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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: 1950s
Period: 1920s
20th Century Melchiorre Bega Desk with wooden structure, drawers Brass details
Located in Turin, Turin
Born in Bologna but grown up in Milan, Melchiorre Bega is a fine professional who spans five decades and three seasons of Italian architecture, from rationalism to international styl...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Louis XV Style Carved Oak Drop Front Two Drawers Secretary Bureau, 1920s
Located in Barntrup, DE
Louis XV Style carved oak drop front secretary or bureau or writing desk, two drawers with shaped bronze handles, made in France in the 1920s....
Category

1920s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Gianfranco Frattini desk for Cantieri Carugati in cherry wood, Italy 1958
Located in Argelato, BO
Gianfranco Frattini, rare desk with wooden structure and supports and nickel-plated metal handles. It is a sophisticated desk, the work of the Milanese architect and designer Gianfra...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen Desk, Denmark 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
Splendid Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen Desk, Model 310 for Søborg Møbler Denmark 1950s
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Osvaldo Borsani T95 teak and chromed steel desk for Tecno SPA, Italy, 1956
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
This T95 desk is a remarkable creation by the renowned designer Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy. Conceived in the 1956 and crafted towards the latte...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

Early Poul Kjaerholm "PK52" Working Desk in Steel and Oregon Pine, 1950s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Very rare and early student working desk model "PK52" in black lacquered steel and oregon pine top and black stained drawer and storage on the opposite side. Produced in Denmark by Rud. Rasmussen Snedkerier 1950s. Good original condition with patina from age and use. Acquired from a Belgian private collection of important Poul Kjærholm furniture...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Antique Leather Top Pedestal Desk
Located in London, GB
A smart and very well made antique leather top pedestal desk. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1930-50’s. It is of outstan...
Category

1950s British Georgian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Wood

1950s George Nelson Swag Leg Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Original Swag leg desk, designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Colorful cubbyholes and molded drawers allow for a tidy and streamlined workspace. O...
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Art Deco Walnut Desk
Located in London, GB
Art Deco walnut desk in fabulous condition. A beautiful piece perfect for a smaller study area. Three draws, and a bookshelf on the left side of...
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Desk in Teak Model ND 93 by Nanna Ditzel
Located in Berlin, BE
Desk in Teak Model ND 93 by Nanna Ditzel Søren Willadsen Møbelfabrik Additional information: Material: Teak Artist: Nanna Ditzel Size: 175 W X 72 D X 75 H cm.
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Vintage Leather Top Desk by Beresford and Hicks
Located in London, GB
A stunning and very rare vintage leather top desk by Beresford and Hicks. This was made in England, it dates from the 1950-60’s. Beresford and...
Category

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

Materials

Leather, Sapele Wood

Dutch Art Deco Modernist desk, Netherlands, 1920s
Located in EVERDINGEN, NL
A modestly sized modernist writing desk with an assymetrical design, giving it a Haagse School/modernist appearance. It has one large drawer at the front and a three shelve storage ...
Category

1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Hans J. Wegner Rare Desk in Oak and Teak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, desk JH571, teak, oak, metal, Denmark, design 1953 Out of all the desks that Wegner designed, the ‘JH571‘ is the most 'Wegnerian'. This is mostly...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Stadera Desk Model 840 by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Stadera Desk Model 840 by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy, 1950s
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Elegant vintage Italian desk with green glass
Located in Milano, IT
Transport yourself to the enchanting world of 1950s Italian design, where elegance and craftsmanship merged seamlessly. In the heart of this era's creative fervor, you'll discover a vintage Italian...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Unique Italian Sculptural Free Standing Writing Desk in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Executive desk, walnut, brass, glass, Italy, 1950s Made in Italy, this writing desk is designed according to the midcentury design principles that were in vogue in the fifties. The ...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Illuminated Adjustable Drafting Table, 1950s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Incredible industrial grade light box drafting table. Extremely heavy and well made in the US, circa 1950s. Glass tabletop allows the light of two enclosed fluorescent tube lights to...
Category

1950s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

A NEO-CLASSICAL ART-DECO SHABBY-CHIC Desk and a Chair by DAL VERA, Italy 1960
Located in PARIS, FR
A beautiful set composed of a small rectangular desk with 2 drawers and a chair, Art-Deco, Modernist, desk with geometric bamboo structure and w...
Category

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

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Vittorio Dassi Desk Minimal Geometric Mahogany and Laminate Midcentury
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Vittorio Dassi desk minimal geometric mahogany and laminate midcentury. The parts in colored laminate have some defects, see photos.
Category

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

Materials

Laminate, Mahogany

Gio Ponti “Stile” Desk Wood Brass, 1950, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
Gio Ponti “Stile” desk wood brass, 1950, Italy.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Gianfranco Frattini for Cantieri Carugati Desk in Cherry
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gianfranco Frattini for Cantieri Carugati, writing desk, cherry, metal, Italy, 1958 This piece of furniture is based on a solid construction featuring straight lines and right-angle...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Sears Roebuck & co., Writing Desk, Oak, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A small solid oak writing desk from the "Harmony House Ranch-Mode"-series, designed and produced by Sears Roebuck & co, USA, 1950s.
Category

