Desks and Writing Tables
1970s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Wicker, Wood
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1780s Irish Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1970s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Burl
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Teak
1970s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Chrome
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bamboo, Rattan
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Ebony, Coconut
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1980s Spanish Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Shagreen
1780s English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1970s Dutch Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1990s French Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Sycamore, Wenge
Late 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Bamboo, Formica, Wood
1970s French Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1970s Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Laminate
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century British Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
Late 20th Century North American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Paint
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Late 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Swedish Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Concrete, Steel
Late 20th Century Unknown Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Steel, Chrome
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Elm
1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1990s Czech Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
1970s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1780s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1980s Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Plexiglass, Wood
1970s American Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1980s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1780s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1970s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Glass
Late 20th Century American Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1970s French Brutalist Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
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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