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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: Late 20th Century
Period: 1950s
Mastercraft Brass 'Trilobi' Triangular Dining Table or Desk Bases, circa 1970
Located in Los Angeles, CA
One of the hottest items currently with interior designers are these gleaming brass 'Trilobi' Mastercraft dining table bases, which also work excellent for a desk or work table, feature a hefty triangular design with sculpted ends. The gorgeous brass displays subtle signs of an admirable patina, which can be highly desirable, bringing more vibrancy to this set of 1970s brass table bases by Mastercraft. And most importantly - these are authentic vintage examples... there is now an inferior (but still pricey) knock-off by RH and many dealers do not know how to spot the difference and will sell the fakes as authentic. We have owned and sold over 30 of these over the course of the last 10 years and can guarantee the ones we offer are authentic 'originals' of the design by Mastercraft. *Please note, the table bases in this listing are priced individually. **In addition, the Trilobi bases in the photos have already sold, however we two more in similar condition that are en route to us now and are available for pre-sale. Please message us with any questions. You can use a single base for a round or square top. Looks excellent with glass or marble tops - we can assist in the production of a new glass or stone top - contact us for more details. Or you can pair 2, 3 or even all 4 bases together to form a larger dining table, conference table or desk with a large rectangular or oval top. These Mastercraft brass 'Trilobi' dining table bases would be great as part of a classic or contemporary dining room, living room, family room, sunroom or kitchen. These Triboli tables would also be an apt choice in a corporate, retail or hospitality location such as a boutique restaurant...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

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

Vintage Bombay Company Faux Bamboo Campaign Desk With Black Lacquer
Located in Centennial, CO
This stunning vintage Bombay Company campaign style writing desk sits on a beautifully carved faux bamboo base. It has been professionally refinished with stunning black lacquer. Original campaign style brass hardware accents contrast beautifully with the black lacquer. Construction is solid and the drawers work well. Ready for many years of use and enjoyment! Wood construction is strong and stable...
Category

Late 20th Century Taiwanese Campaign Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Large French Boulle Inlay Partners Desk Writing Table Desks
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are viewing a wonderful, sumptuos Boulle style partners desk. The piece is very distinctive and the amount of craftmanship that has gone into making this piece is astounding. The...
Category

1980s French Provincial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Franco Albini desk with mobile chest of drawers mod. T22, Italian Design 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
This desk set with movable drawer unit is a classic rationalist design with attention to clean forms and lines by Franco Albini. The desk is functional with a shape that is both ergo...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Desk "1928" by Franco Albini for Knoll International, Italy, 1950s
Located in Greding, DE
Desk "1928" designed by Franco Albini for Knoll International, Italy, 1950s. This glass and metal desk features a veneered white drawer element an...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

French Postal Desk
Located in Cirencester, GB
Circa 1950's this is a painted steel French 'La Poste' sorting table. Great original condition and the colour is blue/grey with a terracotta brown top. We think it would look fab in a home office or even as a kitchen desk...
Category

1950s French Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

American Designer, Desk, Rosewood, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A rosewood desk designed and produced in the US, c. 1950s.
Category

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

Materials

Rosewood

Mid-Century Modern Desk by Ico Parisi for Mim Roma, Italy, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Desk by Ico Parisi for Mim Roma, Italy, 1950s
Category

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

Materials

Wood

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

Vintage 1970s Danish Mid Century Modern Teak Wood Lovig Desk
Located in Phoenix, AZ
The iconic Løvig teak flip top desk designed by Peter Løvig Nielsen, 1960s, Denmark. It’s versatile in that the back shelf can flip down on its brass hinges to create a larger work s...
Category

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

Materials

Teak

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

Wim Den Boon Dining Table in Mahogany and Black Lacquered Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Wim den Boon, dining table, mahogany, lacquered steel, The Netherlands, designed in 1955 and manufactured in 1958. Exclusive dining table designed by Wim den Boon for a Dutch famil...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

Jules Wabbes Corner Desk with Drawers in Mutenyé
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jules Wabbes, corner writing desk, mutenyé, nickel-plated metal, aluminum, Belgium, 1957 Beautifully designed desk by one of Belgium's most renowned designers Jules Wabbes. This pie...
Category

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

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Nickel

Unique Writing Desk with Black and White Stone Veneer and Brass Inlays
Located in Budapest, HU
Wooden desk with an elegant veneer of white and black stone, adorned with intricate brass inlays, and featuring a total of six drawers arranged in a staggered configuration. Signs of...
Category

1970s Unknown Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Stone, Brass

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

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

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

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

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

Italian desk, wood and colored glass, 1950s
Located in Palermo, PA
Italian desk, wood and colored glass, 1950s. Dimensions: H= 77 cm; W= 136 cm; D= 68 cm.
Category

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

Materials

Stained Glass, Wood

Derk Jan de Vries Desk - 1980s
Located in Brussels , BE
Wooden desk by Derk Jan de Vries. Holds a drawer on each side, simple and timeless.
Category