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

Materials

Oak

1950s Italian Writing Desk with Sophisticated Design and Restyled by RETRO4M
Located in Rome, IT
Discover the timeless elegance of the 1950s with this fully restored and restyled teak writing desk by RETRO4M. Its ultra-sophisticated design captures the essence of a golden era of...
Category

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

Materials

Brass, Iron

Industrial desk in a style of Jean Prouvé
Located in Nijlen, VAN
This nice desk is probably from the 1950s from France. This type of industrial furniture is typified by its industrial but elegant look. Someone who was very good at this was Jean Pr...
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Modern TL2 Cavalletto desk/dining table by Franco Albini for Poggi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern TL2 Cavalletto desk/dining table by Franco Albini for Poggi, 1950s
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Mahogany Double Pedestal Desk, Newly Restored
Located in South Bend, IN
A very rare and exceptional Mid-Century Modern "Taliesin" writing desk By Frank Lloyd Wright for Heritage Henredon USA, 1950s Mahogany, with iconic carved geometric Taliesin detai...
Category

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

Materials

Mahogany

Montalcini & Pagano desk for Cartiere Giacomo Bosso, Italy 1920s
Located in London, GB
Giuseppe Pagano (1896-1945) and Gino Levi Montalcini (1902-1974) designed this exquisite desk in the 1920s as part of a commissioned project for the Gualino offices in Turin. The project received much critical acclaim; it was regarded as one of the purist expressions of the rationalist movement, and of such historic architectural importance that it dominated an entire issue of Gio Ponti’s Domus...
Category

1920s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Writing Desk by Silvio Cavatorta in Solid Walnut and Glass, Italy, 1950's
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A large symmetrical desk by Silvio Cavatorta in solid walnut with on both sides 3 drawers and in the middle a larger drawer with key and lock. For whom this lock is not safe enough...
Category

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

Materials

Glass, Walnut

Asprey & Co. London Oak & Tooled Racing Green Leather Pop-Up Writing Desk 1920s
Located in High Wycombe, GB
Luxurious, Asprey & Co. London (Royal Warrant) Oak & Tooled Racing Green Leather Pop-Up Writing Table Made in England in the 1920s. Item is sold complete with a Burgundy tooled red leather desk set also from Aspreys. It's a very attractive item befit with an aluminium desk calendar, letter opener and two vertical pen rests. The rectangular and hinged two panel top encloses a green leather writing surface which reveals itself when opened from the top, item is raised on square tapering legs. Desk comes with two original large glass inkwells...
Category

1920s English Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Leather, Oak

T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings Cantilevered Modern Desk Refinished
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean lined cantilevered modern desk, designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, American, circa 1950s. This desk is currently being refinished and can be completed in your ch...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Macassar Ebony Art Deco Amsterdamse School Desk by Daniel van Dorp for Reens
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare Art Deco Amsterdamse School desk. Design by Daniel van Dorp for Gebroeders Reens Amsterdam. Striking Dutch design from the 1920s. Solid macassar ebony with...
Category

1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Faux Leather, Macassar

Aluminium Desk with Laminate Top from Carlotti, 1950s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Desk in painted aluminium with laminate top from Carlotti. Packaging with bubble wrap and cardboard boxes is included. If the wooden packaging is needed (fumigated crates or boxes) f...
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Old English Sheraton Mahogany Kidney Desk
Located in New Orleans, LA
Old English Sheraton Mahogany Kidney Desk
Category

1950s English Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

1950s Drexel "Perspective" Floating Top Desk Style After Milo Baughman
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Mid century floating top desk design by Milo Baughman for Drexel "Perspective collection" in the United States circa 1950s. This beautiful desk features a lovely green vinyl top with...
Category

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

Materials

Faux Leather, Wood

George Nelson for Herman Miller Side Table, Work Table or Small Desk, Signed
Located in Doylestown, PA
George Nelson for Herman Miller side table, work table or small console desk. Great as a side/work table in a home office for printer, files, etc as a useful auxiliary piece to your...
Category

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

Materials

Aluminum

Power Broker Impressive Large Flame Mahogany Partners Desk with Leather Oval Top
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Impressive flame mahogany pedestal desk with intricate refined inlays, an oval inset leather top, pull out writing surface and detailed metal handle pulls. There are 8 solidly constr...
Category

