Skip to main content

Desks and Writing Tables

21
1,149
225
15
to
278
699
637
1,389
1,255
1,303
375
127
58
58
45
37
29
24
20
19
14
9
7
6
6
2
1
42
249
858
240
127
472
169
19
8
19
33
25
87
154
83
23
5
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
1,134
491
228
214
178
891
242
209
196
191
29
27
9
9
7
Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Price: $1 to $2,500
White Oak & Walnut Thin Frame Desk by Lawson-Fenning
Located in Southampton, NY
White Oak & Walnut Thin Frame Brass Desk by Lawson-Fenning. What makes this desk unique is the custom wood selection, mixing white oak frame with walnut drawers. White oak in clear ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Large Dutch Art Deco Oak wood executive writing desk 1920/30
By Pander
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice large writing table .Oak wood .Amsterdam school style Dutch Art Deco 1920/30 Pander . also suitable for a dining table
Category

1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Italian-made executive desk from the 1950s
Located in Genova, IT
Large Italian-made executive desk from the early 1950s. Dark blue formica(original) covered worktop in excellent condition, resting on two walnut wood 'towers' with black metal legs...
Category

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

Materials

Metal, Brass

Louis XV Style Small Writing Table, 19th C
Located in New York, NY
Louis XV / XVI transitional style leather topped mahogany veneered small writing table or "Table a ecrire" late 19th century, and with rectangular leather inset top with three-sided ...
Category

Late 19th Century Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Antique Military Campaign Style Desk
Located in London, GB
A top quality antique military campaign style desk. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1930’s. It is very well ma...
Category

1930s British Campaign Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Vintage Seven Drawer Desk by Beithcraft, 1960s
Located in Ely, GB
A Lovely Compact Vintage Desk with 7 Drawers by Renowned British Maker; Beithcraft. circa 1960s. The desk, designed in traditional manner, is finished in walnut veneer, which is in ...
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Portable "Laptop" Desk with Storage Compartments and Inkwell
Located in Soquel, CA
Portable "Laptop" Desk with Storage Compartments and Inkwell Box with storage for paper, pens, ink, and other writing supplies. Multiple lids/compar...
Category

Early 20th Century American American Classical Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood

Fruitwood Secretary 1770
Located in Pomona, CA
French Fruitwood Bureau/ Secretary c1770. The desk has a secret storage area behind the removable center pigeonhole"
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fruitwood

Mid-Century Danish 8 Drawer Teak Desk with Bookcase Back, 1960s
Located in Chesham, GB
Design Period - 1960 to 1969 Country of Manufacture - Denmark Style - Mid-Century Detailed Condition - Good with minimal defects. Restoration and Damage Details - Light wear cons...
Category

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

Materials

Teak

Antique Italian Walnut Desk Side Table with Cabriole Carved Legs
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful antique Italian solid walnut side table with four beautiful walnut cabriole carved legs and detailed by the shaped corners, beveled top and central drawer with brass handle...
Category

20th Century Italian Renaissance Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Antique Horner School Oak S-Roll Top Desk C1910
Located in Big Flats, NY
***Ask About Lower In-House Shipping Rates - Reliable Service & Fully Insured*** An antique desk in the manner of Horner offers paneled oak construction with s-roll top opening to in...
Category

Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Mid-century teak desk, The Netherlands 1960's
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Teak veneer desk with drawers which can be locked. The top has been sand and laquered
Category

Mid-20th Century Dutch Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Walnut Hunt Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage walnut hunt table. Dimensions: 28"H x 18"D x 72" from end to end x 35" deep overall.
Category

Mid-20th Century Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Single Minimalistic Heavy Polished Aluminum Table or Desk Base
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Single minimalistic heavy polished aluminum table or desk base. Add your own wood or stone top to specification. The base dimensions are lis...
Category

1970s American International Style Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Edwardian Mahogany Partner's Desk
Located in New York, NY
Edwardian mahogany wood partner's desk, rectangular with tooled leather top and nine drawers. Dealer: S138XX
Category

20th Century British Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Ladies' Writing Desk From the Early 20th Century in the Style of Louis XV
Located in Opole, PL
Ladies' Writing Desk From the Early 20th Century in the Style of Louis XV A ladies' writing desk inspired by the Louis XV style, dating back to before 1939. The furniture stands on ...
Category

Early 20th Century European Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Rosewood

Mid Century Modern Double-Sided Desk by Lane Furniture. Circa. 1960s
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Mid Century Modern Double-Sided Desk by Lane Furniture. Circa. 1960s Features a beautiful walnut wood grain, a quintessential Mid Century Modern Design, a faux woodgrain lam...
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

LANE Altavista Mahogany Chippendale Bookmatched Writing Desk
Located in Charlotte, NC
A Chippendale style writing desk by Lane Furniture. Mahogany with brass hardware, a banded bookmatched top with an ogee edge, decoratively carved gallery, stretchers, and fluted stra...
Category

