Skip to main content

Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

to
210
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
457
382
494
456
9
125
75
64
62
54
33
25
21
19
15
15
14
7
7
7
3
1
69
199
226
465
59
95
25
7
2
4
5
3
16
11
11
5
3
826
438
254
202
199
681
191
159
147
126
959
555
659
44
33
29
24
17
Technique: Hand-Crafted
19th Century English Walnut Desk
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A charming walnut desk. Made in England in the late 19th century. Lovely patine throughout. Panneled back, leather inset, castor wheels. Chairspace is 62.5 H x 52 W cms.
Category

1890s British Victorian Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

English Mahogany Tambour Satinwood Inlaid Writing Desk, Circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
English mahogany tambour desk with sliding leather writing surface, interior satinwood compartmentalized drawers with the original bone knobs, five lower drawers with the original br...
Category

1780s English George III Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Antique Northern Swedish Blue Country Table or Desk
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique Swedish country table or desk with a drawer. The table is an authentic country house furniture from northern Sweden made by hand in solid pi...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Italian Military Campaign Style Wood and Brass Desk with Red Leather Top, 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century military campaign desk. This fantastic piece was made in Italy in the 1960s. This trestle desk is made from a beautiful wood with exceptional grain, the top is ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Campaign Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Brass

Early 19th Century Swedish antique rustic Gustavian Desk with Original Paint
Located in Boden, SE
Early 19th century Swedish Gustavian antique rustic desk from Umeå Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. Nice Gustavian Desk Scraped by hand to its origi...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

17th C Style Italian Walnut Refectory Dining Table Natural finish In-Stock
Located in Encinitas, CA
Our classic Lira Style in a lighter finish: Old Walnut refectory dining table with sculpted edge & lyre-shaped bases, handcrafted in aged premium solid Italian walnut, floor model sh...
Category

2010s Italian Baroque Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Scandinavian art deco birch pedestal desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Scandinavian mid century birch pedestal desk circa 1930. Excellent example of mid 20th century swedish design and craftsmanship. 3 part pedestal desk taking inspiration from the em...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birch

Minimal Modern Oak wood Study Table desk with cable manager, storage & brass
Located in Hyderabad, TG
The Meson Study Desk is a harmonious blend of sculptural elegance and functional design, transforming the mundane task of work into an elevated experience. Its unique silhouette, def...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Organic Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

20th Century Italian Rosewood Bernini Writing Table, Desk by Gianfranco Frattini
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A freestanding, vintage Mid-Century modern Italian writing table made of hand crafted polished Brazilian Rosewood and Walnut, designed by Gianfranco Frattini for Bernini in good cond...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Brass

Pierre Jeanneret PJ-BU-02-A Pigeonhole Desk / Authentic Mid-Century Modern
Located in Zürich, CH
The object exudes an aura. It’s not about the shape or about the material; its auratic quality comes out of its depth, giving a strong presence with an almost ritualist intensity. No...
Category

1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

British Colonial Style Faux Bamboo and Grasscloth Pagoda Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive mid century desk crafted with a faux burnt bamboo frame having grasscloth panels on the tops, sides, and drawer fronts, featuring two glove boxes and a dramatic pagoda for...
Category

Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desk with Original Paint
Located in Boden, SE
19th century Swedish Gustavian desk from Umeå Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. Nice Gustavian Desk scraped to its original paint. The table has a lovely blue color. Reeded legs. Marble...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

19th C. French Empire Style Louis Philippe Period Secretaire Abattant
Located in Forney, TX
A Louis Philippe period (1830–1848) fruitwood secretaire abattant fall front desk. Born in France in the mid-19th century, hand-crafted of rich solid fruitwood with warm wood tones, subtle grain detail, and nicely aged mellow patina over the whole. Finished in French Empire taste, having a molded cornice, concealed ogee frieze drawer with dovetail joinery, over fall front panel, opening to reveal original fitted interior gallery, with inset gilt tooled leather writing surface, large open shelf cubby, six drawers of various size, above double-door cabinet with brass shield escutcheon that opens to provide generous storage space, and an additional lower drawer for valuables hidden in the base molding, rising on square feet. Dimensions: (approx) 56.75" High 41" Wide, 17.5" Deep History/Back Story: Louis Philippe furniture had the same types and forms as the earlier French Restoration style, but with less decoration; comfort was the primary consideration. During the turbulent French Revolution and following Napoleon rule, Louis Philippe (1773-1850) remained in exile for 21 years until the Bourbon Restoration, when he became the King of the French from 1830 to 1848. For the first time, the developing upper class–not the monarchy–influenced the progression of this style’s characteristics. However, King Louis Philippe’s personality still inspired many aspects.  His casual nature reflected this style’s informal, comfortable build. Much of the style was taken from the personality of the King himself. Unlike his Bourbon predecessors, he wore business dress...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Fruitwood

