in the Style of Bodil Kjær, 1960
By Bodil Kjaer
Located in Almelo, NL
Mid-Century Modern Executive Free Standing Desk in the Style of Bodil Kjær, Denmark, 1960s
Striking and architectural, this exceptional mid-century executive desk was crafted in Den...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Stainless Steel
Jean Prouvé Compass Direction Desk Limited RAW Steel and Natural Oak by Vitra
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Dronten, NL
Jean Prouvé Compass direction desk in natural oak and clear lacquered steel for Vitra. Originally designed in 1953, Prouvé's iconic desk is based the de...
Category
1930s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Antique and Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
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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Platone Giancarlo Piretti
Platone Folding Desk
John Widdicomb Writing Desk
Kittinger Leather
Knoll Partner Desk
Limbert Library Table
Midcentury Modern Kidney Shaped Desk
Nakashima Style Desk
Regency Kidney Desk
Silvio Cavatorta Desk
Steel Tanker Desk
Svend Age Madsen For Sigurd Hansen
Table A Ecrire
Tiger Oak Antique Writing Desk
Vernis Martin Desk
Walnut Parsons Desk
White Wicker Desk
Williamsburg Desk