Desks and Writing Tables
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak
17th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Paint
1950s European Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Maple
1950s European Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
18th Century European Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bamboo, Rattan, Oak
1950s American Late Victorian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wicker, Rattan
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
18th Century Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Kingwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rattan, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 18th Century British Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
17th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
17th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Chestnut, Walnut
Mid-18th Century English Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1950s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1950s Indian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Steel
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rattan
Early 18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 17th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Crystal, Brass
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Early 18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Rosewood
Late 17th Century French Rustic Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rattan
1950s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Formica, Beech
18th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Other
Late 18th Century French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1950s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
18th Century British Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1950s French French Provincial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Metal
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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