Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Mid-20th Century Danish Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Gesso, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
2010s American Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1780s Italian Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Poplar, Walnut
18th Century French Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Paint, Pine
19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
19th Century French Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu, Bronze
Late 20th Century Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-18th Century Swiss Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mid-18th Century French Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1950s British Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
19th Century French Empire Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Birch, Mahogany
18th Century Irish George II Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
19th Century Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1880s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rattan
Late 20th Century Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Mid-18th Century European Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Fruitwood, Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1920s Italian Rococo Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
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.