Italian Neoclassical Inlaid Walnut Writing Desk
Located in Viterbo, VT
Neoclassical writing desk handmade in Italy in the late 1700s using walnut and peg construction. The writing desk features three overlay drawers with ogee edges and each drawer front...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Secrétaire Desk in Shagreen and Palmwood by R&Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Shagreen Stingray, Palmwood

Baker Vintage Georgian Style Leather Top Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome Georgian style desk crafted in mahogany with a three panel tooled leather top on a two pedestal form with six drawers and two pull out trays featuring flame grained mahogany...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Georgian Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Secret Desk Cabinet
Located in Paris, FR
Desk Cabinet Secret with structure and 2 doors in solid walnut in natural finish outside and with maple inserts inside in natural finish. Internal elements and base in metal in matt...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

1750 Venezia Italy Baroque Carved and Inlaid Walnut Desk with Drawers
Located in Brescia, IT
This extraordinary desk showcases the excellent taste in form and material use, featuring solid walnut wood with beautiful grain and a warm tone that give it an elegant appearance. The carved and gilded trim of the base give a sense of movement and fluidity, lending the piece a captivating decorative charm. On the he top there is an elegant inlaid walnut rim, instead the drawers are beatifully underlined by a gilded one. Under the top there are two removable shelves opening on the front. The main feature of this magnificent desk is the possibility of being used in the center of the room, showing its best even in the back, having it perfectly finished, something that was not obvious for furniture of the same era. Resting on tapered legs, this statuary desk attains an airly, elegant quality. This masterpiece hails from the Mid-18th Century and was created by the Master Venetian cabinetmakers. Referring bibliography: This piece is featured in the book: Il mobile Veneziano del Settecento, G.Morazzoni, Gorlich Editore Milano, 1958 translated "The 18th Century Venetian Furniture", tav. 312 b...
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

19th Century French Oak Barley Twist Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Spectacular 19th century French bureau plat writing table or desk featuring barley twist legs and stretcher. Crafted from oak in the grand Louis XIII style fronted by a large 27 inch...
Category

19th Century French Louis XIII Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Melting Vanity Table in Blue Shagreen and Bronze-Patina Brass by R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The melting vanity table...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century Louis XV Red Chinoiserie Bureau de Dame Desk By Pierre Migeon
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions- H: 38 1/4in W: 32 1/2in D: 18in This extremely rare and Important 18th Century Louis XV Red Chinoiserie Bureau de Dame Desk By Pierre Migeon is absolutely breathe taking! If you look at the photos provided you will see the attention to detail within the intricately done hand painted Chinoiserie gold and scarlet lacquered decorations as well as the extremely fine and crisp bronze ormolu mounts. The piece is also signed underneath of the desk. Pierre Migeon (1696-1758) Was one of the most prominent furniture makers of the 18th century and was known for for his impeccable quality as well as his ability to work with a variety of other extremely well known cabinet makers of the 18th C. Throughout his career a few very important people took a liking to his works and commissioned pieces from him such as Madame de pompadour and the Master of the Revels! The piece is equipped with a drop front writing area and 6 drawers and a secret compartment on the inside of the desk as well as two lockable drawers on the outside front of the desk. This piece was at one point a part of the inventory of the Hartman Galleries...
Category

18th Century French Louis XV Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Contemporary, Solid Walnut and Black Leather, Handmade Ante Desk by Tim Vranken
Located in 1204, CH
Tim Vranken is a Belgian furniture designer who focuses on solid, handmade furniture. Throughout his designs the use of pure materials and honest natural processes are paramount. The...
Category

