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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Elegant Mid-Century Desk Designed by Severin Hansen Jr. 1950s
Located in Lejre, DK
This desk is an iconic example of Danish midcentury design, created by the talented designer Severin Hansen and manufactured by the renowned Haslev Møbelfabrik in the 1950s. The desk...
Category
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Stickley Brothers Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Drop Front Secretary Desk
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Mission or Arts & Crafts slant front writing desk
By Stickley Brothers
USA, Early 20th Century
Quarter sawn oak, with hammered copper hardware. Desk locks, and ...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Copper
Jacques Pastel Pink Dining Table in Bird's Eye Maple by Fred&Juul
By Fred&Juul
Located in Fiesole, Florence
Designed with the aim to find the perfect balance between clean lines and warm texture. Consisting of 5 rounded, 50 mm thick slats with bird’s eye maple veneer, the dining or coffee ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Birdseye Maple, Maple
Antique French Regency Louis XV Ladies Writing Desk and Gold Gilt Desk Chair
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique French Regency Louis XV style bureau de pente roll top ladies writing desk with petite Italian gold gilt desk chair
In the manner of Vernis Martin
France and Ita...
Category
1920s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Zanotta Quaderna 2750Table/Writing Desk in White Plastic Laminate by Superstudio
By Superstudio, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Quaderna Table/Writing Desk in White Plastic Laminate by Superstudio
Honeycomb core structure coated with white plastic laminate, digitally p...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Plastic
Anthroposophical Children's Desk by Felix Kayser for Schiller Möbel, circa 1930
By Felix Kayser, Schiller Möbel
Located in Berlin, DE
Anthroposophical children's desk designed by Felix Kayser made of handcrafted ash wood. The desk was probably made by Schiller-Möbel, Stuttgart, Germany, c. 1930.
Literature: Reinhol...
Category
1930s German Other Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ash, Wood
Early 19th Century Louis XVI Style Gentleman's Bureau Dressing Table Vanity Desk
By Jean-Henri Riesener
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and exceptional large French speckled plum pudding mahogany rosewood marble ormolu flip-top mirrored gentleman's bureau dressing table / writing desk (poudreuse coiffeuse de t...
Category
Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Regency Rosewood Library Table Attributed To Gillows
Located in Sherborne, GB
English rosewood library table, attributed to Gillows of Lancaster and London. With elaborate holly wood inlay/marquetry cross banding using Thomas Wilkinson’s tracings who was a dra...
Category
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Gunnar Nielsen Tibergaard Danish Modern Floating Teak Desk
Located in San Francisco, CA
Danish Modern Gunnar Nielsen Tibergaard teak desk, having a rectangular top, above the four drawer case and rising on tapered legs. Desk top has ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Antique Italian Renaissance Library Table in Carved Walnut, 17th C. and Later
Located in Dallas, TX
Measuring over 7.5 feet long, this handsome Italian library table could function as a console or large desk. Originally hand-carved from walnut, the table has some elements that are ...
Category
17th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal, Iron
Antique English Victorian Mahogany Folding Military Campaign Writing Desks
Located in Dayton, OH
2 Civil War era British campaign writing desks. Made of mahogany featuring a folding form that opens to a writing surface complete with ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Campaign Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Strata Low Shelf in Powder Coated Aluminum by Fort Standard
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This contemporary, three-tier open shelving unit is powder coated aluminum in nude. It features precision milled plate shelves that graduate in thickness from a 3/8” plate on the top...
Category
2010s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum
Modernist 5 drawer writing desk, Netherlands 1960s
Located in ECHT, NL
Minimalistic designed writing desk. The top is made from solid wood and is painted green. The top has 5 drawers. 3 located on the front and 1 on each side. The middle drawer is the d...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Huge Gilded Ebonized Period French Louis XV Marble Top Butlers Desk Commode
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
For customers that require professional insured delivery we are proud to have teamed up with a nationwide professional delivery company that will assist with coordinating your delivery needs! They offer a reasonable flat-rate fee for delivery and set up to the ground floor of your home. They deliver to the vast majority of the lower 48 states. They offer a flat rate for most of our items with exclusions for the largest or most complex items such as breakfronts or crystal chandeliers or other items of greater complexity. For those items please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase as these rates are different from our stated pricing. For those items please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase. Most deliveries to the East Coast will be 295.00, to the mid-west and Southern mid-west 395.00. To the areas west of Kansas 495.00 and the farthest points to the West coast will be 595.00. Again, some areas we can't cover, however we can deliver to most of the lower 48 states so please inquire to be sure! Delivery times range from as fast as 1-4 weeks for the east coast to 5-9 weeks to the farthest areas of the west coast, sometimes longer and sometimes even shorter. If it is a time sensitive purchase, we may be able to accommodate you for a higher price. It is our goal to please each and every one of our customers with the highest standard of service possible. You must realize and accept that we are shipping antique, vintage and quality used furnishings to your home. We cannot control traffic, weather, and acts of God. There will be times when additional patience will be necessary.
