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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
19th Century French Walnut Louis XVI Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Beautiful 19th Century French Walnut Louis XVI Desk with immaculate new embossed leather writing surface. French Louis XVI bureau plat table desk with five spacious drawers and lovel...
Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Large Poul Kjaerholm PK55 Table by Ejvindt Kold Christensen
Located in Dronten, NL
Exceptionally well preserved example of iconic work / dining table model PK55 designed by Danish architect Poul Kjaerholm in 1957, manufactured by Ejvindt Kold Christensen according ...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

White Painted Gustavian Style Table Writing Desk With One Drawer, circa 1860-80
Located in Round Top, TX
Swedish Gustavian style table with single fluted drawer and tapered legs. Restored, later professionally painted in layered shades of white now distressed to add to the character and...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Paint

A George IV Mahogany Writing Desk with a Fossil Marble Top
Located in Conwy, GB
The marble top above twin frieze drawers with turned handles, raised on tapering reeded leg with original brass castors. In the manner of Gillows.
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Marble

Fully restored Large ART DECO writing desk, 1930´s, Bohemia
Located in Prague 8, CZ
This ART DECO writing desk was made in the former Czechoslovakia in the 1930´s. The table has a simple and unconventional design typical of the ART DECO period. The table is double-s...
Category

Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Midcentury Elm Desk by Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Beautiful desk by Josef Frank, made from elm with striking woodgrain. Clean lines and subtly rounded forms, a timeless piece.
Category

1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Elm

Mid-Century Modern Wooden and Chrome Desk, Italy, 1970s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Wooden and Chrome Desk, Italy, 1970s
Category

1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

Good French crotch mahogany late 19th Century leather top desk having round legs
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Good French crotch mahogany late 19th Century leather top desk having round legs with bronze mounts. This desk is finished on the backside. Kneehole measurements: 25.5" x 24"
Category

19th Century French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Mahogany Double Pedestal Executive Desk, Restored
Located in South Bend, IN
A very rare and exceptional Mid-Century Modern "Taliesin" writing desk By Frank Lloyd Wright for Heritage Henredon USA, 1950s Gorgeous mahogany, with iconic carved geometric Talie...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century French Renaissance Writing Desk ~ End Table
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Renaissance Writing Desk ~ End Table is a work of the sculptor's art, that also serves as a convenient student desk, writi...
Category

1870s French Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Antique French Regence Stripped Oak Desk ~ Writing Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique French Regence Stripped Oak Desk ~ Writing Table is a delightful little desk that is ideal for efficient floor plans, home offices, or just as a convenient table for any room...
Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern T333 Desk by Oslvado Borsani and Eugenio Gerli for Tecno
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern T333 Desk by Oslvado Borsani and Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, Italy, 1975
Category

1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

English Edwardian Fully Fitted Oak Serpentine Roll Top Desk - Twin Pedestal
Located in Leicester, GB
Beautiful English Edwardian double pedestal, roll top oak desk. Handsomely made by ‘HLL’ Harris Lebus, London ‘Entirely English Make’. Classic English solid oak desk from the early 1...
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1910s British Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Rare Antique American Renaissance Extension Library Table, Signed
By Seng
Located in Forney, TX
A scarce antique American Renaissance Revival style carved walnut extension table by Seng, Chicago, Illinois. circa 1920/1930 Born in the United States in the early 20th century, featuring a rare and unusual form and extension mechanism. Slightly lift the rectangular top and the slide the mechanical horizontal draw-leaf style extensions to expand the the width of the top, morphing the library table / sofa console into a kitchen table / dining table. Having a bookmatched burl wood, oak and walnut banded, parquetry inlay top, molded apron with dovetailed frieze drawer, rising on turned urn baluster-form standards, over shaped stretcher joined trestle base with twist ornamentation, resting on bun feet, signed, stamp to frame under top. Dimensions: (approx) 31" High, 54" Wide, 23.5" Deep Extended: 37.5" Deep Provenance / Acquisition: John Phifer Marrs collection. Important auction house J. Garrett Auctioneers, Dallas, Texas, May 2021 catalog, presented a special curated collection from John Phifer Marrs, premier Southern interior designer known for an elegant, fresh and inviting design method, often called The New Southern Style...
Category

Early 20th Century American Renaissance Revival Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak, Walnut, Burl

