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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: Late 20th Century
Period: 1930s
Italian suitcase-shaped leather desk in modern style
Located in Milano, IT
In the eclectic world of interior design, there is an extraordinary Italian leather desk, a true gem of the vibrant 1980s. This is no ordinary desk, but an extravagant piece that defies convention and captures the spirit of travel. Imagine, if you will, a desk that dares to resemble a travel suitcase, an unconventional masterpiece that blurs the boundaries between form and function. This desk is a symphony of modern style, a true testament to the creativity that flourished in the 1980s. The entire desk is lovingly upholstered in the richest brown leather, every inch adorned with hand-stitching that testifies to the meticulous craftsmanship of its creator. It is a tactile delight, inviting you to run your fingers over its smooth surface and every stitch testifies to the craftsmanship with which it was created. But what sets this desk apart are the two pull-out drawers, cleverly concealed in its suitcase-like façade. The handles, which are reminiscent of those of a real travel suitcase HOOKED WITH BRASS STUDS, invite you to explore its secrets. It is as if this desk were a portal to another world, a world where creativity knows no limits. Each piece seamlessly stitched together, forming a harmonious blend of texture and structure. The corners, reinforced by studded leather elements reminiscent of vintage travel...
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Hans Eichenberger, Secretary mod. HE for the Kollektion Röthlisberger Schweiz
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Postmodern secretary desk by Hans Eichenberger for Kollektion Röthlisberger Schweiz. Two drawers and glass shelves on the inside.
Category

1980s Swiss Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Lounger and ottoman "Alta" by Oscar Niemeyer / Authentic
Located in Zürich, CH
Lounge chair "Alta" was designed in 1971 by Oscar Niemeyer, in collaboration with Anna Maria Niemeyer and produced by Mobilier International. Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect consi...
Category

1970s Brazilian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

White Desk 'Quaderna 2830' by Zanotta, Italy 1970s
Located in Greding, DE
Desk with laminated white surface with check pattern. The lines are 3 cm apart and merge seamlessly at the edges and smooth sides. The digital print has been painstakingly transferre...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

1930's Modernist Desk by Jindrich Halabala for UP Brno
Located in Brno, CZ
An original Modernist desk from the 1930s. This piece has a dignified design with stylish proportions and details together with a dazzling Walnut pattern and dark brown Oak. This wr...
Category

1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech, Walnut

Bauhaus Tubular Steel Desk by Bruno Weil for Thonet, Stained Wood, Germany, 1930
Located in Berlin, DE
Bauhaus tubular steel desk designed by Bruno Weil (Bèwè) and manufactured by Thonet, Germany, c. 1930
Category

1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Gio Ponti Writing desk Vetrocoke furnitures, tempered glass wood, 1939
Located in Milan, IT
This elegant small desk is made of toughened glass panes joined by brass and metal junctions and with a wood chest of drawers, just as the two bases are made of wood. The design of...
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Gampel-Stoll Elephant Desk in Kidney Form
Located in Norwalk, CT
Gampell-Stoll furniture offers the penultimate in whimsical, exotic themed furnishings. This desk is perhaps their most iconic design, featuring four elephant heads holding a kidney-...
Category

1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Carrocel Interiors Art Deco Style Light Walnut Library Table Writing Desk
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Carrocel Interiors Art Deco Style Light Walnut Library Table Writing Desk
Category

1990s Canadian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Paolo Piva for B&B 'Arcada' Desk in Leather and Burl
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Paolo Piva for B&B, executive desk model 'Arcada', stainless steel, burl, leather, glass, brass, Italy, 1985 This rare desk is designed by Austrian-Italian architect and designer Pa...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Stainless Steel

Post Modern artistic funky Painted 2 Drawer narrow Desk or console table
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Mid-Century Post Modern artistic funky painted yellow orange green splatters with 2 drawers wood narrow desk or console table. Would make a great entry way or hallway table. Beautifu...
Category

