Desks and Writing Tables
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1960s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1930s French Napoleon III Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Late 19th Century French Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate, Mahogany
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Maple
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Opaline Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum, Brass
1950s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rattan, Formica
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Palisander
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bentwood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1940s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Iron
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1960s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Faux Leather, Walnut
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1940s German Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Onyx, Brass
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1880s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1960s French Futurist Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Fiberglass
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1950s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1950s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Birch, Zebra Wood
1960s Italian Campaign Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Antique Desks and Writing Tables
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.
Read More
This 19th-Century Gilded Desk Displays a Fanciful Kingdom in Marquetry
The stately piece brings both gravitas and whimsy to any work space.
Ask an Interior Designer: Work-from-Home Edition
Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.
18 Home Offices for Workaholic Design-Lovers
Proof that working from home is a perk.