Desks and Writing Tables
Late 19th Century French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Rustic Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Kingwood
Early 1900s French French Provincial Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1870s British Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1890s British Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Scottish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1870s Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Satinwood
1870s French Napoleon III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century French Louis XIV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Faux Leather, Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1870s French Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Copper
1890s American Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Leather
Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1880s French Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Early 1900s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Mahogany
1890s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Renaissance Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
1890s Danish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1890s British Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1880s English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak, Walnut
Early 1900s Dutch Gothic Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1880s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Hardwood
1890s English Campaign Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Italian Rustic Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut, Pine
1890s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
1890s American Mission Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1890s Scottish Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Late 19th Century Danish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Late 19th Century Spanish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Early 1900s American American Empire Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Late 19th Century European Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mirror, Mahogany
1880s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Porphyry, Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 1900s Scottish Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 1900s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Mahogany
1880s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century English Gothic Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
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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