Desks and Writing Tables
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
19th Century English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood
Late 18th Century Italian Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Bronze
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Formica, Beech
1870s English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Burl
Late 19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century American High Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Palisander
Late 19th Century French Régence Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
19th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Late 20th Century Spanish Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Space Age Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
2010s American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1840s Danish Other Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
2010s French Brutalist Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
2010s French Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Slate, Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
20th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
20th Century Dutch Desks and Writing Tables
Burl
19th Century Antique Desks and Writing Tables
20th Century British Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Futurist Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
19th Century English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
18th Century Irish George II Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Renaissance Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Walnut, Burl
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1970s Italian French Provincial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bamboo, Rattan
Early 20th Century American Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Iron
2010s Danish Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Hardwood, Walnut
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
2010s Mexican Minimalist Desks and Writing Tables
Stone
1780s Irish Georgian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s Industrial Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Ash
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Swiss Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Onyx
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Onyx, Brass
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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