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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: Early 20th Century
Period: 18th Century and Earlier
Queen Anne Rent Table "in the Chinese Taste"
Located in Dallas, TX
an early 18th century Queen Anne rent table in the Chinese Taste (with Chinoiserie decoration) having one large single drawer (that goes all the way through) with twelve (12) compart...
Category

18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Paint

Writing Table Louis XVI Period - Solid Oak - 18th
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Small side table, writing tabke from the Louis XVI period. Work from the end of the 18th century of good quality in solid oak. The top is sheathed in a new leather enriched with gold...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Oak

Antique Arts & Crafts Oval Oak Library Table circa 1910
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Arts and Crafts library table offers quarter sawn oak construction with top in oval form over straight skirt with sing...
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Antique French Carved Oak Secretary Desk Bureau Drop Front Louis XV Style
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique French carved oak secretary desk bureau drop front Louis XV Style. Direct from France, a lovely antique French carved “drop front” secretary/desk with quintessential French ...
Category

1920s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

16th Century Spanish Walnut Writing Table, Circa 1580
Located in Brugge, BE
An impressive and illustrated 16th century Spanish walnut writing table, exemplifying unparalleled craftsmanship. The exquisite detailing on the legs, stretchers, and even on the bot...
Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Early 20th Century Metamorphic Writing Desk by J.C Vickery of London
Located in Martlesham, GB
Early 20th century mahogany metamorphic writing table by J.C Vickery of Regent St, London, the moulded edge hinged top lifting up and folding over to reveal the rising writing desk top, which consists of various writing instruments including ink wells, various compartments and a time piece, the writing slope also lifts up to reveal further storage space, the underneath of the writing slope is marked “J.C VICKERY” Standing on elegant cabriole legs. Circa 1910. JC Vickery is a British consumer goods company founded in 1890 London. John Collard Vickery and his then partner, Arthur Thomas Hobbs, bought up the long established business of William Griggs...
Category

1910s European Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Antique Stickley Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Desk or Library Table, Circa 1900
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional antique Mission or Arts & Crafts writing desk or library table By L. & J.G. Stickley USA, Circa 1900 Solid quarter sawn oak, with original hammered copper hardware....
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Copper

Spanish 17th Century Console Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
A very handsome 17th century Console Table - Writing Table from the Catalan region of Spain. Beautifully constructed from walnut with a solid board top, 3 drawers with unique fascia...
Category

17th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Antique Stickley Brothers Arts & Crafts Desk or Library Table, Newly Restored
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional antique Mission or Arts & Crafts quarter sawn oak writing desk or library table with built-in bookcases By Stickley Brothers USA, circa 1900 Measures: 40"W x ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Louis XV Ormolu Writing Table Desk, 18th C
Located in New York, NY
Louis XV ormolu-mounted kingwood-veneered writing table, 18th c and later, apparently unsigned, with shaped rectangular top with tooled leather inset and giltmetal molded border abov...
Category

18th Century Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Kingwood

Antique French Rustic Neoclassical Executive Desk ~ Conference Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique French Rustic Neoclassical Executive Desk ~ Conference Table was crafted on a truly grand scale from dense, old-growth oak which has been painstakingly stripped by our expert...
Category

Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Country House Library Partners Desk
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A fine 18th century Chippendale period country house library fitted partners desk. The paneled cupbards opening to one end with fitted folio shelves and one front cupboard is fitted ...
Category

18th Century European Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

18th Century Tyrolean Farmhouse Dining/ Kitchen Table in Fruitwood from Austria
Located in Miami, FL
An exceptionally beautiful farm house table from the Tyrolean region of Austria in fruitwood with the rich patina of age acquired from its 250 year history! A multipurpose table, it would have served as a dining table as well as a table used in the preparation of food. Utensils and bread would have been stored in its deep and long drawers, which are decorated with small etched field flowers on the fronts. The box stretcher would have provided a footrest in addition to rendering the table stronger. Offers pegged construction, dovetailed drawers and original wooden pulls. This Alpine table...
Category

Late 18th Century Austrian Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Fruitwood

Small 20th Century Satin Birch Writing Desk by Heal & Son London
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
A beautiful Satin Birch writing desk by Heal & Son London. This little desk will light up any room, the satinwood birch has a wonderful texture and movement and a colour tone that o...
Category

Early 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birch, Satinwood

Early 20th Century Leather Top Desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 20th century leather top mahogany desk circa 1910. Original red leather writing surface with gold tooling, with obvious signs of use.  Fitted with 3 drawers above the the kn...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Georgian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