Contemporary Work Station Set: Curved Birch Pillar Desk & Tetris Chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Work hard, play hard. Elevate in geometric continuity with the Curved Birch Pillar Desk and the Tetris Chair, a perfect pairing. Distinguished by its sle...
Category

2010s American Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birch, Plywood

A George IV Century Holland and Sons Writing Table
Located in London, GB
A very fine mahogany writing table on four masculine legs, terminating in cope castors with two drawers above, deep rich timber top with stamp. England, 1820 H 80 x W 122 x D 57 cm...
Category

1820s English George IV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Arne Vodder Executive Teak Desk for Sibast Denmark
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A dark teakwood executive desk with three drawers to each side and inset finger pulls to the fronts, the back side has two small bookcase cubies . The perfect desk for home or office...
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Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Burl Maple and Rosewood Art Deco Waterfall Executive Desk
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Everyone here on team FMV adores this desk. We don't know much (if anything) about the origin, maker or designer, but it's awesome nonetheless. Similar to the Henredon "Scene Two" ...
Category

1970s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

English Edwardian Writing Table Bureaux
Located in Leicester, GB
Stunning English Edwardian slim cabinet bureaux in Mahogany. Beautiful inlay decoration. The writing table can be opened and closed with a key and a lock. Inside the writing table th...
Category

Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Charlotte Perriand Style Desk, Mid-Century Modern, 1960s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Wooden Desk; working desk; writing table; office furniture; Charlotte Perriand; French design; Mid-Century Modern; 1960s; Desk in the style of French designer Charlotte Perriand, ...
Category

1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Ban Curved Steel and Maple Wood Desk by Autonomous Furniture
Located in Victoria, BC
Introducing the Ban Desk by Autonomous Furniture, where timeless elegance meets industrial edge, crafted to elevate your workspace with unparalleled sophistication. Imagine your wor...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ash, Oak, Walnut

Czechoslovakian Writing Desk by Bohumil Landsman for Jitona, 1970s
Located in Poznań, PL
An oak desk designed by Bohumil Landsman, produced during the 1970's in former Czechoslovakia by a furniture factory Jitona. A striking design. Surfaces cleaned, stained and lacquer...
Category

1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Burl Wood and Lucite Writing Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
W51 D19 H29.5 KW21.5 KC23.5 KD18 Vintage Fully Restored Desk with a Medium Walnut Finish. Item is structurally sound and fully functional. Desk features very unique hardware and bur...
Category

1940s Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Lucite, Burl

Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s
Category

1960s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Elle Ecrit Office Desk by Riva 1920, Walnut Knot
Located in New York, NY
The Elle Ecrit Desk is designed with sleek, rectangular contours and enhanced functionality, featuring a central drawer flanked by two sets of side drawers. Its top includes a slidin...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Circa 18th Century English Unusual Size Painted Knee Hole Desk or Side Table
Located in London, GB
A charming diminutively sized English kneehole desk. It was not originally made for a child but could be used as such as well as for an adult. Repainted sympathetically in a dark blu...
Category

Late 18th Century British Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

John Vesey Style Steel Bronze Neoclassical Console Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Iconic brushed steel and patinated bronze clad writing table, desk, or console made in the manner and style of John Vesey (American 1924-1992). The desk is fronted by two storage dra...
Category

20th Century French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze, Steel, Stainless Steel

Carlo Hauner's Mid-Century Modern Personal Use Desk in Caviúna Wood and Iron
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This desk was where Carlo Hauner designed, at the beginning of the 1950's, several of his incredible and numerous autoral furniture for both Móveis Artesanal and Forma. Acquired dire...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Franco Albini TL2 Cavalletto table Poggi Italy 1950
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Iconic and early example of the TL2 'Cavalletto' table designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Poggi in Italy around 1950. The table has an amazing dynamic and archtectural sha...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Teak Desk and Dining Table by Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Category

Mid-20th Century Indian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Aurora Sculptural Steel and Ash Wood Desk by Autonomous Furniture
Located in Victoria, BC
Elevate your workspace with the stunning Aurora Desk from Autonomous Furniture. Crafted from the finest Whitened Ash wood and raw steel, this modern industrial desk is a true stateme...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ash, Oak, Walnut

