What is a writing desk?

A writing desk may refer to a desk with a top, often sloping, for writing on or to a portable case with compartments to hold writing materials and a surface for writing.

What is a writing desk with drawers called?

A writing desk with drawers is also called a secretary. It is a desk with drawers, one of which can be pushed out and the front of the desk lowered to create a flat writing surface. These writing desks have been made in a variety of styles over the years. Shop for a variety of writing tables with drawers on 1stDibs.

What is a small writing desk called?

A small writing table is also called a davenport table or davenport desk. They normally feature a sloped or inclined top attached with hinges to the back of the table. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage davenport desks.

What is an old-fashioned writing desk called?

What an old-fashioned writing desk is called varies by design. Pieces with drop-down fronts are secretary desks (these are typically made of two parts: a chest of drawers on the bottom and a hutch or cupboard with shelves on the top), while ones that rest on two pillars, cabinets or bookcases are pedestal desks. A desk with a small writing surface positioned in front of drawers and cubbies is a bureau à gradin. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of desks.

What's the difference between a desk and a writing table?

Desks typically include drawers or storage compartments, while writing tables (and secretary desks) offer a flatter surface with little to no built-in storage.

What was the term in French furniture for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface?

In French, the term for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface is secretaire. This type of desk is called a secretary desk in English. Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments, which are called pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers, are revealed. On 1stDibs, shop antique secretary desks from some of the world's top sellers.

What's the difference between a mid-century modern desk and a writing table?

Desks typically include drawers or storage, while writing tables are a flatter, more minimal work surface; check the listing description for storage details.

Writing Desk Bureau

19th Century French Bureau

Casamania Desk & Horm Bureau design Esa Vesmanen - White

By Horm

Located in Varedo, Lombardia

Brand: Horm Model: Bureau Design: Esa Vesmanen Bureau is a contemporary writing desk that elegantly responds to the needs of modern living.

Category

2010s Italian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Casamania Desk & Horm Bureau design Esa Vesmanen - Black

$3,219 / item

$5,593

Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Desk , Early 20th century

Located in Leimen, DE

Louis XV Style Bureau Plat Desk, Early 20th Century Elegant Louis XV style bureau plat from the early 20th century, crafted in black-painted wood with delicate gilt accents.

Category

Vintage 1950s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Antique Figured Walnut Inlaid Bureau Desk, Writing Desk, Scotland 1810, H1166

Unavailable

H 44 in W 39 in D 21 in

Antique Figured Walnut Inlaid Bureau Desk, Writing Desk, Scotland 1810, H1166

Located in Vancouver, BC

Antique Figured Walnut Inlaid Bureau Desk, Writing Desk, Scotland 1810, H1166 Scotland 1810 Solid Walnut Original finish Rectangular top Cross banded fall front The interior of the...

Category

Antique 1810s Scottish Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

André Arbus Sycamore Desk, Writing Table, Bureau Plat

Unavailable

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 44.1 in W 45.28 in D 43.31 in

Althorp Mahogany Bureau Desk

Located in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire

An ingenious mahogany bureau desk in the George III manner. The sloping fall front encloses an elaborately fitted interior of faux books and hidden drawers and cabinets. The staircas...

Category

Antique Early 18th Century Vietnamese George III Desks and Writing Tables

18th Century Italian Painted Louis XV Bureau Plat or Writing Desk in Walnut

Unavailable

H 31.5 in W 55.12 in D 31.5 in

18th Century Italian Painted Louis XV Bureau Plat or Writing Desk in Walnut

Located in Firenze, IT

A charming Italian Louis XV bureau plat or writing desk. The desk in solid walnut wood features a beautiful painted decoration with antique patina.

Category

Antique Early 18th Century Italian Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Unavailable

H 90 in W 46 in D 22 in

Early Georgian Chippendale Bureau Bookcase Desk in Carved Mahogany

By Thomas Chippendale

Located in Dorking, GB

Ref CV111 Desk and Bookcase. This bookcase was made about 1770 from early and heavy close grain mahogany.

Category

Antique Late 17th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Oak

A fine example of a 19th c. French Bureau Plat writing table

Unavailable

H 30 in W 71 in D 36 in

A fine example of a 19th c. French Bureau Plat writing table

Located in Miami, FL

A fine example of a 19th c. French Bureau Plat writing table. The bureau plat is decorated with amazing quality bronze mounts, showing a somoothness to the ladies faces only seen on ...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Lovely French Antique Bureau, Original Desk with Bronze Work

Unavailable

H 36.62 in W 29.93 in D 19.3 in

Lovely French Antique Bureau, Original Desk with Bronze Work

Located in Lingfield, West Sussex

This is a beautiful french dressing Bureau/desk that has numerous drawers and flap down. As you can see, it has lovely inlaid decoration and is in great condition for its age. Dime...

Materials

Oak

Walter Wirtz for Wilhem Renz Secretary Bureau Desk Teak, Germany, 1960s

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 30.5 in W 64.25 in D 31.13 in

Sophisticated 18th Century French Louis XV Kingwood and Ormolu Bureau Plat Desk

Located in San Francisco, CA

A sophisticated 18th century French Louis XV kingwood and ormolu bureau plat desk, with one long drawer flanked by two shorter drawers, with a later black leather and gold embossed w...

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables

Vintage Danish Bureau/ Desk by Arne Hovmand Olsen for Mogens Kold, 1960s

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 42.52 in W 48.04 in D 15.75 in

Neb Bureau Contemporary Desk with Flip Door Front in Brass by Per Soderberg

By Per Soderberg

Located in Stockholm, SE

Inspired by a Classic Scandinavian secrétaire, this contemporary desk / bureau by Swedish architect and designer Per Soderberg provides a striking element for a range of interior set...