1980s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

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

Folk Art Secretary Style Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 20th century. Handmade and hand painted. Roof drops down to a desk or storage. Extra storage below. Desk Height - 29.5"
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Writing Desk with Chair by Chi Wing Lo for Giorgetti, Italy, 1990s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Chi Wing Lo for Giorgetti "Epi" desk and "Aro" office chair made from high-quality materials. The "Epi" desk embodies the epitome of refined luxury, made of rich cherry wood and ador...
Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Cherry

Large Vintage Swedish Oak Desk
Located in London, GB
A smart and very stylish large vintage Swedish oak desk. This was recently imported from Sweden, it dates from the 1950’s. It is of superb quality an...
Category

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

Materials

Oak

Mid-century modern Severin Hansen Teak Desk
Located in Madrid, ES
Desk designed by Severin Hansen in Teak wood for Haslev Møbelsnedkeri. Denmark, 1958 Simple and refined lines, featuring four frontal drawers with the desinger’s signature diagonal wood ensamble, the drawers are both a functional and a decorative element, the back of the desk can be displayed as it is finished in a refined teak wood back. Danish designer Severin Hansen's iconic Model 36 desk...
Category

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

Materials

Teak

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

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

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

Space Age Yellow Chapter One Desk by Broyhill Premier, 1970's
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Space Age Yellow Chapter One desk by Broyhill Premier, 1970's. In good vintage condition.
Category

1970s American Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Nanna Ditzel Table Desk in Teak Søren Willadsen 1958 Denmark Mid Century Modern
Located in Munster, NRW
This elegant design by Nanna & Jørgen Ditzel serves as a desk, a writing table, library table, or even a console table in a large space. The spare, minimal form is delightful from ...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

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

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

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

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

Paul McCobb Planner Group Black and White Lacquered Desk, Newly Refinished
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional minimalist Mid-Century Modern four drawer writing desk By Paul McCobb for Winchendon Furniture, "Planner Group" USA, 1950s Black and white lacquered solid maple, wi...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

50° Desk at the Alvear Palace Hotel in Argentina
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Wood desk from the 50s, One drawer is fixed, it was used to hide a safe underneath We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and Vintage styles since 1982. If you h...
Category

1950s Argentine Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Giovanni Battista Bassi Asymmetrical writing desk Italy 1950
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Beautiful a-symmetrical writing desk-table designed by Giovanni Battista Bassi and made in Italy in 1950. This one of a kind piece was created for a project in Florence. It's made fr...
Category

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

Materials

Hardwood

Paul McCobb Planner Group Black and White Lacquered Writing Desk, Refinished
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional minimalist Mid-Century Modern writing desk By Paul McCobb for Winchendon Furniture, "Planner Group" USA, 1950s Black and white lacquered solid maple, with brass har...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

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

Writing desk by Svend Åge Madsen for Sigurd Hansen 1950s
Located in Milano, IT
Desk with double under-top drawer. Teak veneer wood, fine construction details.
Category

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

Materials

Teak

Art Deco Desk in Mahogany, Danish Design, 1950s
Located in Lejre, DK
Great Looking desk in mahogany, designed and made by Danish Cabinetmaker 1950s.
Category

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

Materials

Mahogany

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

Studio BBPR 'Spazio' Corner Desk with Movable Cabinet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Studio BBPR for Olivetti, 'Spazio' writing desk with various storage compartments, coated steel, plastic, fabric, Italy, design 1959/60, production 1960s In 1954, Olivetti, the Ita...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

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

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

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

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

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

Unique Italian Large Wall Unit with Writing Desk in Maple and Birch
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Wardrobe with writing desk, birch, maple, fabric, glass, brass, coated steel, Italy, 1950s Hailing from a skilled artisan of Italy, this exceptional set embodies a unique combinatio...
Category

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

Materials

Brass, Steel

20th Century Wood French Napoleon III Style Writing Desk, 1950s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
French writing desk from the mid-20th century. Furniture of beautiful lines and pleasant furnishings in Napoleon III style in rosewood and mahogany woods. Finished for the center des...
Category

1950s French Napoleon III Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

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

Paul McCobb Planner Group Black and White Lacquered Double Pedestal Desk, 1950s
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Mid-Century Modern double pedestal executive writing desk By Paul McCobb for Winchendon Furniture, "Planner Group" USA, 1950s Solid black and white lacquered birch,...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Warren Platner Writing Desk with Black Leather Top
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Warren Platner for Knoll, writing desk, leather, metal, oak, United States, design 1973 This heavy, sturdy desk is designed by the American modernist Warren Platner. He is most know...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

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

Danish Modern Teak Desk Model #130 by Børge Mogensen for Søborg Møbler
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Stunning Danish modern teak desk also known as Model #130 designed by Børge Mogensen for Søborg Møbler in Denmark, circa 1950s. This exquisite desk fea...
Category

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

Materials

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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