1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Paint

Late 20th-C. French Maison Jansen Style Silver & Gold Leaf Writing Desk
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a show stopper! It is a French Louis XVI style writing desk that has been finished in the manner of Maison Jansen. It is unmarked and in very good condition. It dates most li...
Category

Late 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf

Orix desk, Vittorio Parigi & Nani Prina, Molteni & Co, Italy, circa 1970
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Orix desk, Vittorio Parigi & Nani Prina, Molteni & Co, Italy, circa 1970. "You write on it and I read on it, but she mirrors, the other puts away his books, while they study and they...
Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Rosenthal "Hombre" Solid Desk, by Burkhard Vogtherr, 1970s
Located in Neuss, NW
Hombre desk with trolley by Burkhard Vogtherr for Rosenthal from the 1970s. High-quality solid frame and veneered table top in black stained ash with a leather writing surface, a com...
Category

1970s German Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Ash

Ernest 'Igl' Hofmann Corner Desk in White Fiberglass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest 'Igl' Hofmann for Wilhelm Werndl, corner desk, model 'Jet', fiberglass, Germany, designed in 1970 This design truly fits within the ethos of the seventies – a bright and bol...
Category

1970s German Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fiberglass

Antique French Writing Desk
Located in London, GB
A beautifully designed and extremely well made antique French writing desk. This was made in France, it dates from around the 1930’s. The quali...
Category

1930s British Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Regency Library Table Desk Period Antique
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Regency Rosewood Library Table. This Library Table Stands Upon a Platform Base with Boldly Carved Lions Paw Feet. The Column Being of a Carved Form. Period Regency The Table Features...
Category

1980s Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Rosewood

French 1970s Desk by Michel Mortier
Located in Long Island City, NY
Michel MORTIER (1925-2015)- A writing table with a beech base and a white laminated plywood top. Model MP2 (Mortier/ Perrigault), 1979.
Category

1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Laminate, Beech

Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta Adjustable Table ‘Leonardo’ in Blond Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta, adjustable desk ‘Leonardo’, beech, laminated wood, Italy, design 1969. Italian architect and designer Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002) designed the ‘...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech

Desk By Matteo Grassi - Leather - Ca 1980
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Very rare executive desk designed and published by Matteo Grassi. It is an exceptional piece, almost unique, entirely crafted in green leather on the exterior and black leather on th...
Category

1980s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Plastic

1970s desk, Luigi Colani, Flötotto
Located in Neuss, NW
Space age desk from the 1970s by Luigi Colani for Flötotto. Corpus and height-adjustable plastic frame with a hinged writing surface with wood effect and the original Flötotto lamp. ...
Category

1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Memphis desk Sophia design Aldo Cibic 1985
Located in Parma, IT
Sophia desk design Aldo Cibic for Memphis Milano 1985. In solid wood, briar and laminate with metal foot. One drawer and upper storage compartment. In excellent condition.
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Walnut Large Executive Desk
Located in Baltimore, MD
Beautiful Mid-Century Modern walnut executive Desk by Standard Furniture Company Herkimer, NY. Large Beautiful remarkable statement in design and craftsmanship. This large mid century walnut...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Art Deco Buffet Credenza Two Doors Cabinet, Walnut and Brass, France, circa 1930
Located in Labrit, Landes
Cabinet Art Deco, French, circa 1930. Credenza buffet burr walnut. Two doors and one shelf. The varnish was redone. Good condition. Shipping: L 160, P 52, H 91 46 Kg.
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Vintage Chippendale Style Double Sided Leather Top Executive Partners Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Chippendale Style Double Sided Leather Top Executive Partners Desk. Item featured separates in 3 parts for ease of transport, large impressive size, double sided partners des...
Category

Late 20th Century Chinese Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

1970s desk, Luigi Colani, Flötotto
Located in Neuss, NW
Space age desk from the 1970s by Flötotto. The design is attributed to the Italian designer Luigi Colani. Corpus and height-adjustable plastic frame with a hinged writing surface and...
Category