2010s Belgian Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Danish mid 20th century burr walnut desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Danish mid 20th century burr walnut desk circa 1950. We are please to offer this desk which is of the highest quality. Stunning top with a single veneer covering the whole writing ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Italian Neoclassic Oval Walnut Dining Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Amazing Italian neoclassic oval walnut dining table, recalling the glory days of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, this stunning dining t...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Aesthetic Movement Moorish Style Inlay Writing Table Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Rare late 19th century English aesthetic movement writing table or desk featuring Middle Eastern Moorish style carved details and inlay. The small desk features a rectangular top centered by a mother of pearl medallion having a geometric arabesque design. The border of the table has a small galleried edge with geometric inlay and ebonized wood square corners. The desk is fronted by a wide drawer with carved scroll decoration and two round pulls. The case has dramatic, intricate open fretwork designs in a Moroccan school...
Category

19th Century English Moorish Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Wood

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desk with Marble Imitaition Original Paint
Located in Boden, SE
19th century Swedish Gustavian desk from Sundsvall Medelpad, Northern Sweden. A stunning desk with fantastic patina. Scraped and washed to its well Preserved Originalpaint. Lovely...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Samantha Todhunter Design Matilda Leather Sawhorse Campaign Desk
By Samantha Todhunter
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Dramatic campaign style sawhorse desk or work table designed by Samantha Todhunter London, England. The bespoke Matilda desk was custom ordered for a hi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary English Campaign Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Mid Century Louis XV Bombe Hand-Carved Paint Decorated Marble-Top Desk & Chair
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Beautiful five-drawer desk with hand carvings (see thumbnail photos) and paint decorated in the Louis XV style. Top quality workmanship in every phase. Original matching chair with this desk that is finished on all sides and can be placed in the middle of a room, bombe on all sides. Serpentine marble top...
Category

1950s American Louis XV Vintage Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Marble

Antique George 11nd small Kneehole Desk, English Circa 1745
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a fine original antique kneehole desk or dressing table from the mid-18th century, thought to have the provenance of being part of the es...
Category

Mid-18th Century English George II Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Hardwood

20th Century American Walnut, Cherrywood Writing Desk by Vladimir Kagan
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern American writing desk made of hand crafted Walnut, designed by Vladimir Kagan in good condition. The small office table...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass, Metallic Thread

Stacked Writing Desk in Cream Shagreen by R&Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The stacked writing desk...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Shagreen Stingray

Secrétaire Desk in Cream Shagreen and Bronze-Patina Brass by R&Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Antique Genuine Swedish Rustic Original Blue Writing Desk Table with Drawers
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique genuine pine writing desk from Sweden with blue paint. The table is in untouched original condition with the original blue toned paint. Dated 1850 and monogrammed in black. T...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Writing Desk in Solid Walnut by Boyd & Allister
Located in Santa Fe, NM
This writing desk in solid walnut was originally made as a gift for my daughter on her 13th birthday. I designed it to be elegant, simple and timeless; something that could fit seaml...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Period French Napoleon III Mahogany Bonheur Du Jour Antique Ladies Writing Desk
Located in Forney, TX
A charming Napoleon III Second Empire Period (1852-1870) mahogany Bonheur Du Jour de dame(ladies writing desk) circa 1860 Hand-crafted in France the third quarter of the 19th centur...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Desk or Writing Table Geometric Glass Crystal Collectible Design Handmade Italy
Located in Ancona, Marche
The executive desk 'Origami' is made of extra-clear crystal glass. Each sheet of extra-clear crystal glass is cut and ground with extreme precision, then the sheets are assembled by ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Glass

Biedermeier Writing Desk/ Side Table, Austria
Located in Antwerp, BE
This small Lady desk was crafted in Austria. The top is wonderfully smooth and displays the woodgrain beautifully in walnut veneer. The apron houses three drawers, all with quality brass banding inset into the paneling. The two side drawers and middle drawer have drop ring pulls...
Category