Jacques Adnet writing desk made in France 1950
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Beautiful avant garde desk designed by Jacques Adnet and manufactured in his own atelier in France in the 1950s. The frame is made from solid brass an...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Empire Mahogany Desk With Hunter Green Leather Top, Circa 1930
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Empire mahogany desk with tooled hunter green leather top. The desk with bronze banding and trim, bronze finely fluted corner medallions, fluted and tapering legs with bronze caps an...
Category

Early 20th Century American Empire Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Walnut and Oak Leather Top Desk
Located in London, GB
A very stylish and well made vintage walnut and oak leather top desk. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1950-60’s. It is beautifully designed and is of superb quali...
Category

1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Antique French Leather Top Bureau Plat Desk
Located in London, GB
A stunning antique French leather top bureau plat desk, made in France and dating from around the 1930’s. This is of outstanding quality, with beautifully cast ormolu mounts through...
Category

1930s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Antique English Georgian Walnut Slant Front Secretary Desk
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An antique slant front secretary desk with graduated drawers (one over two short, over two long) with retracting supporting brackets...
Category

Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Mid Century Teak Five Drawer Austinsuite Low Desk/Dresser
Located in Bishop's Stortford, GB
Mid Century Teak Five Drawer Austinsuite Low Desk/Dresser, Danish style on four Pin legs. This classic sleek design is both stylish and practical and fits into any theme of design H:...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

20th Century Italian Mahogany Writing Table - Vintage Desk by Vittorio Dassi
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A freestanding, half rounded vintage Mid-Century modern Italian writing table made of hand crafted shellac polished, party veneered Mahogany and Rosewood, designed by Vittorio Dassi ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Antique French Provincial Fruitwood Writing Table / Desk W/ Drawer Early 19th C
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Age: 1800 - 1850 Furniture Style: French Provincial (1700 - 1800) Overall Dimensions: Width - 38-7/8" Depth - 24-1/4" Height - 27-1/4" Early 19th Century French Provincial Fruitwo...
Category

Early 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fruitwood

Postmodern Black Lacquered Desk by Interlubke, Germany 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
All black lacquered postmodern writing desk with a storage cabinet and drawer with organizer by Interlubke, Germany 1980s.
Category

Late 20th Century German Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Stainless steel desk circa 1970
Located in Isle Sur Sorgue, FR
Rare stainless steel desk circa 1970. A thick glass top is on top of a stainless steel frame which adapts to the 2 legs. Very pure design, great quality and condition.
Category

1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Stainless Steel

Antique French Desk Table Renaissance Revival Barley Twist Carved Tiger Oak 19C
Located in Tyler, TX
HANDSOME Antique French Tiger Oak Renaissance Revival Library Office Desk with Double Drawers, Barley Twist Legs and Stretcher ~~c. 1880s-1900 With so many people working from home,...
Category

1880s French Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

1970s Henredon Burl/ Rattan Maguire Style Desk
Located in Marietta, GA
Functional and trending, at the moment, rattan and burl desk by Henredon. Similar in style, to Macguire furniture, having a rattan base mixed with a wood top. Four drawers across th...
Category

1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Louis XVI style ebonised writing desk
Located in Budleigh Salterton, GB
Quality early 20th Century French Louis XVI style writing desk. Dating to around the 1930’s with original brass mounts and leather inserts and two pull out slides with original leath...
Category

