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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: 1940s
Period: 1920s
Franco Albini for Knoll Desk Model '1928' in Glass and Metal
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Franco Albini for Knoll, desk model '1928', glass, wood, chromed steel, Italy, design 1949 Franco Albini’s '1928' desk combines glass, steel...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

Art Deco French Desk
Located in Houston, TX
Beautiful desk is made out of walnut wood, middle section of the desk top is covered with cowhide. Desk has 4 spacious drawers with wide chrome handles. Has prominent base and wide l...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

Gorgeous Inlaid Continental Louis XV Style Walnut Writing Desk circa 1920s
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a beautiful desk that features the design of a Louis XV desk and has the traits of an Italian desk as well. The desk has beautiful inlay and even bronze hardware. The desk me...
Category

1920s European Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Rare Rundform Series Berlin Writing Desk by Mauser Werke 1940s
Located in Aachen, NW
This rare and impressive Berlin executive desk from the Rundform series was designed in the 40s and produced by Mauser Werke in the late 40s. The impressive piece features 2 elements...
Category

1940s German Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Charming Old English Pine Desk with Great Details
Located in Bronx, NY
Charming old English pine desk with great details the desk has nine drawers, many of which lock (key included). The finish has been left natural so it has a lot of character.
Category

1940s English Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Red Lacquer Desk
Located in Greenwich, CT
Red lacquer desk with three drawers with pierce carvings motif.
Category

1920s Chinese Ming Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Lacquer

Art Deco Hungarian Desk in Walnut
Located in Houston, TX
Desk top is made out of high police walnut wood with cowhide insert in the middle. There are 2 drawers with chrome handles. Desk is elevated by thin chrome legs that are connected on...
Category

1940s Hungarian Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

French Art Deco Cerused Oak Curved Desk Attributed to Jules Leleu
Located in Houston, TX
French Art Deco cerused oak curved desk attributed to Jules Leleu. This stunning French Modern limed oak desk has beautiful bronze hardware and sabots with bookshelves on the front s...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Writing Desk in Wood and Glass with Armchair
Located in Milano, IT
Gorgeous vintage wooden and glass desk of fine Italian manufacture from the rationalist period of the 1920s/30s. The vintage writing desk is very rare and distinctive. The top is made entirely of clear glass, elegant and fine, rectangular shape, with some brass elements to give more stability. The top fits perfectly into the wooden frame. The base is the centerpiece, with its sinuous shapes worthy of such a rare piece. The base is made totally of light blue wood, beautiful and rare. The shapes are asymmetrical and resemble those of a Greek capital...
Category

1920s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Unique Walnut Desk by Melchiorre Bega, 1940
Located in Berlin, DE
Extraordinary, sculptural walnut desk by Melchiorre Bega, originally designed in 1940. Melchiorre Bega was born in Caselle di Crevalcore (BO) in 1898. He graduated in Architecture...
Category

1940s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Desk Art Deco in Wood from France 1920 " Free Shipping in Florida "
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
"Free shipping in florida" It was exhibited at Palm beach "American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF)" Desk Year 1920 French Wood and chrome Finish: polyurethanic lacquer It is an...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

Table Solid Cypress Chestnut and Fir Two-Tone Italian Natural Honey Color
Located in Buggiano, IT
Uncommon Table in solid cypress, chestnut and fir, two-tone, Italian, natural honey-colored top, very sturdy, with drawer. Shellac and wax finish. Very sturdy and solid. Legroom in...
Category

1940s Italian Rustic Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fir, Chestnut, Cypress

1940s Writing Table, with Drawers and Gilded Bronzes, Italy
Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)
Tavolo scrittoio anni '40, in bellissimo legno chiaro lastronato, massello e intarsiato con trama geometrica, originale con cassettini e bronzi dorati come arricchimento, costruito i...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Arnold Madsen Club Legged Desk / Table in Beech, Scandinavian Modern, 1940s
Located in Odense, DK
Early and important desk attributed to Danish designer Arnold Madsen. The club-shaped legs are made from solid pieces of hand turned beechwood and resembles the legs on Madsens famou...
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech

Osvaldo Borsani Wooden Desk Covered with Parchment Steel Handles 1940 Italy
Located in Milano, IT
Desk Wood Parchment. The plan has so esattamente shortcomings.
Category