1870s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18th Century Provencal Hand Carved Walnut Wood Antique Writing Desk Side Table
Located in West Hollywood, CA
18th Century Provencal Hand Carved Walnut Wood Antique Writing Desk Side Table. Beautiful Hand Carved Circa 1700’s Provençal Continental table in walnut and Fruitwood with center dra...
Category

18th Century French Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Custom Made Metal Vanity or Desk by BH&A
Located in Sheffield, MA
Custom made and designed by us. this versatile modern and traditional styled piece can be used as end table, vanity, desk or dressing table. Table has distressed metal top insert and a drawer. Matching vanity stool available. Can work well in neoclassica, Hollywood Regency, neoclassical revival or modern setting. Size and finish to your specifications. Check with us for quote for other top inserts. Matching custom vanity stool...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Iron

Ebonized Wood All Black MiMi Console or Tiny Desk by Miduny, Made in Italy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The faceted geometry of the MiMi console table creates a slender, elegant profile punctuated with angled surfaces that capture light. This sculptural and ...
Category

2010s Italian Minimalist Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Birch, Oak, Plywood

The Square Desk, Square Armchair, Carbonized Finish with Shou Sugi Ban, Japanese
Located in São Paulo, SP
The Square Desk was inspired by the design of Brazilian modern furniture from the 1950s and 1960s, featuring straight lines and Indian straw weaving. It's delicate and highly comfortable for everyday use, seamlessly blending functionality and elegance. The wood's ebonization is achieved through the Japanese technique of charred wood known as shou sugi ban. Crafted from solid freijó wood and adorned with a drawer featuring natural Indian straw. * As they are natural materials, wood, straw and leather may have different tones and textures than those shown in the photos. About the designer: Amilcar Oliveira hails from São Paulo, the capital city. He studied Radio and TV at ECA-USP and worked as a director at production companies like Sentimental Filmes and Your Mamma. Currently, he's part of the directorial roster at Mixer. In parallel, he studied carpentry at the Cosi de Legno school under Piero Calò, carrying on the teachings he received from his father and grandfather, who were both carpenters deeply passionate about this craft. Amidst the pandemic, he created his debut piece, the Square Armchair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Straw, Wood

Minimalist Modern Desk in Walnut
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A stylish desk for home or office. The clean look is achieved by using the drawers almost hided, and as a part of the desk’s structure, as well as cable storage under...
Category

2010s European Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Plywood, Walnut

Minimalist Modern Work Desk in Walnut Wood
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A stylish desk for home or office. The clean look is achieved by using the drawers almost hided, and as a part of the desk’s structure, as well as cable storage under the tabletop. F...
Category

2010s European Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood, Walnut, Plywood

19th Century Louis Philippe Mahogany Desk
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French Louis Philippe style bureau plat, or desk, made of solid and veneer of mahogany. Double sided, the back has false drawers so this desk may be free floated in a ...
Category

19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Exceptional 18th Century Gustavian Architects Desk
Located in Bozeman, MT
Exceptional and rare 18th century Gustavian centre architects desk in it's original colour with great patination to the surface. The desk is carved on all four sides (works as a cent...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

The Square Desk. Brazilian Solid Wood Writing Table Design by Amilcar Oliveira
Located in São Paulo, SP
The Square Desk was inspired by the design of Brazilian modern furniture from the 1950s and 1960s, featuring straight lines and Indian straw weaving. It's delicate and highly comfort...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Straw, Wood

Contemporary Organic Natural Plaster Desk 323cm by Isabelle Beaumont
Located in Ranst, BE
Contemporary Belgian design, handmade natural plaster desk with a textured and earthy character. This unique first of its kind design is handcrafted with multiple layers Mortex® on ...
Category

2010s Belgian Minimalist Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Concrete, Cement, Composition, Limestone, Stainless Steel

Hand Crafted Solid Oak Parsons Style Dining Table
Located in Buffalo, WY
This handcrafted solid oak Parsons dining table is a masterpiece of timeless beauty and exceptional craftsmanship. Made from solid North American oak, this dining table showcases the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Oak