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

Italian 18th Century Writing Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
A very lovely 18th century Writing Table - Desk from Bologna, Italy. Wonderfully constructed from handsome walnut with a conforming solid board top with handsome edge finish over d...
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Antique Leather Top Writing Table
Located in London, GB
A charming antique writing desk / side table. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1900-1920 period. It is of superb quality and is a very useful size. The single draw...
Category

1910s British Chippendale Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Wood

Vintage French Industrial Architect's Drafting Table
Located in Winter Park, FL
A French Industrial style mechanical architect's drafting table with original green lacquered metal base and large solid elmwood top. The platform is fully modular: using the wood pedal on the front it is possible to raise and lower the top and it may be tilted to any angle, from flat to vertical. The wood drawing surface has an nice patina with some old ink marks and there is a large wood trough...
Category

Early 20th Century French Industrial Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Bureau Plat Louis XVI Style in Marquetry and Gilt Bronze
Located in BARSAC, FR
Elegant Louis XVI style Bureau Plat in mahogany and marquetry in rosewood frieze. Beautiful ornamentation of very finely chiseled gilt bronze. Moroccan leather top surrounded b...
Category

Early 1900s French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Round Black Pedestal Dining Table, Sweden 1920
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Early Swedish 20th Century Pedestal Dining Table in Black Paint. This round table has beautiful Gustavian ribbed details with a border going around the table edge.
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Stunning Edwardian Satinwood Kidney Shaped Desk
Located in Dublin, IE
A stunning Edwardian satinwood kidney shaped desk, of fabulous quality, finely carved and line inlaid throughout. The moulded desk top is fitted with a gorgeous green gilt embossed t...
Category

Early 20th Century English Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Antique French Country Louis XV Walnut Writing Desk Table, Circa 1920
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a fantastic antique French desk. The desk is in good condition and measures 19 inches deep x 31 wide x 30 inches tall. The desk dates to teh 1920s.
Category

1920s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Early 20th Spanish Mobila Country Farm Desk with, Side Table or Butcher Block
Located in Miami, FL
A charming early 20th century Spanish pine farm table with four tapered legs and a wonderfully well-worn finish from a century of use. Table works well for dining, but can also be us...
Category

Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

A Very Fine Edwardian Leather Top Kidney Shaped Desk
Located in Dublin, IE
A very fine Edwardian mahogany leather top nine drawer kidney shaped desk, of stunning quality, finely carved, line inlaid and crossbanded throughout. The moulded desk top is fitted...
Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Axel-Einar Hjorth, 'Lovö' Table, Nordiska Kompaniet, 1932
Located in Berlin, DE
Pine 'Lovö' table by Swedish Modernist Axel-Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden, circa 1932. Best known for his modern reduced design, this table by Axel-Eina...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Rare No.49 Art Nouveau Desk from Finland
Located in Munich, DE
wonderful light and elegant desk from finland by suomen tuoli-, kalusto- ja sorvaustehdas. from the area of jyväskylä & muurame. this small and rare desk will be an wonderful additio...
Category

1910s Finnish Art Nouveau Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Martin Nyrop, Desk, Oak, Brass, Denmark, c. 1900
Located in High Point, NC
An oak and brass desk, designed and produced for the Copenhagen City Hall by Martin Nyrop Denmark, c. 1900
Category

Early 1900s Danish Scandinavian Modern Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Gorgeous Edwardian Inlaid Side or Writing Table by Hampton and Sons
Located in Dublin, IE
A gorgeous Edwardian inlaid side or writing table, finely carved and of fabulous quality with richly patinated timbers comprising of mahogany and fruitwood. The moulded cross banded, quarter veneered top of rectangular form with a lovely inlaid oval pattern to the central reserve, raised over pull out slide section revealing a writing skiver surface fitted with gorgeous green embossed tooled leather. Raised over moulded frieze with single centred cockbeaded, line inlaid drawer with turned pulls, brass escutcheon and key. Supported on elegantly, tapering square leg, terminating on spade foot, labelled 'Hampton & Sons LTD. Pall Mall East, London.’ Hampton & Sons Hampton & Sons were one of the most prestigious British cabinet makers of the 19th and 20th Century, creating very fine and highly sought after antique furniture renowned for it's fine quality craftsmanship. Reputedly established in 1830, Hampton & Sons began by selling general household and fine furniture in Cranbourn Street, near Covent Garden, London, with their works at 43 Belvedere Road in southeast London. William Hampton’s two sons, George and William, joined the firm in 1869 and they moved to a larger premises at 8 Pall Mall. By 1871 they had expanded to two locations: 1, 2 & 3 Dorset Place, Charing Cross and 8 Pall Mall East. Advertising as 'cabinet makers, upholsterers, bed & mattress makers...
Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Late 17th Century French Hand-Pegged Pine Mountain Table, Writing Table
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This rustic artisan made pine writing table hails from the Auvergne region, a mountainous area in central France. Created by a goat herder in the seventeenth century while tending hi...
Category