1940s European Other Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Parchment Paper, Carbon Fiber

Paul Frankl Rare Kidney Desk in Mahogany, Birch, Leather and Brass, USA, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Company of Grand Rapids rare exquisite desk from Station Wagon Group, USA, 1940s. This organic desk consists of two separate parts - desk top in rich mahogany and three drawer cabinet in mahogany and birch with leather and brass pulls. This modernist design has beautiful and playful elements which allow modifications in orientation. The desk top with legs rests on the cabinet through the use of a circular birch column which can be adjusted anywhere on the cabinet top to create different angles in the configuration and different overall lengths. Truly an iconic design, this chic desk exemplifies Frankl early use of biomorphic form.  Branded mark "JOHNSON FURNITURE CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH."  Adjustable desk length: 55-66 in Desk top including legs measurements: H 28.25 x W 48 x D 23.5 in Cabinet measurements...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Hepplewhite Sheraton Style Inlaid Mahogany Tambour Writing Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This American made 1920s era mahogany piece is made in the quality level of New York makers. With the leather top removed, the metal tray makes a convenient wine tasting tray or table.
Category

1920s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Louis XVI Style Tulipwood Writing Table
Located in Essex, MA
With new black tooled leather top and cross banded edge and brass edge over a frieze with three drawers and raised on square tapered legs. Provenance ; Waldorf Towers NYC. L. Supplie...
Category

1920s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Early Dunbar Leather Curved Desk and Chair by Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
An early design by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Original lilac leather and bleached mahogany curved desk with built in bookshelves. The drawers are hinged and swing open. The original ...
Category

1940s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather

DC-3 ‘Dakota’ Wingtip Desk
Located in London, GB
The Douglas DC-3 was designed in the mid-1930s as a passenger and freight aircraft, but built during the war years 1941-1945 in large numbers, as the DC-3 (C47) Transport Plane known...
Category

1940s American Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Eugenio & Ermenegildo Soncini Architects Desk, Italy, 1940s
Located in Milan, IT
Architects Desk from the Eugenio & Ermenegildo Soncini Architecture Firm, Milan, Italy, 1940s. A tubular structure with a wood top and base protection. Adjustable inclination.
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Osvaldo Borsani Desk
Located in New York, NY
7-drawer desk by Osvaldo Borsani for ABV. Rosewood, maple, brass. Curved desk finished on both sides. A variant of an earlier model that originally covered in parchment and designed ...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Unique Czech Art Deco Secretary/Writing Desk, Rosewood 1920-1929
Located in Horomerice, CZ
Art Deco sideboard and secretary made out of rosewood Material: Rosewood Completely restored, Shellac polish. Period: 1920-1929 Source: Czechia.  
Category

1920s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Rosewood, Lacquer

Rare Paul Frankl Cork and Mahogany Kneehole Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
C. 1940s, American, the mahogany eight- drawer desk encased in cork veneer on four sides, with book storage-well on the reverse. Bakelite and brass pulls....
Category

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

Materials

Mahogany, Cork

Gio Ponti Style Modern Italian Library or Dining Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Sharply tailored mahogany writing or dining table with single side drawer and sculpted legs ending in brass sabots. Measure: Drawer is 20.5" deep and 19.25" wide.
Category

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

Materials

Mahogany

French Mid-Century Dining Table/Desk with Leaf
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful 1940s MidCcentury French dining table with 1 leaf. Splayed leg base. Marked "XXXXVIII" and "48" on bottom. Could make a fabulous desk! Very good looking piece in great orig...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Art Nouveau Double Sided Walnut and Rosewood Desk by Lajos Kozma, 1930
Located in Rome, IT
This rare large double sided desk was designed by Lajos (Ludwig) Kozma, who had an unprecedented influence on the European design through his drawings, buildings and furniture. Th...
Category

