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Desks and Writing Tables

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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: 1950s
Period: 1920s
Art Deco Desk from Paris "Villa des Arts" in Rosewood
Located in Greven, DE
Impressive Art Deco desk in noble rosewood and black piano lacquer - all parts including glass and locks are original and in very good condition. The entire desk has been restored an...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Wim Rietveld Pyramid Table Large Ahrend de Cirkel 1959
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Large 'Pyramid' table designed by Wim Rietveld and produced in the Netherlands by Ahrend de Cirkel in 1959. The overall condition is good, but as you can see on the pictures, the tab...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

50° Desk in Wood Italian
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Wood desk from the 50s, Italian. Desk 1950s Country: Italian Finish: polyurethanic lacquer It is an elegant and sophisticated desk. We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and ...
Category

1950s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Amazing Italian Desk or Dining Table by Guglielmo Ulrich
Located in Munich, DE
Wonderful organic shaped walnut base and silvered glass top. I was not able to get a good picture of the top.
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Petite Vanity/Writing Table with Stool Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage mahogany vanity/writing table with corresponding naugahyde stool designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar (ca. 1950s, Indiana, USA). Angu...
Category

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

Materials

Naugahyde, Laminate, Mahogany

Desk in Wood Italian, 1950
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Wood desk from the 50s, Italian. Desk 1950s Country: Italian Finish: polyurethanic lacquer It is an elegant and sophisticated desk. If you have any questions we are at your disposa...
Category

1950s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Rare Mahogany 'TL2' Cavalletto Table / Desk by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy
Located in London, GB
A rare mahogany version of the Cavaletto or TL2 table designed by the great neo-rationalist designer, Franco Albini. Designed in 1950 for manufacturers Poggi...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

Paul McCobb Planner Group Mid-Century Modern Writing Desk, Newly 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 lacquered solid maple, with original bras...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

1950's Stitched Leather Desk by Jacques Adnet
Located in Bois-Colombes, FR
1950's "Campaign Desk " all covered with stitched leather designed by Jacques Adnet. France.
Category

1950s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

50° Desk Italian, Material, Wood
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
wood desk from the 50s, Italian. Desk 1950s Country: Italian Finish: polyurethanic lacquer It is an elegant and sophisticated desk. We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and ...
Category

1950s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Desk in the style of Finn Juhl & Arne Vodder Produced in Denmark
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare freestanding desk in the style of Finn Juhl & Arne Vodder. Produced in Denmark. Measures: Width: 170 ( 226.5) cm.
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Italian Teak Wood, Brass & Black Metal Mid-Century Modern Dining Table
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Beautiful dining table made in Italy in the 1950s. Octagonal top in teak wood with geometric design and fluted edge. Black iron legs with shaped brass feet. The table top has been re...
Category

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

Materials

Brass, Iron

Baker Furniture Georgian Burled Walnut Executive Credenza Desk, Newly Refinished
Located in South Bend, IN
A stately Georgian or Chippendale style executive credenza desk By Baker Furniture USA, 1950s Walnut case, with gorgeous burled walnut drawer fronts and original brass pulls...
Category

1950s American Georgian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Small Folding Desk Cantieri Carugati Gianfranco Frattini 1959 in Italian Walnut
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Small folding desk Cantieri Carugati Gianfranco Frattini 1959 in Italian Walnut, open depth 83 cm, completely restored with natural paints as in the past.
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

De Coene Art Deco Dining Table, 1941
Located in Antwerp, BE
Dining table by De Coene Frères chairs, model Voltaire, featured in original catalogue as the number 03-81-689 (Source: Noël Hostens, De Coene Archives). The design dates to the 1940...
Category

1950s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

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

Friso Kramer 'REFORM" Industrial Dining or Work Table with Teak Veneered Top
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Friso Kramer "REFORM" Industrial Dining or Work Table with New Veneered Teak Top and Grey Enameled Metal Frame. Frame in Very Original Condition with Visible Wear. Shot with Wild Ind...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

1920s Walnut Kidney Shaped Desk
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
1920s Walnut kidney shaped desk with green leather insert with gold tooling to the edge and motif to centre. The desk has three drawers eithe...
Category

1920s Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Italian Venetian Knee-Hole Desk /Console Table circa 1950's
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
1290 Hand painted Venetian style desk with gilt finish.
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Hardwood

Neoclassical Fench Art Deco Writing Table, Bronze Feet, Brass Strips, circa 1925
Located in Köln, NW
French Art Deco writing table "Bureau plat Neoclassique". bronze feet, brass strips. Green leather top. Professionally restored. New key...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Elegant graceful French writing table by Jacques Quinet. 1950s.
Located in Köln, NW
Elegant writing desk / lady's desk by Jacques Quinet, France circa 1950. Bronze sabots, brass strips, leather overlay with some age-related signs of use. Rectangular, straight body ...
Category

