Industrial and Work Tables
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1840s Early Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
19th Century European Primitive Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century English Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
2010s North American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Marble, Stainless Steel, Bronze
Mid-19th Century British Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
Mid-20th Century Czech Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Steel
19th Century American American Craftsman Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
20th Century Hungarian Industrial and Work Tables
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American American Classical Industrial and Work Tables
Bamboo, Raffia, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American American Colonial Industrial and Work Tables
Hardwood, Birdseye Maple
2010s Italian Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Teak
1890s French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century American Classical Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
20th Century English Campaign Industrial and Work Tables
Copper
19th Century European Primitive Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Paint
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Chrome
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Teak
Late 18th Century Swedish Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
Late 18th Century Unknown George III Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century American Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
1790s English Regency Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Other Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Elm
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Marble, Bronze, Stainless Steel
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1830s German Biedermeier Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Softwood, Cherry
Early 20th Century Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Industrial and Work Tables
Maple
2010s North American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Marble, Stainless Steel, Bronze
19th Century Country Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Fruitwood, Pine
Early 19th Century French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Leather, Maple, Walnut
19th Century European Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1880s French Neoclassical Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple
Late 19th Century German Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
1810s English Regency Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Oak
19th Century British Victorian Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Italian Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
1850s French Industrial Antique Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1930s American Machine Age Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Aluminum
2010s American Industrial Industrial and Work Tables
Bronze, Stainless Steel, Iron
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Industrial and Work Tables
Resin, Lacquer, Teak
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.