Late 20th Century American Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Art Deco Table J.Halabala from 1960
Located in Kraków, Małopolska
Art Deco table by J. Halabala from 1960s. The piece of furniture was made of walnut tree. Art Deco table by the famous Czech designer J. Halabala, 1950. Jindrich Halabala - (a Czech ...
Category

1950s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Coastal Wrapped Rattan Writing Desk
Located in west palm beach, FL
A fabulous vintage Coastal writing desk. Chic wrapped rattan on a clean Parsons style frame. Glass rests on rattan cross bars. Can also be a great dining table. You decide! Acquired ...
Category

Late 20th Century Philippine Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Rattan, Glass

Large 1960s vintage design desk with iron frame, 2 drawers, and beautiful detail
Located in Harderwijk, NL
Offered is this beautiful large design desk from the 1960s of good quality and with stunning details. Imagine yourself a villain from an old James Bond movie or the director of a lar...
Category

1960s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Fratelli Proserpio compact rollup writing desk teak Italy 1960
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
Beautiful and compact rollup writing desk designed and manufactured by Fratelli Proserpio, Italy 1960. This elegant desk is executed in rich natural teak wood. The top has a very nic...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Vintage Teak and Steel Desk by Robin Day for Hille
Located in London, GB
A stylish and extremely well made vintage teak and steel desk by Robin Day for Hille. This was part of the ‘Status’ range, designed in 1959 and made in England. This model dates from...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

Mahogany Twin Pedestal Partner's Desk of Antique Quality from the 1920s
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique mahogany twin-pedestal partner's desk of exceptional quality. The desk boasts fantastic proportions, a rich color, and a well-developed patina. Remarkably, there is no evide...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Vintage Danish Modern Teak Desk
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
This listing is for a vintage Danish Modern Teak Desk. Featuring a straight line design, checkerboard top, large filing cabinet drawer,...
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Teak

Minimalistic glass and metal desk, France 1970's
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Minimalistic glass and metal desk, France 1970's Metal wired desk with two glass shelves. The design reminds us of the work of Max Sauze. The met...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Campaign Desk On Faux Bamboo Metal Base With Brass Hardware
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1970s Campaign desk on faux bamboo metal base. Brass hardware, glass top. Some nicks in finish.
Category

1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Antique Victorian Walnut Writing Table Desk Hindley & Sons 19th Century
Located in London, GB
Antique Victorian walnut writing table, circa 1850 in date. One of the drawers is stamped by the maker: C.Hindley & Sons, late Miles & Edwards, 134 Oxford Street, London. It bears the inventory number 12451 The rectangular top features a moulded edge with a striking inset red leather writing surface over two cedar lined drawers to the frieze, fitted with Bramah locks. It is raised on four decorative barley twist legs terminating in brass castors. It is finished on all sides so that it can stand freely in the middle of a room. Complete with working Bramah locks and special key. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 76 x Width 123 x Depth 69 Dimensions in inches: Height 2 foot, 6 inches x Width 4 foot x Depth 2 foot, 3 inches Hindley, Charles & Sons Berners Street & Oxford Street, London; cabinet makers, upholsterers and retailers (fl.c.1820-1892) Charles Hugh Hindley (b.1792- d.1871) was the son of Christopher, a merchant in Mere, Wiltshire. He moved to London with an elder brother to live with his uncle, who was possibly running the London branch of the Wiltshire business. In 1817 Charles joined the upholstery firm of Benjamin Merriman Nias at 32 Berners Street. Within a few years he bought the Nias business with a £1,000 investment from his family. Despite his business being described as a 'carpet warehouse' in London directories from 1820-1841, by the mid-1830s upholstery and cabinet work had joined his repertoire and he had taken on more showroom space next door at 31 Berners Street. Family records of the 1840s showed that individual custom-order business expanded to also ‘supplying established furnishing houses with goods on wholesale terms’. Jobs ranged from supplying Pentonville Prison with 100 hair mattresses and pillows, to altering spring roller blinds, to fulfilling private commissions with suites of parlour furniture. Hindley was the father of eleven children with three involved in the business: Charles Hugh (b. 1818), Frederick (b. 1820), and Albert Daniel (b.1822). Charles Hugh and Frederick joined the family firm about 1832, thus establishing the family partnership, Charles Hindley & Sons. Albert Daniel learned the carpet manufactory and trade in Kidderminster and eventually established a carpet manufactory in Liversedge, Yorkshire, supplying the family’s London store and others. In 1845 he patented an early tufted carpeting technique. Charles Hindley & Sons acquired the firm, Miles & Edwards in September 1844, including their premises at 134 Oxford Street. Both companies operated from this address until 1845 when Miles & Edwards was closed. The purchase of Miles & Edwards enabled Hindley & Co. to compete with other West End firms by offering everything from cabinet making and upholstery to painted decoration and interior design for the middle and upper class market. In a sample of 737 orders from October 1842-June 1845, six per cent of the clientele were upper and lower aristocracy with approximately seventy per cent gentry or middle class. The aristocratic clientele included the surnames of Hoare, Kirland, Drummond, Montefiore, Ashburton and Rothschild, and the Oriental Club at 18 Hanover Square (1824). Bramah is London's oldest security company. Established at 124 Piccadilly, London in 1784, and today based in Marylebone, London and Romford, Essex. Bramah made their first lock in 1784 and the patent was awarded in 1787. The designer was Joseph Bramah. Joseph Bramah was a leading inventor of the industrial revolution, patenting over 18 new ideas, including a new valve for the water closet (toilet), the hydraulic pump, a fountain pen, and a fire engine. Bramah also introduced a beer hand pump for use at the bar, to prevent fluid loss when barmen went downstairs to pour a new jug! Due to the quality of his manufacturing, his name became a by-word amongst British Engineers for engineering excellence and many of his inventions are on display in the Science Museum in London. You can find one of his original toilets still working in Osborne House, Queen Victoria's home on the Isle of Wight. The Bramah lock was unique and advanced property and valuables protection enormously. Indeed it was 50 years ahead of any Chubb lock...
Category