Late 17th Century French Rustic Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Antique Chippendale Carved Mahogany Knee Hole Desk, Claw & Ball Feet, C1920
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Chippendale style knee hole desk offers mahogany construction with top having rope twist trim over central drawer with flanking smaller drawers and reeded columns, raised ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Lord Nelson`s Family Portable Sloping Laptop Desk
Located in Dorking, GB
This desk was purchased by me at the closure of the Whitbread Archive Museum in 2001. It comes with their supplied provenance - together with several later lines of research. Includ...
Category

Early 18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Early 20th-Century Neoclassical Writing Desk Inlaid with Brass
Located in Opole, PL
Early 20th-Century Neoclassical Writing Desk Inlaid with Brass We present you a Neoclassical writing desk from the early 20th century. It is...
Category

Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century French Louis XV Desk or Writing Table
Located in Winter Park, FL
A late 18th century French Louis XV style small lady's desk with hinged drop down leather top writing surface. Made of walnut and in two parts with small top cabinet with one interio...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Vienna Art Deco Josef Hoffman Manner Eight-Piece Salon Suite Set
Located in Forney, TX
A rare Art Deco period eight-piece study suite set in the manner of famous Austrian architect, designer, and Vienna Secession founder Josef Hoffman (Austria, 1870-1956), circa 1920. Exquisitely handcrafted in Austria in the early 20th century, most likely Vienna, featuring fine quality craftsmanship and solid wood construction, featuring Biedermeier inspired Viennese Art Deco styling of simplicity, strict, geometric lines with minimal surface embellishment, instead of ornamentation putting the focus on high-quality materials. The matching eight-piece set comprising a tanker writing desk with inset leather surface, surmounted with raised gallery fitted with drawers flanking richly figured quilted diamond inlay, rising on double pedestals with locking cupboard doors opening to stacked shelved tray interior, affixed with patinated brass pulls and escutcheons, retaining original keys, finished on all sides so it can be placed anywhere in the room, and paired with a comfortable armchair with upholstered seat and backrest. A large eight door bookcase storage cabinet with original glass panels, adjustable shelves, and cocktail drinks bar slide. A centre card table with rectangular shaped canted corner top featuring inset green baize felt games playing surface, over conforming apron fitted with dovetailed drawers, rising on square column pedestal, surrounded by four upholstered side chairs. Dimensions: (approx) 79" High, 65" Wide, 21" Deep (largest, cabinet) PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION: Property from the important Estate of Myra Janco Daniels (1925-2022) Naples, Florida. A legendary business woman, philanthropist, and arts advocate who built the institution known today as Artis—Naples and made Naples a cultural destination. Additional info below. Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. Design Signature Auction catalog #8110 Condition Report: Great original antique condition with beautifully aged warm mellow patina. Strong, sturdy and structurally sound. Overall very attractive condition; no significant losses or restorations; wear consistent with over 100 years of age and indicative of use. Delivered cleaned, waxed, hand rubbed polished French patina finish, ready for immediate use and generational enjoyment! ABOUT THE LEGENDARY PREVIOUS OWNER: We normally don't post about the prior owners life, but in the case of Myra Janco Daniels (1925-2022) we felt her incredible story be shared. The arts visionary and advertising Pioneer who helped transform Southwest Florida into a nationally recognized cultural destination, died June 22, three days before her 97th birthday. Daniels was founder and longtime CEO of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts (now Artis-Naples), which since 1989 has brought world-class music, theater, dance, opera, and art to Naples. In 2000, she founded the Naples Museum of Art (now the Baker Museum) on that same campus. After a storied career as an advertising executive in Chicago, Daniels came out of retirement in the early 1980s to spearhead a fund-raising drive for a small classical music ensemble on MarCo Island, which would later become the Naples Philharmonic orchestra. She discovered “a great hunger for the arts,” she later wrote, and soon expanded her fundraising goal to building a permanent home for the orchestra and an arts center for Southwest Florida. Daniels’ vision for the Philharmonic Center was ambitious and unusual – combining world-class performing and visual arts in a single venue. The Community strongly supported the concept, and the Phil, as it became known, gave Naples a national arts profile. Then-First Lady Barbara Bush was in attendance on opening night in November 1989. The Wall Street Journal covered the opening. “Myra Daniels is a dreamer. But unlike most