Industrial and Work Tables
1890s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Beech, Maple
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Rustic Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Spanish Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1850s Belgian Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Aluminum
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1950s Finnish Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Elm
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century British Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak, Pine
1890s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Beech, Pine
1970s Indian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Teak
Early 19th Century Regency Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood, Pine
1920s French Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Teak
1930s Italian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
1930s Spanish Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
1970s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1920s British Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1910s French Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Beech
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Elm, Pine
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Leather, Maple, Walnut
1930s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Beech
1930s French Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
2010s English Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1850s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
1870s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
19th Century European Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Brass
1940s European Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
1920s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Amboyna
1840s English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1890s French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
2010s Austrian Vienna Secession Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1950s Belgian Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
20th Century English Campaign Industrial and Work Tables
Copper
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
1960s Italian Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
1960s Dutch Industrial Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Chrome
1910s Scottish Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Oak, Pine
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
2010s Czech Art Deco Industrial and Work Tables
Macassar, Mahogany, Zebra Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Beech
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.