1850s English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Mid-Century Modern Style Desk, Mahogany Finish
Located in Westwood, NJ
Mid-Century Modern style desk with a three-quarter wooden gallery, a single frieze drawer, and raised on square tapered legs. Finished in our dark mahogany stain. Dimensions: 48" ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Antique Burr Walnut Leather Top Desk / Writing Table
Located in London, GB
A stunning antique burr walnut leather top desk / writing table. This is in the Queen Anne style, it was made in England and dates from around the 1900-1920 period. It is of superb ...
Category

Early 1900s British Queen Anne Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Antique Figured Walnut Inlaid Bureau Desk, Writing Desk, Scotland 1810, H1166
Located in Vancouver, BC
Antique Figured Walnut Inlaid Bureau Desk, Writing Desk, Scotland 1810, H1166 Scotland 1810 Solid Walnut Original finish Rectangular top Cross banded fall front The interior of the...
Category

1810s Scottish Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Queen Anne Secretary Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Antique style drop front secretary desk, made in Queen Anne style with brass hardware. Petite size, with 22x17" desk space, great for small space. Please confirm location NY or NJ
Category

Mid-20th Century Queen Anne Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Restored Bauhaus Small Dissociative Table, by Mücke-Melder, Chrome, Czech, 1930s
Located in Horomerice, CZ
Dissociative: 95 cm / 37.4″ It has been re-polished with polyutherane piano lacquer by our professional refurbishing team in Czechia according to the original process. The chrome p...
Category

1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Victorian Mahogany Spinet Desk, 19th C
Located in New York, NY
Victorian Mahogany Spinet Desk, mid-19th Century. Dealer: S138XX
Category

Mid-19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Antique Charles II Revival Oak and Elm Writing Desk Dressing
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique fine quality Charles II revival C1920 oak and elm writing desk or dressing table. Solid heavy, no loose joints and no woodworm. Full of age, character and charm. The oak l...
Category

1920s Charles II Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Elm, Oak

Jack Cartwright for Founders Mid Century Modern Desk in Walnut
Located in Boynton Beach, FL
Beautiful executive desk designed by Jack Cartwright for Founders. Stunning walnut veneered desk top and drawer fronts encased in in solid walnut legs and sides. Finished back with...
Category

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

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Antique French Mahogany & Ormolu Bureau Plat Writing Desk C1910
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French bureau plat writing desk offers shaped mahogany construction with paneled case with drawers, foliate cast ormolu mounts and raised on cabriole legs, c1910 Measures...
Category

Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Mid Century Modern Writing Desk with 4 Drawers
Located in Freehold, NJ
This mid century modern writing desk by Drexel features hardwood construction, original limed oak finish, four dovetailed drawers with brass accented hardware and unique stretcher base.

