Distressed Desks
Early 20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1990s Unknown Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak
Late 20th Century American Queen Anne Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Antique 19th Century Italian French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Yew
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Desks and Wri...
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
Antique Late 19th Century English Queen Anne Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut, Burl
Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Vintage 1940s French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Burl
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century Swedish French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Pine, Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique 18th Century French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Desks and Writing Ta...
Iron
Mid-20th Century American George I Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Spanish Colonial Desks and Writin...
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Desks and Writing Ta...
Wood
Antique 19th Century Primitive Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Mid-18th Century Spanish Louis XIII Desks and Writing Tables
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Country Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Walnut
20th Century Italian Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Desks and Writi...
Walnut, Oak
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century English Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Sycamore
Antique 1780s English George III Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Chinese Regency Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Country Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Spanish Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
2010s Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Rococo Desks and Writing Tables
Gesso, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Danish Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Spanish Colonial Desks and Writin...
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Belle Époque Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze, Ormolu
Vintage 1980s American Louis XV Vanities
Walnut
Antique 18th Century Swedish Rococo Secretaires
Iron
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Hungarian Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
Vintage 1960s English Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
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Distressed Desks For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Distressed Desks?
Finding the Right Desks and Writing Tables for You
Choosing the perfect writing desk or writing table is a profoundly personal journey, one that people have been embarking upon for centuries.
Queen Atossa of Persia, from her writing table circa 500 B.C., is said to have been the originator of the art of handwritten letters. Hers was reportedly the first in a long and colorful history of penned correspondence that grew in popularity alongside literacy. The demand for suitable writing desks, which would serve the composer of the letters as well as ensure the comfort of the recipient naturally followed, and the design of these necessary furnishings has evolved throughout history.
Once people began to seek freedom from the outwardly ornate styles of the walnut and rosewood writing desks and drafting tables introduced in the name of Queen Victoria and King Louis XV, radical shifts occurred, such as those that materialized during the Art Nouveau period, when designers longed to produce furniture inspired by the natural world’s beauty. A prime example is the work of the famous late-19th-century Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí — his rolltop desk featured deep side drawers and was adorned with carved motifs that paid tribute to nature. Gaudí regularly combined structural precision with decorative elements, creating beautiful pieces of furniture in wood and metal.
Soon afterward, preferences for sleek, geometric, stylized forms in furniture that saw an emphasis on natural wood grains and traditional craftsmanship took hold. Today, Art Deco desks are still favored by designers who seek to infuse interiors with an air of luxury. One of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco movement was French decorator and furniture designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. With his use of neoclassical motifs as well as expensive and exotic materials such as imported dark woods and inlays of precious metals for his writing desks, Ruhlmann came to symbolize good taste and modernity.
The rise in appreciation for Scandinavian modernism continues to influence the design of contemporary writing desks. It employs the “no fuss” or “less is more” approach to creating a tasteful, sophisticated space. Sweden’s master cabinetmaker Bruno Mathsson created gallery-worthy designs that are as functional as they are beautiful. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto never viewed himself as an artist, but, like Mathsson, his furniture designs reflected a fondness for organic materials and a humanistic approach. Danish designers such as Hans Wegner introduced elegant shapes and lines to mid-century desks and writing tables, often working in oak and solid teak.
From vintage desks to contemporary styles, 1stDibs offers a broad spectrum of choices for conducting all personal and business writing and reading activities.
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