1950s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Paul McCobb Planner Group Solid Birch Corner Desk, 1950s
Located in South Bend, IN
A sleek and stylish Mid-Century Modern solid birch corner desk By Paul McCobb for Winchendon Furniture, "Planner Group" USA, 1950s Measures: 35.5"W x 35.5"D x 28.25"H. Good origi...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Gianfranco Frattini Wood table or desk for Bernini Italian Design 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
The desk is designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1950's for Bernini , a perfect example of Italian midcentury elegance and modern style of living. Frattini's works range from industria...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Modern Walnut Executive Desk by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare Mid-Century Modern executive desk. Design by Edward Wormley for Dunbar Furniture United States. Striking American design from the 1950s. Solid walnut base ...
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Architectural Desk In Walnut By Carlo de Carli, Italy 1950's
Located in Hellouw, NL
Architectural Desk in walnut by Carlo De Carli.This desk has a very solid and a kind of determined look with the unmistakable charm of the Italian design of the fifties. According to...
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Italian Wood and brass Mid Century Modern "Fratino" Dining Table of desk
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This table was produced in Italy between the 1950s and the 1960s. It's a reinterpretation of the classic Fratino rustic table model. It is made from a wooden structure with 6 adjusta...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Oak Art Deco Modernist Writing Table by Hendrik Wouda for Pander, 1924
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare Art Deco Modernist writing table. Design by Hendrik Wouda for H. Pander & Zonen Den Haag. Striking Dutch design from 1924.Solid oak and original oak veneer...
Category

1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Pair of stacking stools by Isamu Kenmochi for Akita Mokko, circa 1960
Located in Venezia, VENETO
The stacking stool designed by Isamu Kenmochi for Akita Mokko was exhibited in “Appartment Life” exhibition in Matsuya Department store in 1958. Targeting an urban life, the fun...
Category

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

Materials

Faux Leather, Beech

1950's Fully Restored Teak Executive Writing Desk from Feldballes Møbelfabrik
Located in Knebel, DK
1950's Fully restored executive teak writing desk from Feldballes Møbelfabrik Exclusive model 54 teak writing desk from the 1950s designed with soft curved lines, bookshelves on the...
Category

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

Materials

Teak

1950s Mid Century Rattan Grasscloth Streamline Wood Desk
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
On offer on this occasion is one of the most stunning desk you could hope to find. This is an ultra-rare opportunity to acquire what is, unequivocally, the best of the best, it being...
Category

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

Materials

Grasscloth, Rattan, Laminate, Wood

Superb 1920s Oak Roll Top Desk
Located in Dublin, IE
A superb 1920s beautifully patinated oak roll top desk of neat proportions, finely carved and of gorgeous quality. The moulded top of rectangular fo...
Category

1920s English Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Writing Desk By Edward Wormley For Dunbar
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Beautiful and rare walnut desk designed by Edward Wormley, manufactured by Dunbar ca' 1950's. Single drawer, dark walnut original finish, with nice graining. Edges are raised to give...
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Mid-Century "The Boss" Mahogany Executive Desk with Brass Pulls
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Mid-Century "The Boss" mahogany executive desk with brass pulls with a woven wicker back. The large 76" wide desk with six drawers. We at the shop have ...
Category

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

Materials

Bronze

Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk, Style of Gio Ponti, c 1950s, Refinished
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully refinished Mid-Century Modern desk produced in Italy circa 1950s. Featuring black steel and wood frame with large brass elements and alternating black and white drawer fr...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Desk/ Table by Borsani, Italy, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Desk/ Table by Borsani, Italy, 1950s
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

1950s English Campaign Style Mahogany & Brass Demilune Form Desk
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a 1950s English mahogany and brass campaign style desk. It is marked with a back brass plate. The drawers have dovetail construction. It has a subtle curving to the shape. M...
Category

1950s English Campaign Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Vintage Walnut Pedestal Desk by Laszlo Hoenig
Located in London, GB
A spectacular vintage walnut pedestal desk by Laszlo Hoenig. This was made in London, there is a label beneath the top with the production year of 1951. It is of outstanding quality...
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielsen Single Bay Teak Desk for John Stuart
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielsen Teak Single Bay Teak Desk. Solid Teak with a Locking Drawer. Iron legs with Teak Caps. Top shows a shadow from a Desk Pad, but over-all very ...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

French Art Deco Desk in Pommelle Sapelle
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
An exceptional quality French Art Deco desk, produced around 1925 using solid Pomelle Sapele the desk has five drawers with bronze handles and crisply carved detail, the desk is free...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Other

Luther Conover, Desk, Mahogany, Iron, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A mahogany and black-painted iron desk designed by Luther Conover and produced by Luther Conover Inc. USA, 1950s
Category

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

Materials

Iron

Pierre Jeanneret Desk & Stool
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Pierre Jeanneret desk and stool from Chandigarh France/India, c. 1960 Constructed of teak wood, stool has red enameled steel, and red vinyl inside storage cubby...
Category

1950s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Oak Art Deco Modernist Partner Desk by Hendrik Wouda for Pander, 1924
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare Art Deco Modernist partner desk. Design by Hendrik Wouda for H. Pander & Zonen Den Haag. Striking Dutch design from ...
Category

1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Italian Desk, 1950s
Located in Palermo, PA
Italian desk, 1950s. Dimensions: H= 80 cm; W= 153 cm; D= 66 cm.
Category

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

Materials

Brass

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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