Desks and Writing Tables
Mid-20th Century American Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Rosewood
1930s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1790s English Hepplewhite Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Fruitwood
1840s English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s Italian Rustic Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
2010s American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1860s French Louis Philippe Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1840s French Louis Philippe Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Padouk
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
2010s English Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1960s American French Provincial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Mid-19th Century European Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1880s Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1890s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Late 20th Century American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1790s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany, Satinwood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Swedish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Late 20th Century Philippine Desks and Writing Tables
Rattan
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables
Copper
Early 2000s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum, Steel
1950s Indian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
2010s Futurist Desks and Writing Tables
Plywood
18th Century British Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Siena Marble, Aluminum, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
2010s American Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Concrete, Cement
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Early 19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Maple
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
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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