Industrial and Work Tables
20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Stainless Steel
20th Century Hungarian Industrial and Work Tables
Hardwood
1920s French Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 1900s American Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Stainless Steel, Iron
1920s American Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1920s American Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1880s French Neoclassical Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Bronze, Stainless Steel
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel
20th Century Italian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Rosewood
1810s American Federal Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Other Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century European Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1920s Italian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Glass, Wood
1930s Italian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1930s German Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Czech Jugendstil Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
19th Century American Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Paint
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
1920s Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1890s English Late Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1950s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
20th Century British Other Industrial and Work Tables
Beech
2010s Canadian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
19th Century American Primitive Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1910s Belgian Hollywood Regency Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Early 19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Early 1800s English Regency Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
2010s American Other Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Brass, Sheet Metal
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Leather, Rosewood
19th Century European Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
2010s American Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1950s Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
2010s European Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
1970s Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1810s American Federal Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Bronze, Iron
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
20th Century English Campaign Industrial and Work Tables
Copper
20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1850s Spanish Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Early 20th Century British Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Zinc
1730s American American Colonial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut, Pine
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.