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Desks and Writing Tables For Sale
Period: 1940s
Period: 1890s
Writing Desk with Marquetry Top in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Writing table, walnut, The Netherlands, 1940s
An elegant furniture piece that attests to masterful craftsmanship. Its marquetry top, adorned with a captivating array of various wood...
Category
1940s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Rare Mid Century Italian Grissinato Desk In The Style Of Gio Ponti
Located in Westport, CT
Wonderful Modernist fruitwood desk shown with its original grey laminate top which we have covered in a new black glass top above an angular base consisting of two grissinato drawers...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Fruitwood
19th Century mahogany inlaid writing desk
Located in Martlesham, GB
A superb quality 19th Century mahogany inlaid writing desk, the super structure comprising of three mahogany lined drawers either side with the original turned brass knob handles and...
Category
1890s British Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Antique Chippendale Style Leather Top Desk
Located in London, GB
A fantastic antique Chippendale style leather top desk in the Chippendale style. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1890-1910 period.
It is very well made, sitting o...
Category
1890s British Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
Silvio Cavatorta Writing Desk in Mahogany
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Silvio Cavatorta desk, mahogany, brass, Italy, design 1948-1949
Beautifully shaped desk in mahogany designed by Silvio Cavatorta in the late 1940s. The desk consists of a sleek top,...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Elm Desk, France, c. 1940
Located in New York City, NY
Distinctive desk showcasing a single drawer and elegantly rounded, tapered wooden legs.
Category
1940s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Elm
Small Writing Desk Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig 1940 Italy
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Small wood and metal desk designed by Giuseppe Pagano Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig in 1940s Italy. Small desk made of curved laminated wood with 4 drawers.
Signs of wear and use.
Category
1940s Italian Other Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique Sheraton Revival Satinwood Desk
Located in London, GB
A stunning antique Sheraton Revival Satinwood desk. This dates from around the 1890-1910 period, and it was made in England.
The quality is fantastic, this has beautiful brass handl...
Category
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Satinwood
Art Deco Desk, France 1940s
Located in Greding, DE
Art Deco desk with slightly curved table top and two drawer elements with four drawers each. These are lockable and the handles are made of elegant bars. The desk can be positioned a...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Burl Wood and Lucite Writing Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
W51 D19 H29.5 KW21.5 KC23.5 KD18
Vintage Fully Restored Desk with a Medium Walnut Finish. Item is structurally sound and fully functional. Desk features very unique hardware and bur...
Category
1940s Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Lucite, Burl
Arts & Crafts American Oak Library Table Desk With Barley Twist Legs
Located in Southampton, NJ
American antique Arts & Crafts solid quarter sawn Oak library table with original finish. Unusual in its distinct Mission & English influences. Boasts a single drawer with impressive...
Category
1890s American Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Marcel Gascoin, TC Office, France 1950
Located in Catonvielle, FR
Marcel Gascoin (1907-1986), “TC” table in light oak, ARHEC edition, France 1950.
Father of Rationalism and major player in French Reconstruction, Marcel Gascoin designs quality furni...
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Vintage Jaguar Green Lacquered Louis XVI Style Writing Desk
Located in East Hampton, NY
British Jaguar green lacquered Louis XVI style desk with original embossed leather top and two drawers. This desk sits on brass casters. Simply stunning and elegant.
Category
1940s French French Provincial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Vintage French Design Kidney Shape Carved Walnut Office Library Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage French Design Kidney Shape Carved Walnut Office Library Desk
Featuring a charming mahogany & walnut French design small office or library desk in the classic kidney shape. ...
Category
1940s French Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Fine Quality Three Piece Faux Bamboo English Leather Top Executive Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a beautiful cabinet-made faux bambook desk in the French or Campaign style. The desk features a fine off-white leather top with gold embossing. The desk comes apart in three ...
Category
1940s French Campaign Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Baker Furniture English Regency Mahogany Leather Top Writing Desk
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional English Regency style writing desk or console table
By Baker Furniture
USA, Circa 1940s
Carved mahogany, with embossed leather top, and original brass hardware and ...
Category
1940s American Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Art Deco Desk by Charles Dudouyt, France, 1940s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Charles Dudouyt oak desk with double base, made in the 1940s in France. The sturdy oak construction, adorned with front panels and a raised round inlaid top with a captivating parque...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Danish Cabinetmaker 1940s Mahogany Desk
Located in London, GB
Danish cabinetmaker - 1940s writing desk
This exceptional, minimalist desk was produced in Denmark in the 1940s by an anonymous cabinetmaker and ...
Category
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Oak
Antique French Louis XV Style Bureau
Located in London, GB
A stunning antique French bureau, dating from around the 1890-1910 period.
It is of extremely fine quality, standing on slender yet sturdy cabriole legs and with gorgeous inlaid flo...