1930s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Vienna Art Deco Josef Hoffman Manner Eight-Piece Salon Suite Set
Located in Forney, TX
A rare Art Deco period eight-piece study suite set in the manner of famous Austrian architect, designer, and Vienna Secession founder Josef Hoffman (Austria, 1870-1956), circa 1920. Exquisitely handcrafted in Austria in the early 20th century, most likely Vienna, featuring fine quality craftsmanship and solid wood construction, featuring Biedermeier inspired Viennese Art Deco styling of simplicity, strict, geometric lines with minimal surface embellishment, instead of ornamentation putting the focus on high-quality materials. The matching eight-piece set comprising a tanker writing desk with inset leather surface, surmounted with raised gallery fitted with drawers flanking richly figured quilted diamond inlay, rising on double pedestals with locking cupboard doors opening to stacked shelved tray interior, affixed with patinated brass pulls and escutcheons, retaining original keys, finished on all sides so it can be placed anywhere in the room, and paired with a comfortable armchair with upholstered seat and backrest. A large eight door bookcase storage cabinet with original glass panels, adjustable shelves, and cocktail drinks bar slide. A centre card table with rectangular shaped canted corner top featuring inset green baize felt games playing surface, over conforming apron fitted with dovetailed drawers, rising on square column pedestal, surrounded by four upholstered side chairs. PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION: Property from the important Estate of Myra Janco Daniels (1925-2022) Naples, Florida. A legendary business woman, philanthropist, and arts advocate who built the institution known today as Artis—Naples and made Naples a cultural destination. Additional info below. Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. Design Signature Auction catalog #8110 Condition Report: Great original antique condition with beautifully aged warm mellow patina. Strong, sturdy and structurally sound. Overall very attractive condition; no significant losses or restorations; wear consistent with over 100 years of age and indicative of use. Delivered cleaned, waxed, hand rubbed polished French patina finish, ready for immediate use and generational enjoyment! ABOUT THE LEGENDARY PREVIOUS OWNER: We normally don't post about the prior owners life, but in the case of Myra Janco Daniels (1925-2022) we felt her incredible story be shared. The arts visionary and advertising Pioneer who helped transform Southwest Florida into a nationally recognized cultural destination, died June 22, three days before her 97th birthday. Daniels was founder and longtime CEO of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts (now Artis-Naples), which since 1989 has brought world-class music, theater, dance, opera, and art to Naples. In 2000, she founded the Naples Museum of Art (now the Baker Museum) on that same campus. After a storied career as an advertising executive in Chicago, Daniels came out of retirement in the early 1980s to spearhead a fund-raising drive for a small classical music ensemble on MarCo Island, which would later become the Naples Philharmonic orchestra. She discovered “a great hunger for the arts,” she later wrote, and soon expanded her fundraising goal to building a permanent home for the orchestra and an arts center for Southwest Florida. Daniels’ vision for the Philharmonic Center was ambitious and unusual – combining world-class performing and visual arts in a single venue. The Community strongly supported the concept, and the Phil, as it became known, gave Naples a national arts profile. Then-First Lady Barbara Bush was in attendance on opening night in November 1989. The Wall Street Journal covered the opening. “Myra Daniels is a dreamer. But unlike most dreamers, Myra is a doer,” the late Muriel Seibert, the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, once said of Daniels. While the arts were a lifelong passion for Daniels, her first career was as a groundbreaking advertising executive in Chicago, where she won national Advertising Woman of the Year honors and was among the first women to head a national ad firm. Daniels said that she used some of the same principles learned in her advertising career to sell Southwest Florida on the arts. “You have to believe in what you’re doing and then you have to get people involved to the point that they feel it’s theirs. That’s what we did.” Born Myra Janco in Gary, Indiana, Daniels was raised during the Great Depression by parents who encouraged her interest in the arts. But her greatest influence growing up was her grandmother Sophie, who, like Daniels, stood only five feet tall but dreamed big. “Sophie showed me what was possible,” Daniels wrote. “Create something that people want and need and you’ll be successful, she said. I always remembered that.” Her grandmother, who ran her own real estate business, experienced some failures “but she always dusted herself off and went back out there swinging. She wanted me to be that way too.” Daniels earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana State and later became an associate professor of marketing at Indiana University, the first woman to hold that position. In her mid-20s, she started Wabash Advertising in Terre Haute, Indiana, which later became affiliated with larger agencies in Chicago and Cleveland. In 1963, she was named executive vice president of Roche, Rickard, Henri, Hurst, Inc. in Chicago. The National Advertising Federation honored Daniels as its Advertising Woman of the Year in 1965, the youngest woman to receive the award. That same year, she became president of a new national agency that she formed with ad man Draper Daniels. The merger was not just a professional one. Draper Daniels, who was responsible for many famous ad campaigns at the time, including the Marlboro Man and was later an inspiration for the Don Draper character on TV’s Mad Men, became her husband in 1967. Myra wrote about their unusual courtship and life together for Chicago magazine, in an article entitled “I Married a Mad Man,” which was included in her book Secrets of a Rutbuster. They ran the Draper Daniels, Incorporated agency, as it was called, until 1977. When Draper wanted to retire to Southwest Florida, Myra Daniels reluctantly left Chicago and advertising, and they settled on MarCo Island. But after Draper died of cancer in 1983, Myra turned her energies to the fundraising Campaign that led to the Philharmonic Center Cultural Complex. Daniels served as CEO of the Philharmonic Center from its inception in the 1980s to her retirement in 2011, building the Phil into a $100 million corporation. During that time, the Naples Philharmonic became a nationally recognized orchestra, with a Grammy nomination, CD and appearances on PBS; and the Naples Museum of Art developed an international reputation. The center also helped change people’s perception of Naples, which had been known mostly for its beaches and golfing. In 2005, Naples was named the Best Small Art Town in America in a book that singled out the Phil. More than just an arts venue, the Philharmonic Center also wove the arts into the culture of the Community, providing public school programs, adult and children’s education classes and workshops, and free concerts throughout Southwest Florida. Edward Villella, legendary dancer with the New York City Ballet and founder of Miami City...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Rare Mid Century Italian Grissinato Desk In The Style Of Gio Ponti
Located in Westport, CT
Wonderful Modernist fruitwood desk shown with its original grey laminate top which we have covered in a new black glass top above an angular base consisting of two grissinato drawers...
Category