1920s European Art Nouveau Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Architectural Mid Century Desk, 1940s, Sweden
Located in Berlin, DE
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Bauhaus Desk by Erich Diekmann, Rosewood Veneer, Restored, Germany, 1920s
Located in Regensburg, DE
Original, well restored Bauhaus Executive Desk, attributed to Erich Diekmann, Germany, 1923-1925 at at Staatliche Bauhochschule Weimar (Bauhaus). Wonderful rosewood (Palisander) veneer with excellent 2K clear lacquer high-gloss finish. Inside in bright maple and satin finish and high-gloss finished at the doors inside. Polished decorative stainless steel trims around the top (thin) and bottom (thick). Nickel fittings and details, newly galvanized and polished. Old locks repaired. At the back there are two book compartments...
Category

1920s German Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Stainless Steel, Nickel

Outstanding Industrial Iron Desk
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Extraordinary iron desk, vinyl top, nice shaped legs. Six drawers and very nice sculptural back.
Category

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

Pair of English Console Tables, Sold Individually
Located in New York, NY
Pair of English circa 1940's mahogany console/desk tables with carved details and front drawer. Sold Individually. Measurements: Height: 30.25" Width: 54" Depth: 32.25"
Category

1940s English Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Mahogany

Victorian Soapstone Laboratory Writing Desk Bohemian Rustic Farmhouse Steel Fire
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Wonderful example of 19th century Laboratory (Institutional, Academia) Furniture. Writing desk with pullout vulcanized surfaced writing board and single drawer. Estimated weight: ...
Category

1920s American Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Soapstone, Brass, Steel

Art Deco Rosewood and Gilded Albert Fournier Dining Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brazilian rosewood dining table by Albert Fournier et Cie. Gold leaf harlequin pattern on surface with brass perimeter details and brass sabots. The ce...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Gold Leaf

Wood, Fabric and Glass Italian 1940s Rationalist Desk
Located in Varese, Lombardia
A beautiful and rare desk in the style of Franco Albini. It is made from a wooden crossed structure with a chrome-plated rod. A studded octagonal top is covered with red "panno Lenci...
Category

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

Materials

Metal, Brass, Chrome

Console Table, Italy 1940s
Located in Greding, DE
Art Deco console table on a U-shaped blackened wooden frame with intermediate metal struts and rectangular table top covered with white goatskin. In unrestored original condition wit...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Vintage Modern Writing Desk by Wolfgang Hoffman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stylish black lacquer writing desk features the unique vintage design of Mid-Century Modern designer Wolfgang Hoffman. Spacious drawers with tubu...
Category

1940s American Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze-Mounted Bois-Satiné Writing Table
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
A fine French kidney shaped bureau plat desk, having an inset beige leather top. Two side drawers over cabriole legs with ormolu mounts.
Category

1940s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Rare Gio Ponti Administrative Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti desk designed in limited edition for city offices of Forlì, Italy. Original red Formica writing surface on European beechwood with 8 floating drawers. Brass base on legs. ...
Category

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

Materials

Formica, Beech

Art Nouveau Double Sided Walnut and Rosewood Desk by Lajos Kozma, 1930
Located in Rome, IT
This rare large double sided desk was designed by Lajos (Ludwig) Kozma, who had an unprecedented influence on the European design through his drawings, buildings and furniture. Th...
Category

1920s European Art Nouveau Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Vilhelm Lauritzen, Desk, Brass, Mahogany, Radiohuset, Denmark, 1945
Located in High Point, NC
A brass and mahogany desk designed and produced by Vilhelm Lauritzen for the Director of the Danish National Radio, Denmark, 1945. Illustrated in “Vilhelm Lauritzen EN MODERNE ARKI...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

French Modern Neoclassical Ebony & Leather Desk /Writing Table, JeanMichel Frank
Located in New York, NY
An elegant French Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical desk in the style of Jean-Michel Frank. The piece was hand made by a small French workshop and is original in design, handsome and f...
Category

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

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Fantastic Gilbert Rohde Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic Gilbert Rohde desk.
Category

1940s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

Swedish Art Moderne Black Writing Desk with Zebra Hide Insert
Located in Atlanta, GA
Fabulous black lacquered writing desk with bookcase and lockable cabinet on front and curved desktop, pencil drawer and another cabinet wit...
Category

1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Cowhide, Leather, Wood

Fine French Art Deco Oak Table by P. Bloch and Charles Dudouyt
By Pierre Bloch, La Gentilhommière 1
Located in Long Island City, NY
Fine French Art Deco oak table designed by Pierre Bloch and edited by Charles Dudouyt (founder of La Gentilhommière). Two original end leaves (widt...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