dreamers, Myra is a doer,” the late Muriel Seibert, the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, once said of Daniels. While the arts were a lifelong passion for Daniels, her first career was as a groundbreaking advertising executive in Chicago, where she won national Advertising Woman of the Year honors and was among the first women to head a national ad firm. Daniels said that she used some of the same principles learned in her advertising career to sell Southwest Florida on the arts. “You have to believe in what you’re doing and then you have to get people involved to the point that they feel it’s theirs. That’s what we did.” Born Myra Janco in Gary, Indiana, Daniels was raised during the Great Depression by parents who encouraged her interest in the arts. But her greatest influence growing up was her grandmother Sophie, who, like Daniels, stood only five feet tall but dreamed big. “Sophie showed me what was possible,” Daniels wrote. “Create something that people want and need and you’ll be successful, she said. I always remembered that.” Her grandmother, who ran her own real estate business, experienced some failures “but she always dusted herself off and went back out there swinging. She wanted me to be that way too.” Daniels earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana State and later became an associate professor of marketing at Indiana University, the first woman to hold that position. In her mid-20s, she started Wabash Advertising in Terre Haute, Indiana, which later became affiliated with larger agencies in Chicago and Cleveland. In 1963, she was named executive vice president of Roche, Rickard, Henri, Hurst, Inc. in Chicago. The National Advertising Federation honored Daniels as its Advertising Woman of the Year in 1965, the youngest woman to receive the award. That same year, she became president of a new national agency that she formed with ad man Draper Daniels. The merger was not just a professional one. Draper Daniels, who was responsible for many famous ad campaigns at the time, including the Marlboro Man and was later an inspiration for the Don Draper character on TV’s Mad Men, became her husband in 1967. Myra wrote about their unusual courtship and life together for Chicago magazine, in an article entitled “I Married a Mad Man,” which was included in her book Secrets of a Rutbuster. They ran the Draper Daniels, Incorporated agency, as it was called, until 1977. When Draper wanted to retire to Southwest Florida, Myra Daniels reluctantly left Chicago and advertising, and they settled on MarCo Island. But after Draper died of cancer in 1983, Myra turned her energies to the fundraising Campaign that led to the Philharmonic Center Cultural Complex. Daniels served as CEO of the Philharmonic Center from its inception in the 1980s to her retirement in 2011, building the Phil into a $100 million corporation. During that time, the Naples Philharmonic became a nationally recognized orchestra, with a Grammy nomination, CD and appearances on PBS; and the Naples Museum of Art developed an international reputation. The center also helped change people’s perception of Naples, which had been known mostly for its beaches and golfing. In 2005, Naples was named the Best Small Art Town in America in a book that singled out the Phil. More than just an arts venue, the Philharmonic Center also wove the arts into the culture of the Community, providing public school programs, adult and children’s education classes and workshops, and free concerts throughout Southwest Florida. Edward Villella, legendary dancer with the New York City Ballet and founder of Miami City...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century Spanish Dining Table
Located in Charleston, SC
18th century Spanish dining table in superb patina featuring a trestle base with forged iron supports which is typical of Spanish tab...
Category

18th Century Spanish Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wrought Iron

Early Georgian Chippendale Bureau Bookcase Desk in Carved Mahogany
Located in Dorking, GB
An unusual and possibly unique example of a Chippendale design for a carved mahogany bureau bookcase. See included photos of scans of the designs from Chippendale’s - The Gentleman...
Category

Late 17th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Oak

Antique French Art Deco Dining Table or Writing Desk in Mahogany Wood, 1930s
Located in Detroit, MI
This French Art Deco carved mahogany dining table or large writing desk from the early 20th century features a beautiful geometric marquetry wood tabletop with arrow pattern supporte...
Category

Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Wood

Satinwood Inlaid Partners Desk
Located in Cheshire, GB
Satinwood partners desk, the large rectangular top with inset brown leather enclosed by tulipwood banding. To the frieze fitted with three drawers and twin pedestals below, one side ...
Category

Early 20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Satinwood

Fine 18th Century Mahogany Free Standing Library Desk
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A fine quality late 18th century mahogany free standing library desk, the flame mahogany cupboards with ebony fluting to the sides of the kneehol...
Category