Please see video below.
This is a very rare, monumental butlers desk or large scale commode in solid oak with incredible hand polished and hand-hewn quarried marble. The piece has been painstakingly gilded and ebonized in a French-polished shellac finish and has a red interior. The piece features two side doors which at one time had adjustable shelves. Take a look at the incredible chunky antique locks...
Category
1770s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Late 19th Century Louis XIV Style Library Table by Francois Linke
Located in Chicago, IL
Francois Linke is among the most important furniture makers of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He is most noted for his commission of the Ras al-Tin Palace in Alexandria...
Category
Late 19th Century French Louis XIV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Sculpted Dining Table in Solid Oakwood 'Custom Size S'
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Dining table of solid oak (+ linseed oil)
(Outdoor use OK)
SÓHA design studio conceives and produces furniture design and decorative objects in solid oak in an authentic style. Insp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique Louis XVI Table Writing Desk In Walnut - Italy 19th
Located in Atlanta, GA
This elegant Louis XVI-style writing desk, crafted in solid walnut, dates to the early 19th century and originates from Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. With its restrained lines and r...
Category
19th Century Italian Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Small Wooden Writing Desk with Metal Structure, Italy, 1960s
Located in Madrid, ES
Small writing desk of wood and metal, Formica table top. Front of the two drawers painted in black and white. Made in Italy in the 1960s. Please note some marks on the top and wear o...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Post Modern Black & Brass Desk after Gilbert Rohde in Art Deco Form
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A simple modern nod to the art deco period. This desk features glossy black laminate with brass accents. Probably Italian circa 1980's. Nice clean original condition.
Category
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Vintage Modernist Desk by Ib Kofod Larsen, Sweden, 1960s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Stylish teak desk by Ib Kofod Larsen, with a spacious table top and two drawers. The open sides give a lightness to the design.
Category
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Philipp Plein office brown desk in split leather with a crocodile skin effect
Located in Oirlo, LI
In a luxurious penthouse, nestled in the heart of a bustling city, stood a desk unlike any other. It was the creation of Philipp Plein, a designer whose name was synonymous with bo...
Category
1970s German Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
Pierre Paulin Maple "Model 250" Executive Desk with Cabinets for Dassas, France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very rare "Model 250" executive desk with detached rolling filing cabinets designed by Pierre Paulin for Dassas, France, 1975. Constructed of gorgeous Birdseye Maple. Drawers and cab...
Category
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Antique French Ormolu Mounted Roll Top Desk in the Style of Riesener
By Jean-Henri Riesener
Located in London, GB
Antique French ormolu mounted roll top desk in the style of Riesener
French, 19th Century
Height 120cm, width 146cm, depth 73cm
This magnificent 19th-century bureau à cylindre, als...
Category
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Ormolu
Petite Sunset Writing Desk, in Canyon Oak, by August Abode
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The latest addition to our Sunset Collection - a writing desk with a vintage feel. It features a solid wood top paired with lathe-turned legs and two pencil drawers.
Dimensions:
P...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Walnut
Göran Strand for Lelångs Möbelfabrik, Model A10 Danish Modern Swedish Desk
By Göran Strand
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Göran Strand for Lelångs Möbelfabrik, Model A10 Mid-Century Modern Swedish Desk
A stunning example of Swedish / Danish Mid-Century Modern design, this Model A10 desk was masterfully...
Category
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
"Xilte" Desk
By ADN Studio
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
The "Xitle" desk is part of ADN Studio´s Volcan Collection. This collection seeks to go back to basics. It is a subtle and refined interpretation of the archetypical modern furniture...
Category
2010s Mexican Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Theo Tempelman large writing desk in walnut AP Originals The Netherlands 1960
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
Beautiful executive desk designed by Theo Tempelman for AP Originals, The Netherlands 1960. This sophisticated writing desk exemplifies the seamless blend of form and function charac...