Category
1890s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
Alvar Aalto Mahogany Desk for Artek with Drawers and Pull Out Work Surfaces
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
The model #500 mahogany desk designed by Alvar Aalto, made in Sweden for Artek, Finland. Six drawers with two pull-out work surface boards. A nice example...
Category
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Pine Standing Desk with Slant Top, Denmark, 1890s
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
Antique Danish slant top desk, circa 1890s. Made for a rural schoolmaster, this pine desk retains its original character with minor mars and stains, protected by a smooth finish. Fea...
Category
1890s Danish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
Vintage Louis XV style desk 1950s
Located in Catania, IT
Vintage desk in the Louis XV style with decorations and inlays
lacquered wood and gilt bronzes, with 3 capacious drawers.
In good condition, writing surface to be re-done.
Category
1940s Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Leather Top Writing Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
An outstanding French Louis XV style writing desk or bureau plat desk with bronze trim and ornate ormolu mounts and embossed leather top. The desk is finished on all sides and could ...
Category
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Gustavian Style 9 Drawer Desk
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Gustavian Style 9 Drawer Desk. its been restored and repainted with Milk Paints "Oyster White"
Category
1940s Swedish Gustavian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Rare Ilmari Tapiovaara Desk, 1940s, Finland
Located in Helsinki, FI
Rare Ilmari Tapiovaara desk, Domus Academica student house, 1940s. Birch with painted table top. Good vintage condition, patina consistent with age and use. Beautiful minimalistic de...
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch, Paint
Rare Gio Ponti Writing Desk in Walnut and Grissinato Mahogany
By Gio Ponti
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gio Ponti, writing desk, walnut, mahogany, glass, Italy, 1940s
This writing table, a rare find designed by Gio Ponti, originates from the 1940s. The design is truly magnificent, fea...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Mahogany, Walnut
Tiger Oak Overmantle Oval Beveled Mirror Mission, America 1920, H700
Located in Vancouver, BC
Tiger Oak Overmantle Oval Beveled Mirror Mission, America 1920, H700
America 1920
Solid Tiger Oak
Original finish
Large oval beveled glass mirror
With platform below
Supports on the...
Category
1890s American Mission Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique mahogany campaign desk
Located in Salisbury, GB
Military campaign desk
This large Military campaign desk was made in the last quarter of the 19th century.
It is made of mahogany with brass inset corners and flush brass handles.
Th...
Category
1890s English Campaign Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Antique Victorian Oak Leather Top Writing Table / Desk
Located in London, GB
An impressive antique Victorian oak leather top writing table / desk. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1870-1890 period.
It is of superb quality, solid oak through...
Category
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Antique Edwardian Desk / Writing Table
Located in London, GB
A lovely antique Edwardian desk / writing table, made in England and dating from around the 1890-1910 period.
It is of superb quality, with a beautiful and elegant design. The top h...
Category
1890s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
French Louis XV Kingwood Bureau Plat Leather Top Desk With Mounted Bronze Ormolu
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding French Louis XV style writing desk or bureau plat desk
France, Circa 1940s
Gorgeous kingwood, with bronze trim and ornate ormolu mounts, and embossed green leather t...
Category
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Antique Large Victorian Shaped Ornamental Bevelled Mirror Scotland 1890, H607A
Located in Vancouver, BC
Antique Large Victorian Shaped Ornamental Bevelled Mirror, Scotland 1890, H607A
Solid Oak
Original finish
Carved pediment on top
Moulded cornice below
Bevelled edge mirror to the ce...
Category
1890s Scottish Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique Georgian Style Kidney Shaped Desk
Located in London, GB
A beautiful antique kidney shaped desk. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1890-1910 period.
This actually has a brass plaque in the top drawer from when it was pres...
Category
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
A French Black Lacquer Writing Table
Located in New York, NY
The rectangular top inset with antiqued mirror glass over two frieze drawers; raised on square tapering legs terminating in brass sabots.
Category
1940s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Italian 1940s Solid Oak Wood Writing Desk with Shutter Doors
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Vintage Italian writing desk circa 1940s in solid oak wood. Comfortable size for a practical use. Characterized by two doors on the sides with shutter opening, internally four drawer...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
France Desk Art Deco, 1950, France, Material: Wood Attributed to Jean Souvrain
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
French Desk Style: Art Deco
Year 1940
Wood and bronze
Finish: polyurethanic lacquer.
It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk.
The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
Scrittoio Anni 40 in noce e radica
Located in Milano, IT
Scrittoio con cassetti laterali in legno impiallacciato noce e con il piano in legno impiallacciato radica. Buone condizioni.
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Frits Henningsen Mahogany Desk, c1940s
Located in London, GB
Frits Henningsen - Writing Desk, c1940s
Rarely seen design from the master cabinetmaker of the early Danish Modern period: Frits Henningsen. Henningsen produced all of his designs a...