1970s German Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Plastic

1980s Postmodern Birdseye Maple Artisan Made Desk
Located in Miami, FL
1980s Postmodern Birdseye maple desk with turned and reverse-tapered ebonized legs and a single drawer. With its unique design this cool artisan made desk is sure to be the focal poi...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birdseye Maple

Teak & Tile Dining Table by Gangso Mobler
Located in Denton, TX
Teak & Tile Drop Leaf Dining Table by Gangso Mobler With leaf up 95" length . Each leaf is 16in.
Category

1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ceramic, Teak

Wooden Art Deco Desk with Drawers, 1930s
Located in Brussels, BE
Wooden Art Deco Desk with Drawers, 1930s
Category

1930s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

1970s Spanish Washed Wood 2-Drawer Farmhouse Table w/ Crossbeam
Located in Marbella, ES
Rustic 1970s Spanish washed wood 2-drawer farmhouse table with crossbeam legs.
Category

Late 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Mid Century Danish Desk With Shelves By Drexel
Located in Pasadena, CA
Mid Century Drexel Danish Desk with shelves. This desk set has a lot to offer is the foot print it provides. The desk has a great area for work space and offers plenty of shelf space to keep you space organized. This desk set has a small 2 door cabinet...
Category

1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Shagreen desk
Located in New York, NY
Shagreen desk by Karl Springer. Signed.
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Shagreen

Desk Art Deco in Wood, 1930, Made in France
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
French Desk style: Art Deco Year: 1930 Material: wood It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk. The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood used make it unique. It is an i...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Vintage Ladies desk from HIKOR, 1970´s, Czechoslovakia
Located in Prague 8, CZ
A Simple vintage beech wood writing desk from the HIKOR Písek company, 1970´s, Czechoslovakia The design is very simple and elegant. It features a section with 4 drawers. The desk ha...
Category

Late 20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Beech

Walnut and Oak desk with x shaped legs
Located in Asbury Park, NJ
Pleased to offer this great walnut and oak desk with a single draw. This great desk sits on a pair of brass/gold x shaped legs. This is even more impressive in person.
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl 'Igl-Jet' Writing Desk in Fiberglass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl, directors writing desk model 'Igl-jet', fiberglass, Germany, 1970s. This design truly resembles the ethos of the seventies – a bright and bold era – f...
Category

1970s German Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fiberglass

Vintage Secretary's Desk, Danish, Narrow Office Table, Sibast Mobel, Circa 1970
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage secretary's desk. A Danish, rosewood narrow office table by Sibast Mobel, dating to the late 20th century, circa 1970. Sibast Mobel was founded by Helge Sibast (19...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Queen Anne Style Metamorphic Table Desk
Located in New York, NY
Queen Anne style metamorphic dining table or desk with single drawer, marked to interior "Pennsylvania House", the rounded rectangular top above cabriole legs terminating in pad feet...
Category

Late 20th Century Queen Anne Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Hardwood

Art deco office writing table
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Art deco office writing table in very good condition with signs of use.
Category

1930s Slovak Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Desk model Copenhague CPH90 in oak designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, 1990s
By HAY
Located in Lejre, DK
Desk model Copenhague CPH90 in oak designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec manufactured by Hay. H: 75 W: 130 D: 65
Category

1990s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Art Deco Desks in Wood, 1930, Made in France
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
French Desk style: Art Deco Year: 1930 Material: wood It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk. The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood used make it unique. It is an ...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Large 6' 5" Wide Vintage Executive's Desk, Danish, Sibast Furniture, Circa 1970
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a large vintage executive's desk. A Danish, rosewood designer office table by Sibast Mobel to a possibly bespoke design, dating to the late 20th century, circa 1970. Sibast...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Lady’s Desk or Vanity in Mahogany, Czechoslovakia, 1970s
Located in Zohor, SK
Beautiful midcentury desk, originally used as a desk for a lady, or vanity in the bedroom. The table is elegant combination of lighter birch wood on the sides and mahogany wood on to...
Category

1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birch, Mahogany

Lacquered goatskin two drawer desk
Located in New York, NY
Lacquered goatskin two drawer desk by Karl Springer.
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Goatskin

