Industrial and Work Tables
1920s American Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
18th Century and Earlier Italian Modern Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Aluminum
2010s French Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Birch, Ebony, Satinwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple, Ebony, Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
20th Century Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
2010s Canadian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Ash, Oak, Walnut
20th Century European Other Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century Unknown Renaissance Revival Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Burl, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Baroque Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Iron
20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1910s English Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century American American Colonial Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1850s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary American American Classical Industrial and Work Tables
Granite
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century American American Colonial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Maple, Pine
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
20th Century German Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple
19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple
Early 2000s North American Post-Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Stainless Steel
Mid-19th Century Rustic Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
2010s Canadian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Ash, Oak, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Elm, Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Early 19th Century American Country Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine, Paint
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Aluminum
Early 1800s English George III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
19th Century French French Provincial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Zinc
Early 20th Century American Victorian Industrial and Work Tables
Maple
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Marble
1810s American Neoclassical Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
1950s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Aluminum, Steel
Early 20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
19th Century English Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
2010s French Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Porcelain, Glass, Wood
17th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
19th Century American American Empire Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1910s English Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
19th Century American Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Satinwood, Walnut
Early 19th Century American American Empire Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
1810s American Federal Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Swedish Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American American Colonial Industrial and Work Tables
Hardwood, Birdseye Maple
Antique and Vintage Industrial Tables and Work Tables
From drafting tables to preparation tables to kitchen islands and more, the collection of antique and vintage industrial tables and work tables on 1stDibs features a wide range of robust furnishings that fit seamlessly into modern interiors.
Work tables, just like most tables, have evolved considerably over the years.
More than 1,000 years before iconic American furniture brand Herman Miller would help shape the way we work — and later, how we live at home — monks who lived and worked in medieval-era monasteries stood at what you might call crude writing desks, translating religious texts and copying them by hand.
While those who practiced the art of handwritten letters definitely needed a suitable writing desk, the world wouldn’t see proper roll-top desks and the like until the 19th century. Owing to the work of architects such as Antoni Gaudí, these monastery “desks” were essentially work tables. (Chairs, much less actual desk chairs, weren’t a part of the workspace until the Renaissance.) It was a far cry from the cozy home office that affords many of us the opportunity to work remotely today.
Near the end of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution brought with it the founding of mills and factories, and hand production methods gave way to machinery and mass production. Factory workers needed sturdy industrial tables to perform tasks that required precision and to support the manufacturing industry. Spare work tables — durable and easy to clean — were constructed of metal and wood and became essential on assembly lines and in packing facilities. Today, industrial-style furniture celebrates the past even as it suggests vigor, productivity and brawn.
Aside from how well antique and vintage industrial tables and work tables will fit in your industrial-style interior — think raw brick walls, exposed steel beams and oak floors — these furnishings have practical uses. They’re a must-have item for a number of creative endeavors: They’re an ideal food-prep surface in your kitchen or an efficient work surface for any kind of hands-on workshop or painting and drawing studio. With some creativity, you can turn a vintage wood industrial table or work table into a desk, dining room table or coffee table.
At 1stDibs, we love the industrial-style furniture trend, and here you can find a wide range of antique and vintage industrial tables and work tables as well as other furnishings that will look wonderful in your heavenly loft space.