A Fine French Art Deco Expandable Dining Table with Ribbed Brass Conical Legs
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large French Art Deco oak table with 4 ribbed brass conical legs and a parqueted top. Possibility of two end extension leaves. Color of the legs is closer to top than it appears o...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Mahogany French Art Deco Jules Leleu Manner Dining Room Table period 1920s
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Code: FS89 Spectacular rectangular Art Deco table of 1920s Legs in solid mahogany wood. Top laquered cream with decoration blacks rhombus. P...
Category

1920s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Desk by A. Bender Madsen and Ejner Larsen for Willy Beck Cabinetmaker
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Interesting and rare Danish designed desk by A. Bender Madsen and Ejner Larsen and manufactured by Willy Beck. Desk features a 21-inch drop-leaf. Ta...
Category

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

Materials

Rosewood, Teak

French Marquetry Desk and Chair Set After Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Marquetry top desk and chair set, in the style of LeLeu. French, circa 1940. Desk and matching chair feature steel and brass base with criss-cross ...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Massive Art Deco Split Reed/ Stick Wicker and Walnut Desk
Located in Buffalo, NY
Unusual Art Deco split reed / stick wicker desk with compelling architectural lines and dramatic presence. Two end pieces with three drawers each, rise above center work area with...
Category

1940s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wicker, Reed, Walnut

French Mid-Century Ebonized and Mirrored Desk, by Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
French mid-century (1940s) ebonized and mirrored desk with five drawers and an off-white leather writing surface (Maison Jansen). Maison Jansen was a Paris-based interior decorati...
Category

1940s French Directoire Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mirror, Leather, Wood

A Fine French Art Deco Rosewood and Marquetry Dining Table by Segal
Located in Long Island City, NY
With a wooden and mother of pearl marquetry top, brass details on the two pedestals and 2 end leaves.     
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

1920s Amsterdam School Desk In Oakwood, Macassar Ebony and Leather - Netherlands
Located in Girona, ES
Splendid desk, solid oakwood with Macassar ebony base, original leather on top with Macassar ebony base and handles, French polish. Design: Amsterdam School. Netherlands, Amste...
Category

1920s Dutch Expressionist Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Macassar, Oak, Leather

Mid-Century Modern Carlo de Carli Writing Desk Solid Beech Maple and Mahogany
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Mid-Century Modern Carlo di Carli writing desk in solid beech, maple, and mahogany the bottom of the three drawers. Lacquered steel handles with leather Mobili di Cantù , cabinetma...
Category

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

Materials

Beech, Mahogany, Maple

Jansen French Louis XVI Style Ebonized and Black Leather Desk
Located in New York, NY
French Louis XVI style (1940s) ebonized & gilt bronze trim desk / cartonnier with 2 drawers and a black leather & gold tooled top supported on 4 tapered square legs. (stamped: JANSEN)
Category

1940s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Gold Leaf, Ormolu

French Louis XVI Style Jansen Ebonized Davenport Table
Located in New York, NY
French Louis XVI style (1940s) ebonized davenport table with bronze trim on 2 drawers with ring handles having light green decoration matching the top (stamped: JANSEN).
Category

1940s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Italian 1940's wooden desk attributed to Ignazio Gardella
Located in Milan, IT
Exquisite craftsmanship desk, Attributed to Ignazio Gardella. The desk has 3 side drawers and 3 drawers on the top. The top and drawers box are covered with a thick green linoleum.
Category

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

Materials

Brass

1940s Paul Frankl Eight-Drawer Desk Art Deco Style By Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Rare Paul Frankl designed eight-drawer desk for the Johnson Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Re-furbished and newly lacquered cork top, in a satin lacquer white finish. Body of desk also mahogany brown finish. Handles appear to be bakelite, with brass brackets, also newly polished. Exposed concave cut-out to center back of desk for storing books, much like a sculptural effect of a Sol LeWitt or Donald Judd floating square cut-outs piece of art and we say art, because it is an art form to pull off stunning design, with function as the forefront to any furniture, as the body floating has an ethereal quality. As does the body of the desk prove...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Belle Epoch Painted Table
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautifully Decorated Center Table
Category

1940s Italian Vintage 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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