18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

George III Mahogany Carlton House Desk
Located in London, GB
A fine quality late 18th century Sheraton period well-figured mahogany Carlton House Desk boxwood & ebony line inlaid & satinwood banded throughout, having brass galleried top above ...
Category

Mid-18th Century English Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

French Louis XVI Period 18th Century Walnut Desk with Carved Fluted Apron
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XVI period walnut desk from the 18th century, with single drawer, carved fluted motifs, tapered legs and dark patina. Created in France during the 18th century, this w...
Category

18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

18th C. Swedish Rococo Period Writing Desk in Original Paint
Located in Wichita, KS
A period Rococo writing desk from the 18th century in original painted alder wood with period key hole fittings, circa 1760. There are two smaller drawers behind the writing surface ...
Category

18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Large Vintage Oak Desk, Double Sided with Display End
Located in Ely, GB
A beautifully large vintage partner desk or possible retail counter desk. The desk is in good vintage condition with age related marks and scuf...
Category

1920s British Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

18th Century Italian Fratino Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian fratino desk with lyre legs and iron stretcher from the 18th century. This antique table from Italy, in typical fratino style, features a rectangular-shaped wood top raise...
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Mahogany Desk
Located in Westport, CT
Black leather panels.
Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

French 18th Century Louis XVI Period Marquetry Desk
Located in San Antonio, TX
An exceptional French 18th century Louis XVI Period Marquetry Desk. This desk is known as a “bureau a cylindre”, referring to its curved pivoted opening in the middle. The woodwork o...
Category

18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Chinese Antique Lacquered Wooden Desk with Four Drawers and Curling Scrolls
Located in Yonkers, NY
An antique Chinese late Qing Dynasty period wooden desk from the 20th century, with four drawers, carved curling scrolls, horse-hoof legs and custom black and red lacquer. Created in...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Antique Arts & Crafts Oak Writing Desk From Frank Lloyd Wright's DeRhodes House
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful antique Mission oak Arts & Crafts writing desk or library table with built-in bookcases Recently procured from Frank Lloyd Wright's DeRhodes House In the manner of ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak, Cork

Georgian Style Wood & Hogan Burr Walnut Partners Desk Bench-Made in England
Located in North Salem, NY
For the person who appreciates high quality in all details. This desk will make the impreessive statement needed. English Bench-Made Wood & Hogan Walnut Early Georgian Style Partner...
Category

Early 18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th C. Country French Walnut Writing Table
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A two tiered desk with elevated section at back with slots for papers and four curved supports. The lower overhanging surface with banded sides and serpe...
Category

Late 18th Century French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Spanish Colonial Narrow Console Table with Two Drawers with Iron Hardware
Located in Miami, FL
Spanish colonial narrow console table with two carved drawers This piece has a two-pedestal legs with an awesome carved. We have a matching piece you can see in the last picture...
Category

Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Antique French Louis XVI Desk ~ Library Table ~ Dining Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique French Louis XVI Desk ~ Library Table ~ Dining Table is able to fill a multitude of roles, and do so in style! Combining elegantly scroll...
Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Industrial Wood 3 Drawer Hudson Drawing Table by Keuffel & Esser Co.
Located in New York, NY
Large Industrial style early 20th century architect drawing table featuring an oak base and a pine top. Comes with three drawers, including one larger blueprint drawer, two regular d...
Category

Early 20th Century American Industrial Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak, Pine

Large Antique Mahogany Writing Table
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality large leather top writing table by Taylor & Sons, Brompton Road, London, having three leather inserts each d...
Category

Early 20th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

20th Century French Writing Table Hand Carved and Painted in Louise xvi Style
Located in Sofia, BG
French wooden hand painted table with cognac velvet top. The table is hand carved with typical details for Louise XVI style like the gilt wood ribbons at the front and the fluted leg...
Category

Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Antique Quality Mahogany Floral Marquetry Inlaid Bombe Shaped Burea
Located in Suffolk, GB
Antique 18th century quality mahogany floral marquetry inlaid bombe shaped bureau having a quality floral marquetry fall opening to reveal a fitted interior consisting of drawers, pigeon holes, door and a well above three bombe shaped floral marquetry oak...
Category

18th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Other

18th Century French Hand Carved Walnut Writing Table with Two Drawers Louis XV
Located in Sofia, BG
18th century French hand carved walnut writing table with two side drawers resting on curved decorated legs. The table is in it authentic condition with no restorations made. The con...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

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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