1950s French Minimalist Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

French Writing Table, Desk or Side Table Rocaille Style Midcentury
Located in Labrit, Landes
French Rocaille style writing table, little desk or side table, circa 1950. Good condition For shipping: W 89.5, D 52.5, H 75 8.6kg.
Category

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

Materials

Walnut

Italian Vintage Desk in Walnut Wood, Brass and Glass
Located in Milano, IT
The beautiful desk is made in walnut wood, but the top is covered with glass plate giving the dest and elegant look. The desk features four drawers, one of which can be closed with a...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Pierre Jeanneret Pigeon Hole Desk, France/India 1957
Located in London, GB
Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) is recognised as a pivotal figure in modernism. His collaborations with his cousin Le Corbusier are especially significant, particularly their codificati...
Category

1950s Indian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Pair of Vintage Ebonized Beech Writing Desks in the Style of Gio Ponti, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1950s - 1960s. They feature an ebonized beech frame and four Formica veneered drawers each. These desks both have the same timber but with two slightly different shade...
Category

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

Materials

Formica, Beech

Scandinavian Art Déco Desk, Mahogany and Satinwood, Freestanding
Located in Göttingen, NI
A Scandinavian Art Déco desk, Mahogany and Satinwood, bronze ornaments, freestanding Attributed to Sigvard Bernadotte, Stockholm 1930s.   
Category

1920s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Frank Lloyd Wright for Heritage Henredon Taliesin Mahogany Desk 1955/56
Located in Camden, ME
A classic nine drawer mahogany desk designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his Taliesin line for Heritage Henredon furniture. Beautifully detailed with a continuous incised carved greek ...
Category

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

Materials

Mahogany

Melchiorre Bega Desk, 1950s Italy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning Italian desk in a beautiful caramel wood. Four pull-out drawers flank each side of the desk. Angular extension on the left side of the desk for extra writing space and fanta...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Mid-20th Century Large Maple and Oak Drafting Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Large drafting table (ca. 1950s, USA) composed of a maple surface with gray and brown painted trim supported by an oak base. Surface has been re...
Category

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

Materials

Steel

Teak Desk Made by Erik Kierkegaard for Gustav Bertelsen
Located in London, GB
Erik Kirkegaard: Desk of teak. Front with two drawers. Made by cabinetmaker Gustav Bertelsen. H. 74 cm. L. 150 cm. W. 75 cm. List Price of £3600 includes professional sanding and re...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Mid-Century Modern Walnut Desk by Gio Ponti
Located in London, GB
This walnut desk designed by Gio Ponti is of a very useful size and elegant design with the typical Gio Ponti leg shape, seen in many of his pieces. The bottom of the leg is flicked ...
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Executive Terni Desk Ico Parisi for MIM, Italy
Located in Schellebelle, BE
Terni desk in aluminium and Indian rosewood, Ico Parisi for MIM great Italian design very nice color and powerful patina marked MIM.
Category

1950s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Danish Desk by Erik Riisager Hansen, Haslev Møbelsnedkeri, Denmark
Located in Utrecht, NL
Vintage teak desk, model 66, designed by Danish designer Erik Riisager Hansen, executed by Haslev Mobelsnedkeri, Denmark. A Haslev label with model number can be found underneath of...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

20th Century Franco Albini Table Model TL2 "Cavalletto" in Wood for Poggi 1950s
Located in Turin, Turin
Iconic table designed by the great Italian maestro Franco Albini in the 50s. The model is TL2 better known as "Cavalletto" (in english "Trestle") since it reminds of lightness and wi...
Category

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

Materials

Metal

Jacques Adnet Leather and Oak Desk, 1950s France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental Art Deco era desk by French Art Deco Modernist designer Jacques Adnet. Iron frame with 4 posts, inverted u-shaped bases and brass support ...
Category

1950s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Iron

1950's Stitched Leather Desk by Jacques Adnet
Located in Bois-Colombes, FR
Very nice stitched leather desk Covered with navy blue leather, chromed metal 3 drawers.   
Category

1950s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Exectutive Desk by Osvado Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1950s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large executive table desk designed by Oslavdo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1950s. Double pedestal base is brushed aluminum and shows minor oxidation...
Category

