Desks and Writing Tables
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
18th Century British Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1930s German Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1930s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Reed, Wicker
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Marble
Late 17th Century French Louis XIV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze, Pewter
18th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1770s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1930s Austrian Biedermeier Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry, Walnut
1930s British Georgian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1780s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
18th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1930s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1930s British Queen Anne Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1760s Italian Neoclassical Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut, Pine
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
1930s British Victorian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
18th Century European Spanish Colonial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Walnut
Late 18th Century British Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1930s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Birch, Macassar
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
1930s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1930s English Regency Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Maple
1930s French Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Brass
1930s French Directoire Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1790s French Directoire Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1680s English Charles II Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Walnut, Paint
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Cocobolo
1790s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1930s British Campaign Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1790s French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Sycamore, Satinwood, Yew, Burl
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
Late 17th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Tulipwood
1790s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Copper
1930s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Early 18th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1930s British Georgian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Elm
Mid-18th Century Unknown Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 18th Century Irish George II Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1780s French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mirror, Birch
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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