Category
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Antique French Louis XVI Escritoire Writing Desk
Located in North York, ON
Introducing the epitome of elegance and sophistication - the Antique French Louis XVI Escritoire Writing Desk. This exquisite piece, made in France circa 1940’s, exudes timeless char...
Category
1940s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Neo Renaissance Walnut Table, 1890s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Walnut table in Neo-Renaissance style dating from the late 19th century.
Packaging with bubble wrap and cardboard boxes is included. If the wooden packaging is needed (fumigated crat...
Category
1890s Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
DC-3 ‘Dakota’ Wingtip Desk
Located in London, GB
The Douglas DC-3 was designed in the mid-1930s as a passenger and freight aircraft, but built during the war years 1941-1945 in large numbers, as the DC-3 (C47) Transport Plane known...
Category
1940s American Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum
A Black Art Deco Desk for the Boss Voltaire by De Coene Frères Belgium 1940s
Located in Ulm, DE
Desk from the Belgian Furniture Manufactory DeCoene Frères.
Double Face desk for the boss on one side and the secretary on the other
Well known Art Déco Furniture, Belgium 1940s
F...
Category
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Vintage French Jansen Manner Louis XVI Style Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Vintage French Jansen Manner black lacquered Louis XVI style writing desk. Circa 1940. A timeless and classic touch for a fine interior.
Category
1940s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Classic Mid-Century Three Drawer Oak Desk
Located in San Francisco, CA
Classic Mid-Century Three Drawer Oak Desk
Beautiful grain top and brass feet
48 x 20 3.75 x 29
Category
1940s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Antique Mahogany Writing Table / Server Turned Legs Wheels, c. 1890
Located in Weehawken, NJ
Handsome Antique Writing Table or Server featuring turned legs on castors, c. 1890. Two drawers with lovely pulls, a gilt embossed leather top and interesting period casters. Perfect...
Category
1890s Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Art Deco German Curved Desk in Walnut
Located in Houston, TX
Elegant German Art Deco Desk is made out of walnut wood. Has slightly curved top with leather insert in the middle. There is thin keyed drawer. Desk is supported by 2 wide rectangula...
Category
1940s German Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Art Deco French Desk in Macassar with Leather Top Insert
Located in Houston, TX
Art Deco French desk in Macassar wood
Desk is made out of Macassar wood and newly re-upholstered with a strip of brown leather in the middle of the desk’s top. Each of the legs have ...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
Paolo Buffa grissinato wood desk with four drawers, Italy 1940s
By Galdino Maspero, Paolo Buffa
Located in Milan, IT
Splendid and essential Paolo Buffa Desk in grissinato wood with four drawers and saber legs.
Iconic Paolo Buffa design manufactured by Galdino Maspero, Italy 1940s
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
40s-50s Desk
Located in Milano, IT
Elegant desk with pair of under-top drawers, beech wood, and mahogany veneer, top with recessed clear glass. Good conditions.
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Beech, Mahogany
Antique Walnut Leather Top Pedestal Desk
Located in London, GB
A superb antique walnut leather top pedestal desk. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1890-1910 period.
It is of extremely fine quality, with a gorgeous cushion top ...
Category
1890s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Art Deco French Grand Desk
Located in Houston, TX
Art Deco table is made out of high quality walnut wood. It composed out of 2 parts/sides with lots of room/drawers for storage. Both sides are connected on the bottom with each other...
Category
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome
Small Louis XIV style desk - 19th century
Located in Manzano, IT
Small Louis XIV style desk - 19th century
Elegant Louis XIV style writing table in solid cherry wood. Its elegantly veined top surrounded by a carved and turned frame.
Style
Antique
...
Category
1890s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry
Johan Rohde Unique Desk in Mahogany and Brass
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Johan Rohde desk in mahogany with brass fittings. Right side have three drawers and left has three shelfs when doors open.
Provenance: This desk was made for H. P. Rohde in 1945, wh...
Category
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Desk in Wood, 1940, Made in France
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
French Desk
Year: 1940
It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk.
The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood used make it unique. It is an icon of distinction.
You want t...
Category
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
19th century campaign Reading desk on later stand
Located in San Francisco, CA
19th century campaign Reading desk on later stand.
Zebrawood with brass handles and toed leather interior
Dedicated black 1892
18 x 10.5 x 20
Category
1890s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Zebra Wood
Desk in Wood, 1940, Made in France
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk.
The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood used make it unique. It is an icon of distinction.
You want to live in the golden yea...
Category
1940s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
1940s Italian Writing Desk in Ash and Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Writing desk, ash, brass, Italy, 1940s
Made in Italy, this writing desk is a testament to the design ethos prevalent in the 1940s and 1950s. The office table bears witness to the de...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Desk Style Art Deco in Wood and chrome, 1940, Made in Germany
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Only the wood is restored, not the chrome metal
It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk.
The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood used make it unique. It is an icon of...
Category
1940s German Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
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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