Category
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Teak Desk Made by Erik Kierkegaard for Gustav Bertelsen
Located in London, GB
Erik Kirkegaard: Desk of teak. Front with two drawers. Made by cabinetmaker Gustav Bertelsen. H. 74 cm. L. 150 cm. W. 75 cm.
List Price of £4200 includes professional sanding and re...
Category
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Desk
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
A late 19th Century Gustavian style desk.
Decorative carved detailing around the stretch on all four sides. With one drawer, repainted in soft grey.
Seat height 67cm.
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Sculpted Dining Table in Solid Oakwood 'Custom Size L'
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Dining table of solid oak (+ linseed oil)
(Outdoor use OK)
SÓHA design studio conceives and produces furniture design and decorative objects in solid oak in an authentic style. Insp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
American Designer, Desk, Rosewood, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A rosewood desk designed and produced in the US, c. 1950s.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
Baker Furniture Regency Burlwood Writing Desk
Located in Countryside, IL
Baker Furniture Regency Burlwood Writing Desk
This desk measures: 48 wide x 26 deep x 29.5 high, with a chair clearance of 24.5 inches
We take ...
Category
Early 2000s American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
1960s Peter Løvig Nielsen 'Boomerang' Desk in Palisander Hedensted Møbelfabrik
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished
- Stamped.
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1950s Danish Writing Desk by Helmut Magg — Restored Design Classic
By Helmut Magg
Located in Las Vegas, NV
1950s Danish Writing Desk by Helmut Magg — Restored Design Classic
This elegant lady's writing desk, designed by Helmut Magg and produced by the Neue Gemeinschaft für Wohnkultur (WK ...
Category
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Walnut
Spanish Colonial Carved Walnut 1 Drawer Writing Library Table Desk Console MINT!
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Spanish Colonial Carved Walnut 1 Drawer Writing Library Table Desk Console MINT!
Category
20th Century Italian Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Partners Pedestal Desk 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a fine and very rare antique Victorian burr walnut twin pedestal partners desk, Circa 1860 in date.
It is made from fabulous burr walnut, the rectangular top with a fabulous inset gold tooled green leather writing surface.
One side has an arrangement of three drawers in the frieze over a pair of pedestals each with three graduated drawers, the other side has a central frieze drawer with a cupboard in each pedestal, each opens to a central shelf.
The desk is fitted with the original turned walnut handles and it stands on a plinth base raised on brass castors.
The desk has its original locks and keys and the locks are stamped H&C, By Royal Letters Patent.
Instil the elegance of a bygone era to a special place in your home with this fabulous decorative antique desk...
Category
1860s English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Limbert Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Writing Desk or Library Table, 1910
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional antique Mission or Arts & Crafts library table or writing desk
By Charles P. Limbert Co.
USA, Circa 1910
Solid quartersawn oak, with original copper hardware.
Meas...
Category
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Copper
French Painted Wood Skai & Brass Side Table Writing Table One Drawer, circa 1910
Located in Labrit, Landes
French antique side or writing table, circa 1910.
Louis 16 style
One large drawer
The top is recovered with skai.
Good antique condition
Shipping:
45 / 85 / 75 cm 12 kg
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Vintage Hooker Furniture Solid Wood Archivist Desk
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Antique style Hooker Furniture archivist desk. Made out of solid wood that looks like mahogany.
The top has three inserts in burgundy leather with brass trim. The desk has 5 drawers....
Category
20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Arne Jacobsen 'AJ52' Desk in Oiled Walnut and Leather for Carl Hansen & Son
Located in Glendale, CA
Arne Jacobsen 'AJ52' Desk in Oiled Walnut and Leather for Carl Hansen & Son
The story of Danish Modern begins in 1908 when Carl Hansen opened his first workshop. His firm commitment...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood, Walnut
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desk with Originalpaint
Located in Boden, SE
19th century Swedish Gustavian desk from Umea Vasterbotten, Northern Sweden.
Nice Gustavian desk scraped to its originalpaint.
Reeded sides.
...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
19th Century French Hand Carved Oak Desk with Iron Stretcher
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Design
19th French hand carved oak wood table desk with iron stretcher.
This antique French hand carved oak wood desk features a bea...
Category
Late 19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Lovely French Marble Top Cafe Table with Iron Base
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Versatile French marble top rectangular cafe table or writing desk having black iron base.
Category
1940s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Iron
Jacques Adnet Iron and Oak Desk, 1950s France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental Art Deco era desk by French Modernist designer Jacques Adnet. Black iron 'A' frame with 4 angled iron legs. Solid oak table top wrapped in black leather with brass studs p...
