Desks and Writing Tables
1860s British High Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Maple, Fabric
Late 20th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Birch
Early 20th Century German Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Fabric, Birch
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1770s English George III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
1930s American Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Reed, Wicker
Early 20th Century German Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome, Metal
1870s French Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Late 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Amboyna
Late 19th Century Swedish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1850s French Napoleon III Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1980s American Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1850s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Kingwood, Oak
Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1950s American Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1980s Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
19th Century British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1930s British Georgian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
2010s German Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1960s French Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
19th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Steel
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1870s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century American American Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Travertine, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Travertine, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Chinese Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Travertine, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Travertine, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Travertine, Marble
Antique and Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
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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