Desks and Writing Tables
Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 1900s French Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Pine
18th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-18th Century English Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Early 20th Century English Anglo-Japanese Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Satinwood
1920s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 18th Century German Louis XIV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Tin
17th Century Portuguese Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
Early 20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Suede
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
18th Century George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Elm
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 1900s French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Wood
Early 18th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
18th Century Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
18th Century German Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Walnut, Burl
18th Century and Earlier English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
18th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
17th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
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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