1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fruitwood

Mid-Century Large Desk By Jens Risom with Green Rixine Top, circa 1960s
Located in Ely, GB
A Beautiful Large Executive Desk Attributed to Jens Risom. Circa 1960s. The desk is in good vintage condition with small age related marks and scuffs. (please see photos), with one ...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

"Armand" Angular Burl Wood Desk by Christiane Lemieux
Located in New York, NY
The first ready-to-assemble desk from Lemieux et Cie features angular cut corners and ample surface space for use as a table, console or vanity. A single hidden drawer adds storage s...
Category

2010s Vietnamese Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Burl

Georg Petersens Cantilever Desk
Located in New York, NY
Danish Modern Cantilever Desk by Georg Petersens Molbelfabrik . Georg Petersens Cantilever desk in teak. The desk sits on two cantilever style legs...
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Vintage Italian Walnut and Satin Wood Desk
Located in London, GB
A superb vintage Italian walnut and satin wood desk, dating from the 1950-60’s. It is beautifully designed and is of superb quality, standing on wonderful tapered legs with brass fe...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Satinwood

Antique 6ft George III Mahogany Crossbanded Partners Pedestal Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a fine antique George III flame mahogany inlaid and crossbanded pedestal partners desk, circa 1810 in date. The desk is made from beautiful flame mahogany with highly deco...
Category

1810s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

19th century Art Nouveau Secessionist leather and mahogany writing table
Located in Malton, GB
This is a very high quality 20th century mahogany and leather writing desk. It dates to the late 19th century and looks to have strong influence from the Secessionist movement which ...
Category

19th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Gustav Stickley Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Trestle Library Table or Writing Desk
Located in South Bend, IN
A rare and exceptional antique Mission oak Arts & Crafts trestle library table or writing desk By Gustav Stickley USA, Circa 1900 Measures: 48"W x 30"D x 29"H. Very good original...
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Antique Georgian Period Writing Table / Desk
Located in London, GB
A charming and very well made antique Georgian writing table / desk. This was made in England, we would date it to around the 1800-1820 period. It is of superb quality, this is a ve...
Category

Early 1800s British George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Wood

French Louis XV Bureau Plat Desk or Writing Table with Embossed Leather
Located in Hopewell, NJ
An outstanding French Louis XV desk having embossed leather top and a faux front on its back so will look lovely in the center of any room. The writing desk has three spacious drawer...
Category

Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Axel Einar Hjorth Extendable Table, Macassar, 1930
Located in Dronten, NL
This beautiful Scandinavian Modern extendable dining table or writing desk is designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for NK in the 1930s. The base and extension leaves are lacquered in a won...
Category

1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birch, Macassar

Vintage Reproduction of Sir Winston Churchill's Leather Top Partners Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome copy of Winston Churchill's George III style partners desk crafted in mahogany with a tooled leather top on a case with three drawers on either side supported by square tape...
Category

Mid-20th Century English George III Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Painted Writing Desk
Located in Houston, US
Beautifully painted in a contemporary turquoise, this Swedish Gustavian style desk is handmade with mortise joints and dovetailed drawers. On each drawer there is horizontal fluting...
Category

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

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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