Desks and Writing Tables
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1970s North American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Maple
Early 20th Century Czech Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century American American Classical Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1880s French Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century American Classical Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Poplar
Early 20th Century Javanese Dutch Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Late 19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Leather
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Macassar, Burl
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1990s Indian Anglo-Indian Desks and Writing Tables
Bone, Teak
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak
2010s Italian Minimalist Desks and Writing Tables
Birch, Oak, Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Ash, Lacquer
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Walnut
1960s Danish Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
2010s American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Ash
1920s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Birch
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
17th Century French Louis XIII Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Cane, Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Chrome
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Early 2000s American George III Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Unknown Adam Style Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
1840s British Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
2010s Portuguese Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Shagreen Stingray
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate, Walnut
1880s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Bronze
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Onyx, Travertine, Carrara Marble, Quartz, Steel, Brass, Stainles...
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Birch
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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