Industrial and Work Tables
20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century Czech Jugendstil Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Argentine Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Industrial and Work Tables
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Other Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1920s Italian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century British Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1920s American Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Iron
1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Teak
19th Century French Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1930s German Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Lucite, Lacquer
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
1890s English Late Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Amboyna
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century British Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
2010s American Other Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Sheet Metal
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Spanish Industrial and Work Tables
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century British Industrial and Work Tables
Satinwood
1950s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Spanish Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century French Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1850s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Paper
20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century American Primitive Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1830s Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood, Rosewood
1810s Regency Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Steel, Iron
2010s American Other Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Sheet Metal
1790s Italian Louis XV Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1830s German Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Softwood, Cherry, Glass
1960s Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
18th Century Danish Baroque Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
2010s Indian Other Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Other Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
20th Century Belgian Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1950s French Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century European Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
2010s Mexican Post-Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut, Corian
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
2010s American Other Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Sheet Metal
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.