Vienna Art Deco Josef Hoffman Manner Eight-Piece Salon Suite Set
Located in Forney, TX
A rare Art Deco period eight-piece study suite set in the manner of famous Austrian architect, designer, and Vienna Secession founder Josef Hoffman (Austria, 1870-1956), circa 1920. Exquisitely handcrafted in Austria in the early 20th century, most likely Vienna, featuring fine quality craftsmanship and solid wood construction, featuring Biedermeier inspired Viennese Art Deco styling of simplicity, strict, geometric lines with minimal surface embellishment, instead of ornamentation putting the focus on high-quality materials. The matching eight-piece set comprising a tanker writing desk with inset leather surface, surmounted with raised gallery fitted with drawers flanking richly figured quilted diamond inlay, rising on double pedestals with locking cupboard doors opening to stacked shelved tray interior, affixed with patinated brass pulls and escutcheons, retaining original keys, finished on all sides so it can be placed anywhere in the room, and paired with a comfortable armchair with upholstered seat and backrest. A large eight door bookcase storage cabinet with original glass panels, adjustable shelves, and cocktail drinks bar slide. A centre card table with rectangular shaped canted corner top featuring inset green baize felt games playing surface, over conforming apron fitted with dovetailed drawers, rising on square column pedestal, surrounded by four upholstered side chairs. PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION: Property from the important Estate of Myra Janco Daniels (1925-2022) Naples, Florida. A legendary business woman, philanthropist, and arts advocate who built the institution known today as Artis—Naples and made Naples a cultural destination. Additional info below. Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. Design Signature Auction catalog #8110 Condition Report: Great original antique condition with beautifully aged warm mellow patina. Strong, sturdy and structurally sound. Overall very attractive condition; no significant losses or restorations; wear consistent with over 100 years of age and indicative of use. Delivered cleaned, waxed, hand rubbed polished French patina finish, ready for immediate use and generational enjoyment! ABOUT THE LEGENDARY PREVIOUS OWNER: We normally don't post about the prior owners life, but in the case of Myra Janco Daniels (1925-2022) we felt her incredible story be shared. The arts visionary and advertising Pioneer who helped transform Southwest Florida into a nationally recognized cultural destination, died June 22, three days before her 97th birthday. Daniels was founder and longtime CEO of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts (now Artis-Naples), which since 1989 has brought world-class music, theater, dance, opera, and art to Naples. In 2000, she founded the Naples Museum of Art (now the Baker Museum) on that same campus. After a storied career as an advertising executive in Chicago, Daniels came out of retirement in the early 1980s to spearhead a fund-raising drive for a small classical music ensemble on MarCo Island, which would later become the Naples Philharmonic orchestra. She discovered “a great hunger for the arts,” she later wrote, and soon expanded her fundraising goal to building a permanent home for the orchestra and an arts center for Southwest Florida. Daniels’ vision for the Philharmonic Center was ambitious and unusual – combining world-class performing and visual arts in a single venue. The Community strongly supported the concept, and the Phil, as it became known, gave Naples a national arts profile. Then-First Lady Barbara Bush was in attendance on opening night in November 1989. The Wall Street Journal covered the opening. “Myra Daniels is a dreamer. But unlike most dreamers, Myra is a doer,” the late Muriel Seibert, the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, once said of Daniels. While the arts were a lifelong passion for Daniels, her first career was as a groundbreaking advertising executive in Chicago, where she won national Advertising Woman of the Year honors and was among the first women to head a national ad firm. Daniels said that she used some of the same principles learned in her advertising career to sell Southwest Florida on the arts. “You have to believe in what you’re doing and then you have to get people involved to the point that they feel it’s theirs. That’s what we did.” Born Myra Janco in Gary, Indiana, Daniels was raised during the Great Depression by parents who encouraged her interest in the arts. But her greatest influence growing up was her grandmother Sophie, who, like Daniels, stood only five feet tall but dreamed big. “Sophie showed me what was possible,” Daniels wrote. “Create something that people want and need and you’ll be successful, she said. I always remembered that.” Her grandmother, who ran her own real estate business, experienced some failures “but she always dusted herself off and went back out there swinging. She wanted me to be that way too.” Daniels earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana State and later became an associate professor of marketing at Indiana University, the first woman to hold that position. In her mid-20s, she started Wabash Advertising in Terre Haute, Indiana, which later became affiliated with larger agencies in Chicago and Cleveland. In 1963, she was named executive vice president of Roche, Rickard, Henri, Hurst, Inc. in Chicago. The National Advertising Federation honored Daniels as its Advertising Woman of the Year in 1965, the youngest woman to receive the award. That same year, she became president of a new national agency that she formed with ad man Draper Daniels. The merger was not just a professional one. Draper Daniels, who was responsible for many famous ad campaigns at the time, including the Marlboro Man and was later an inspiration for the Don Draper character on TV’s Mad Men, became her husband in 1967. Myra wrote about their unusual courtship and life together for Chicago magazine, in an article entitled “I Married a Mad Man,” which was included in her book Secrets of a Rutbuster. They ran the Draper Daniels, Incorporated agency, as it was called, until 1977. When Draper wanted to retire to Southwest Florida, Myra Daniels reluctantly left Chicago and advertising, and they settled on MarCo Island. But after Draper died of cancer in 1983, Myra turned her energies to the fundraising Campaign that led to the Philharmonic Center Cultural Complex. Daniels served as CEO of the Philharmonic Center from its inception in the 1980s to her retirement in 2011, building the Phil into a $100 million corporation. During that time, the Naples Philharmonic became a nationally recognized orchestra, with a Grammy nomination, CD and appearances on PBS; and the Naples Museum of Art developed an international reputation. The center also helped change people’s perception of Naples, which had been known mostly for its beaches and golfing. In 2005, Naples was named the Best Small Art Town in America in a book that singled out the Phil. More than just an arts venue, the Philharmonic Center also wove the arts into the culture of the Community, providing public school programs, adult and children’s education classes and workshops, and free concerts throughout Southwest Florida. Edward Villella, legendary dancer with the New York City Ballet and founder of Miami City...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

