Industrial and Work Tables
1930s French Folk Art Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Beech
19th Century French Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century American Rococo Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Dutch Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1920s American Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-19th Century American American Classical Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Hardwood
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Beech, Maple
19th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Chestnut, Pine
Late 19th Century American Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
19th Century American Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut, Elm, Oak
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Country Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1810s American Primitive Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Cypress
Early 20th Century French Machine Age Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1930s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Beech
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
1940s Folk Art Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century North American Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Belgian Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Danish Folk Art Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Industrial and Work Tables
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.