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

Materials

Aluminum

Gio Ponti for BNL Walnut and Brass Writing Table / Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic writing table designed in the 1940s by Gio Ponti for Schirolli to furnish BNL (Banca Nazionale del Lavoro) offices across Italy. This early 1950s model was acquired directly f...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Italian Brass and Wood Writing Desk or Dining Table with Glass Top, C 1955
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An Italian brass and wood writing desk or dining table with glass top, C 1955.
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Harvey Probber Teak and Brass Triangle Desk or Console Table, Newly Refinished
Located in South Bend, IN
A unique and gorgeous mid-century modern triangle desk, console, or sofa table By Harvey Probber USA, 1950s Teak wood, with brass-capped feet. ...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Finn Juhl Teak Writing Desk
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
This a wonderful example of a Finn Juhl freestanding teak writing desk with detachable 20.25 inch flip-down leaf, the table measures 88.25 inches when fully extended. The drawer section has four polychrome lacquered drawers. The desk features an anodized metal frame with teak shoes...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Midcentury Freestanding Desk in Teak by Børge Mogensen, Danish Design, 1950s
Located in Lejre, DK
Desk in teak, designed by Maa. Børge Mogensen for Sobørg furniture. Great original condition.
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Teak Desk by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg, Denmark
Located in Barcelona, ES
Desk designed in 1959 by danish architects Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg, Denmark. Two and four drawers and two writing surfaces with interior glasses, open shelve...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Unique Desk or Table Made by Jens Harald Quistgaard in 1953, Solid Teak and Oak
Located in Odense, DK
A stunning Scandinavian solid unique teak & oak table or desk with continuous drawer and slightly sloping legs and two crossed iron bars. The desk was drawn and executed as a special...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Vintage Desk by Willy Van Der Meeren for Tubax, 1950s
Located in HEVERLEE, BE
Mid century school desk designed by Willy Van Der Meeren and produced by Tubax in Belgium. Industrial design which was widely used in schools. Sadly troughout the time when schools ...
Category

1950s Belgian Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Magnificent Restored Mahogany and Rattan Console, Philippines, circa 1950
Located in Atlanta, GA
This magnificent console is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing narrative: Meticulously professionally restored and completely installation ready. ...
Category

1950s Philippine Organic Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Rattan, Mahogany

Trau Turin Desk, 1950s
By Trau
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Vintage metal desk made by Trau in Turin in the 1950s. 5 drawer gray metal structure with red faux leather curved thick top.
Category

1950s Italian Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Pierre Jeanneret Desk, 1950s Chandigargh
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spectacular pigeonhole desk by Pierre Jeanneret. Made for the Chandigarh project. Used in the administrative buildings in Chindigargh, Sector 1. Angular leg and bookcase back. One of the most iconic pieces of modern design. Taupe leather top. Single pull out drawer on front left. Looks stunning from every angle. Great piece to float in a room. Desk in excellent vintage condition. The last 4 images are original photos of the desk pre-restoration. Armrest clearance is 26.25" Jeanneret Chandigargh Book - Jacques Dworczak...
Category

1950s Indian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak, Leather

Gorgeous Inlaid Continental Louis XV Style Walnut Writing Desk circa 1920s
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a beautiful desk that features the design of a Louis XV desk and has the traits of an Italian desk as well. The desk has beautiful inlay and even bronze hardware. The desk me...
Category

1920s European Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Gio Ponti Original 1950's Desk
Located in London, GB
An architect, furniture and industrial designer and editor, Giò Ponti was arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian Modernism. Ponti designed thousands of furnishi...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Desk Probably Produced in Sweden
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare freestanding desk by unknown designer. Probably produced in Sweden. Width: 132.5 ( 197.5 ) cm.
Category

1950s European Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Early George Nelson Desk / Return, Child's Desk, Modernist, Herman Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early George Nelson desk / return, child's desk, Modernist, Herman Miller, Retains original Herman Miller foil label, 4 drawers, pencil dividers, steel frame, minor pitting (lower right side bottom). Original designed for larger desk, return, typewriter desk...
Category

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

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Pierre Jeanneret Desk, 1950s Chandigargh
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spectacular pigeonhole desk by Pierre Jeanneret. Made for the Chandigarh project. Used in the administrative buildings in Chindigargh, Sector 1. Angular leg and bookcase back. The word - OFFICE - stenciled on years ago designating it to one of the buildings. One of the most iconic pieces of modern design. Dark green leather top. Single pull out drawer on front left. Looks stunning from every angle. Great piece to float in a room. Desk in excellent vintage condition. Last 5 images are the original photos - pre-restoration. Armrest clearance is 26". Jeanneret Chandigargh Book - Jacques Dworczak...
Category

1950s Indian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Teak

Edward Wormley Executive Tambour-Door Rosewood Desk for Dunbar
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rosewood executive desk by Edward Wormley c.1950s, USA, for Dunbar. The desk has three shallow drawers that run the length of the desk. The top of the desk features two roll top tamb...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

Partners Desk by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
Located in Dallas, TX
A mahogany partners desk with original leather top and base and brass hardware. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
Category

1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Eugenio Escudero Dining Table or Desk, 1950s
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Beautiful work of art, part of the legacy that Eugenio Escudero leaves us. For your consideration, dining table or desk with spectacular design, angles and assemblies or joints. Gr...
Category

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

Materials

Ebony

Desk
Located in New York, NY
T-shaped nickel-plated steel structure, originally created for the Foncolin Building, Brussels. Literature: Marie Ferran-Wabbes’ Jules Wabbes 1919-1974, ...
Category

1950s Belgian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Studio BBPR Small Adjustable Desk for the Olivetti Store in New York, Italy 1954
Located in Milan, IT
Studio BBPR Small adjustable work desk and typewriter station made for the Olivetti store in New York, 1954 This was designed by Studio BBPR for ...
Category

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

Materials

Metal, Brass

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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