Industrial and Work Tables
1850s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
2010s Brazilian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Resin
1970s European Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Mid-19th Century Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fabric, Oak
1780s Irish George III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Satinwood, Harewood
1940s American Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Late 19th Century English Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Iron, Zinc
19th Century Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Pine, Paint
19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Carrara Marble, Iron
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
19th Century Rustic Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine, Paint
20th Century European Rustic Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Elm, Pine
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century French Provincial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
1830s Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood, Rosewood
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
19th Century American Country Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Rosewood, Glass
20th Century English Rustic Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
19th Century Rustic Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1830s German Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century English Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Steel, Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
19th Century European Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Brass
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
18th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Aluminum
1970s German Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Steel
19th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Marble
20th Century French French Provincial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1960s Dutch Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Chrome
2010s Czech Art Deco Industrial and Work Tables
Macassar, Mahogany, Zebra Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Carrara Marble
1910s Italian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Iron
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1940s French Rustic Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century Industrial and Work Tables
Hardwood
20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1950s French French Provincial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Upholstery, Rosewood, Satinwood
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.