Mid-Century MOD Jean Maneval Inspired Chunky White Desk with Rolling Storage
By Jean Maneval
Located in Los Angeles, CA
MOD Jean Maneval inspired white laminate desk with a two drawer rolling storage cabinet. In original condition with visible wear, discoloration and...
Category

1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fiberglass

Vintage Aluminum and Rosa Breccia Marble Dining Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
c. 1970s, likely Italian, the architectural, heavy gauge aluminum base supports a thick oval marble top carved with razor edge bevel. Would make an impressive desk. Designer unknown ...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Breccia Marble, Aluminum

William Sklaroff Uniplane Desk, 1971 USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning fiberglass desk by William Sklaroff for Vecta. Made in 1971. Two rosewood drawers flank each side of desk with a rosewood panel running along the backside. Great display pie...
Category

1970s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fiberglass, Rosewood

1970s Monumental Carved Oak Wood Parchment Natural Travertine Console Table Desk
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
On offer on this occasion is one of the most stunning, rare, travertine top, carved wood console table or desk you could hope to find. Outstanding design is exhibited throughout. The...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Travertine

Mid-Century Danish Teak Desk
Located in Baltimore, MD
A beautiful Danish modern mid century teak desk, crafted by Nordisk Andels-Eksport in Denmark. Features a rectangular top above one generously-sized filing drawer to the left, key is...
Category

1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

1970s Bureau, Peter Maly
Located in Neuss, NW
Wonderful bureau from the MUTARO line designed in 1979 by Peter Maly for interlübke. Corpus in white lacquered wood with four drawers, a hinged work surface, two internal drawers, a ...
Category

1970s German Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Travertine Desk - Claude Berraldacci
Located in Paris, FR
Travertine desk by Claude Berrladacci in the 90s. This desk was made in 5 copies, The stone is the purest of travertine. It comes from the Tivoli quarry near Rome, from which the Va...
Category

Late 20th Century French Futurist Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Travertine

Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl Directors Writing Desk in Fiberglass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl, Directors writing desk, fiberglass, Germany, 1970s This design truly resembles the ethos of the seventies – a bright and bold era – featuring the com...
Category

1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fiberglass

Postmodern 1980s Pine Wood writing Desk in the style of Guillerme & Chambron
Located in Basel, BS
Absolutely fabulous, sculptural desk made of solid pine wood! Three storage drawers on the right side with white accents and button-like solid pine knobs. Next to the drawers, lies a...
Category

1980s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

1930s French Art Deco Limed Oak and Leather Desk in the manner of Jacques Adnet
Located in London, GB
A modernist Art Deco desk in limed oak with partially clad oxblood leather top. With clean lines and simple brass drawer pulls, very much in the manner of Jacques Adnet or Eugene Pri...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Achille Castiglioni & Paolo Ferrari Desk 'Quark' in Black Lacquered Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Achille Castiglioni & Paolo Ferrari for BBB Bonacina, desk 'Quark', black lacquered wood, Italy, 1982 Like other table designs of Achille Castiglioni & Paolo Ferrari shows the desk ...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Baker Furniture Regency Rosewood Drop Leaf Writing Desk or Console, Refinished
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Regency or Georgian style drop leaf writing desk, console, or sofa table By Baker Furniture USA, Circa 1980s Gorgeous book-mat...
Category

Late 20th Century American Regency Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ebony, Rosewood, Satinwood

Fine French 1970s Oak Folding Table by Guillerme & Chambron
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Guillerme (1913-1990) and Jacques Chambron (1914-2001) for Votre Maison (editor): A fine French mid-century solid oak sliding and folding dining table. Length with the top fol...
Category

1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Bruno Mathsson "Maria Flap" Folding Table in Karelian Birch, Karl Mathsson, 1977
Located in Odense, DK
Vintage folding table model "Maria Flap" by Bruno Mathsson made in the most beautiful Karelian Birch veneer. Made in 1976 at Karl Mathsson, Värnamo,...
Category

1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech, 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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