Category
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Fine 18th Century Swedish Rococo Desk
Located in Bozeman, MT
Fine 18th century Swedish Rococo desk / console table with one drawer and in Its original colour. Ca 1770 Sweden.
Category
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
English Pine Two Drawer Table
Located in Wilson, NC
English pine two drawer table in England, they refer to this as ''pitch pine'', here we call it ''heart pine'', by whatever term, it is beautiful wood...
Category
1870s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French Louis XV Satinwood and Mahogany Bureau Plat Leather Top Writing Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Elegant French Louis XV style writing desk or bureau plat desk with stunning diamond marquetry on drawers. Lovely versatile medium size, stunning bronze figural female bust mounts o...
Category
1970s American Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Pembroke Desk by AMBROZIA, Oxidized Walnut, Blackened Steel, Cognac Leather
By AMBROZIA
Located in Drummondville, Quebec
This Organic/Modern Pembroke writing desk/table is handmade to order from a hand selected solid wood desk top with a hand rubbed natural oil and wax finish that enhance the real beauty of the wood and give a natural warm touch. The elegant style came from our unique studio-machined Pembroke legs...
Category
2010s Canadian Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
English Regency Brass Mounted Exotic Woods Writing Table, Gillows, circa 1820
Located in Kinderhook, NY
An exceptional circa 1820 English regency period rectangular-form writing or occasional table attributed to Gillows having brass bound cusped-corner top with ebony line inlay and satinwood feather-banding surrounding center field of bookmatched amboyna, the double elliptical high arched stretchers joining gilt-brass-mounted end supports having turned calamander spindles and braces issuing turned finials between ebony downswept legs ending in acanthus-leaf-cast brass casters.
Several 'spindle end' writing tables were featured in the 'Gillows Estimate Sketch Book' of 1818, and a table of similar end supports stamped GILLOWS LANCASTER is illustrated in Susan Stuart's 'Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840', Vol. I., Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club, 2008. pl. 329, p. 301, stating "a table frame with spindle ends was supplied in the 1820s by Gillows of London to display marble brought back from the Grand Tour by the Tempests of Broughton Hall...
Category
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Spanish Colonial Writing Table/Console, circa 18th-19th Century
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a superb example of a late 18th century or early 19th century Spanish Colonial, most probably Mexican, three-drawer writing desk. The mesquite (perhaps sabino) wood structure...
Category
Early 19th Century Mexican Spanish Colonial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French Empire style mahogany bronze mounted leather top writing desk. C 1940.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
French Empire style mahogany bronze mounted, leather top writing desk. C 1940.
Category
1940s French Empire Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Antique Victorian Walnut Leather Top Pedestal Desk
Located in London, GB
A very smart and well made antique Victorian Walnut leather top pedestal desk. This was made in England, it dates from around 1890-1900.
It is of lovely quality and is a useful size...
Category
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
L. & J. G. Stickley Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Trestle Dining Table
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Mission or Arts & Crafts solid quarter sawn oak trestle dining table, library table, or writing desk
By L. & J.G. Stickley
USA, Circa 1900
Measures: 71.75"W x 44.5"...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Rare Brass and Steel Aged Mirrored Top John Vesey Style Ebonzed Writing Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a stunning desk that was perhaps made by John Vesey, but we can't say with any degree of certainty. The elements are there, the steel and brass used to create the more averag...
Category
1980s European Directoire Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel
Vintage Chinoiserie Butterfly & Bird Custom Painted Tall Secretary Desk & Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Chinoiserie Butterfly & Bird Custom Painted 2 Piece Tall Secretary Desk & Chair. Item features blue and off-white painted finish with i...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cane, Wood
European Rustic Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Exquisitely designed to blend elegance with functionality. Crafted from high-quality mahogany wood and finished in our straw wash, this desk is a perfect addition to any home or offi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Rustic Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina.
Manufactured in Italy.
The idea of comfort itself becomes a sofa. Soriana came into being in 1969, thanks to an intuitive vision...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
19th C., 1800's Antique Desk, Writing, French Henri II Style, Carved, Oak!!
Located in Austin, TX
Stunning 19th C., 1800's Antique Desk, Writing, French Henri II Style, Carved, Oak!!
Gorgeous Antique Desk, Writing, French Henri II Style, Carved, Oak , 19th C., 1800s!
Elevate ...
Category
19th Century French Other Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
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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