Matching pair of...
Category

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

Materials

Oak

1920's Red and Blue Wooden Desk
Located in Brno, CZ
This is a recently restored wooden desk believed to be designed in the 1920’s, with the red and blue colours being the original combination of this piece. The main colour of the tabl...
Category

1920s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Gispen Industrial "7804" Desk with Blue Drawer Fronts and a Linoleum Writing Top
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gispen industrial desk with blue drawers, blue linoleum top and grey enameled metal frame. Part of the 'Kleuro' line of office furniture from the late 50's and 60's. This was a line ...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Executive Desk by John Widdicomb
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegant mid-century vintage desk from skilled craftsmen of Grand Rapids' John Widdicomb Fine Furniture. An ample walnut desktop measuring over 10 square feet offers plenty of workspa...
Category

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

Materials

Metal, Brass

Prouve Inspired Writing Desk with Compass Legs by Marko
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Prouve Inspired industrial writing desk by Marko. Formica top with blue enameled metal compass legs and one side cabinet with two blue drawers. Great for a loft space or work studio....
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Georgian Oak Side Table or Writing Table A Georgian Country Oak Lowboy
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Georgian Oak Side Table or Writing Table A Georgian Country Oak Lowboy, this is a charming piece with a decorative kneehole to the centre front The Low Boy stands on square slightl...
Category

Early 1800s Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

American Mid Century Modern Paul McCobb Planner Group Maple # 1560 Desk 1950's
Located in Portland, OR
A good American Mid Century Modern, "Planner Group" maple desk designed by Paul McCobb, 1950's. This iconic and elegant desk by P:aul McCobb having a pair of graduated drawers to the...
Category

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

Materials

Maple

LOVELY VINTAGE PEDESTAL DESK WiTH EMBOSSED BROWN LEATHER
Located in Pulborough, GB
Antiques of London We are delighted to offer for sale this Lovely Vintage Desk With Embossed Brown Leather Desk. A vintage desk with embossed b...
Category

20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather

Newly Refinished - Mid-Century Modern Walnut Desk with Finished Back
Located in Los Angeles, CA
With over 15 years of experience, our workshop has followed a careful process of restoration, showcasing our passion and creativity for vintage designs that can seamlessly be incorpo...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Antique Edwardian Inlaid Desk by Maple & Co
Located in London, GB
A wonderful antique Edwardian inlaid desk by Maple & co. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1900-1910 period. It is of superb qu...
Category

Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Wood

"Brenne" Bean-shaped Burl Wood Desk by Christiane Lemieux
Located in New York, NY
The design continuum continues to evolve in this artistic luxury piece. The iconic kidney shape first appeared as a writing desk or dressing table during the Louis XV period of 16th ...
Category

2010s Vietnamese Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Burl

Coast Table Square by Sun at Six, Nude Minimalist Dining Table or Desk in Wood
Located in San Jose, CA
Sun at Six is a contemporary furniture design studio that works with traditional Chinese joinery masters to handcraft our pieces using traditional joinery. Handcrafted using traditio...
Category

2010s Chinese Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Folk Art Secretary Style Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 20th century. Handmade and hand painted. Roof drops down to a desk or storage. Extra storage below. Desk Height - 29.5"
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Elegant Italian Small Desk in Cherry and Mahogany
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Writing desk, cherry, mahogany, brass, formica, Italy, 1950s Very elegant desk made in Italy in the 1950s. The framework is executed in cherry. The...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Italian desk, wood and colored glass, 1950s
Located in Palermo, PA
Italian desk, wood and colored glass, 1950s. Dimensions: H= 77 cm; W= 136 cm; D= 68 cm.
Category

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

Materials

Stained Glass, Wood

Tyrolean Style Ornate Pine Desk or Table with Locking Drawer from Austria
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful, almost folkloristic, Tyrolean style desk with pine wood frame and lower locking drawer. Organically carved, its traditional features in natural wood tone contrasted by an ...
Category

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

Materials

Pine

Early 20th Century French Louis XV Inlaid Walnut Table with Protective Glass
Located in Dallas, TX
Place this antique writing table in a bedroom or use it as a side table next to a chair or sofa in your living room. Crafted in France, circa 1920, the delicate table stands on cabri...
Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Scandinavian Modern Teak Desk
Located in Trenton, NJ
Discover a desk that beautifully combines form and function with this Danish Modern Teak writing desk. This piece is a tribute to iconic Scandinavian design and the enduring appeal o...
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Beautiful Victorian Leather Top Writing Table
Located in Crawley, GB
We delight to offer for sale this stunning Victorian rounded rectangular writing table, tooled and gilt writing surface, drawers to frieze, turned and panelled legs, ceramic caster...
Category

Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Antique Burr Walnut Kidney Shaped Desk, Writing Table, Scotland 1870, H1178
Located in Vancouver, BC
Antique Burr Walnut Kidney Shaped Desk, Writing Table, Scotland 1870, H1178 Scotland 1870 Solid Walnut and veneer Original finish Free standing kidney shaped writing desk Having a s...
Category

1870s Scottish Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Mid Century Modern Solid Oak Desk with Laminate Top
Located in Tulsa, OK
Mid Century Modern Solid Oak Desk with Laminate Top Good vintage condition with one leg having a portion split away from the bracing screw which leads to some give in the leg. Addi...
Category

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

Materials

Oak, Laminate

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.

Recently Viewed

View All