18thc Walnut Tavern Table with Drawers
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 18thc tavern table is made from Walnut and with Queen Ann legs and pad feet. This table has wood pegs and dovetailed drawers. The table has a fine patina and condition.
Category

Early 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

A 19th Century English Regency Kidney Form Black Ebony Desk
Located in New York, NY
A 19th Century English Regency Kidney Form Black Ebony Desk with Drawers and Ormolu Mounts. Beautifully hand-carved the entire desk is beautifully e...
Category

19th Century English Regency Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Secrétaire Desk in Cream Shagreen and Bronze-Patina Brass by R&Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Wicker and Oak Library Table by Heywood Wakefield With Original Label
Located in Hudson, NY
Heywood Wakefield library table. With quarter sawn, oak top and woven wicker pedestal legs, apron, and stretcher. This wicker table drew on the Aesthetic Movement and Japanese influe...
Category

Late 19th Century American Aesthetic Movement Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wicker, Oak

Very Rare Antique Biedermeier Walnut Architect's Drawing Table, Commode or Chest
Located in Lisse, NL
Extraordinary walnut veneered architects drawing table and chest of drawers into one. This amazing quality and excellent condition chest and drawing table was handcrafted in the 19t...
Category

19th Century European Biedermeier Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Le Corbusier LC-TAT-07-A Ministry Desk / Authentic Mid-Century Modern
Located in Zürich, CH
This is one of the rare Ministers’ desks, one of the few pieces Le Corbusier personally designed for the Chandigarh project. The object exudes an aura. It’s not about the shape or ab...
Category

1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Teak

Walnut Black MiMi Table by Miduny, Made in Italy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Merging clean lines with warm materials, the faceted geometry of the MiMi table creates a slender, elegant profile punctuated with painted surfaces that cap...
Category

2010s Italian Minimalist Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech, Oak, Plywood

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desk with Original Paint
Located in Boden, SE
19th century Swedish Gustavian desk from Lulea Norrbotten, Northern Sweden. A beautiful desk with nice propotion & fine condition. Untouched base, the top is scraped and washed to it...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Pine

Japanese Antique Table, Desk, Double-sleeved desk, Wabi-Sabi, Early 20th Century
Located in Katori-Shi, 12
This antique Japanese table was produced in the Taisho period (1912-1926). This is a double-sleeved desk whose lacquer has gained a deep flavo...
Category

Early 20th Century Taisho Hand-Crafted Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Recently Viewed

View All