Category

2010s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Louis XV Bureau Plat

Unavailable

H 30.32 in W 24.41 in D 50.79 in

Louis XV Bureau Plat

Located in Paris, FR

Louis XV desk inlaid with ebony, darkened wood and brass. This bureau plat is opening with two drawers and has four arched feet with gilt bronze bases. Parisian work from the m...

Yew - Wood "Oyster" Bureau

Unavailable

H 44 in W 48 in D 22 in

Yew - Wood "Oyster" Bureau

Located in London, GB

Oak lined throughout, wonderful Original hardware. Fine interior with secret compartments and olive green leather writing top.

Bureau Plat by Francois Linke

Unavailable

H 29.53 in W 43.31 in D 25.99 in

Bureau Plat by Francois Linke

By François Linke

Located in Wien, AT

Paris, late 19th century, elegantly curved hardwood frame, rosewood veneered, inlaid with various precious woods in the form of cubes and leaves, polished in traditional craftsmanshi...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

19th Century Biedermeier Bureau, Germany, 1850s

Unavailable

H 55.12 in W 37.41 in D 25.6 in

19th Century Biedermeier Bureau, Germany, 1850s

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Below its desk top, the writing desk features a drawer which can be locked. The desk top rests on four baluster columns and can be pulled out by about 20 cm, if need be and a larger ...

Category

Antique 1850s German Biedermeier Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut

Guillerme et Chambron Votre Maison Bureau

Unavailable

$2,485

H 29 in W 54 in D 25 in

Baker Louis XV Style Black Ebonized Brass Mounted Leather Top Desk

By Baker Furniture Company

Located in Swedesboro, NJ

Dimensions - H: 29 in W: 54 in D: 25 in Elevate your interior with this exceptional Louis XV style writing desk by Baker Furniture, a piece that seamlessly combines classic French ...

Category

20th Century Unknown Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Early 20thC Louis XVth Style Kingwood Bureau Plat

$18,441

$4,500

H 30 in W 52 in D 20 in

Louis XV Style Auffray and Co Black Desk with Leather Top and Bronze Mounts

By Auffray Furniture

Located in Atlanta, GA

A Louis XV French style black lacquered desk from the mid 20th century by maker Auffray and Co, with leather top, gilt accents, bronze mounts and three drawers. Created during the Mi...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Bronze

Bodart Ebonized French Louis XV Style Wrtining Desk with Bronze Ormolu

$3,995

$3,182

H 29.53 in W 53.15 in D 24.81 in

French Louis XV Style Blackened and Gilt Bureau Plat

Located in TOURCOING, FR

This elegant bureau plat features a beautifully shaped serpentine form, crafted in blackened wood with delicate gilt bronze mounts and ornate detailing. The desk is topped with a gla...

Category

Antique 1880s French Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Materials

Bronze

Two-Headed Egyptian Sphinx Sculpture

$1,090

H 18 in W 38 in D 8 in

Two-Headed Egyptian Sphinx Sculpture

Located in Asheville, NC

This two-headed Egyptian sphinx is constructed of solid wood. The wood has been treated to take on a sandy, almost marble, finish. Unlike the Greek sphinx which was a woman, the Egyp...

Category

20th Century Egyptian Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Exceptional Late 19th Century Three-Piece Clock Set by Ferdinand Gervais

$38,000 / set

$3,688

H 79.14 in W 68.9 in D 1.19 in

Early 20th Century French Four Fold Screen

Located in Gloucestershire, GB

An unusual coloured early 20th Century French four fold screen. Which can either free stand or be mounted on the wall as decoration. Circa 1920.

Category

20th Century French Screens and Room Dividers

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

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Writing Desk Bureau For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the writing desk bureau you’re looking for. Each writing desk bureau for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and animal skin. If you’re shopping for a writing desk bureau, we have 899 options in-stock, while there are 12 modern editions to choose from as well. There are many kinds of the writing desk bureau you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. A writing desk bureau is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Louis XV, Louis XVI and Georgian styles are sought with frequency. François Linke, Maison Jansen and Scarlet Splendour each produced at least one beautiful writing desk bureau that is worth considering.

How Much is a Writing Desk Bureau?

The average selling price for a writing desk bureau at 1stDibs is $6,670, while they’re typically $171 on the low end and $1,844,713 for the highest priced.

Finding the Right Desks-writing-tables for You

Vintage desks and writing tables span centuries of design. The writing table came first, a simple surface built for correspondence, while the drawered desk followed as record-keeping at home and in the office grew more demanding.

Styles to Know

Any desk at least 20 years old falls under this broader vintage category. If you want a tapered-leg, mid-century look specifically, browse mid-century modern desks; Louis XVI and Art Deco secretary desks bridge the writing-table and desk forms. A vintage table lamp adds task lighting to either.

How to Choose the Right Vintage Piece

Writing tables often carry little to no storage of their own, so a separate file cabinet or desk organizer may be worth planning for, alongside a close look at the surface dimensions against the space available. Each piece comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, and every purchase is covered by the 1stDibs Promise.

Questions About Writing Desk Bureau

What is a writing desk?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
A writing desk may refer to a desk with a top, often sloping, for writing on or to a portable case with compartments to hold writing materials and a surface for writing.
What is a writing desk with drawers called?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021
A writing desk with drawers is also called a secretary. It is a desk with drawers, one of which can be pushed out and the front of the desk lowered to create a flat writing surface. These writing desks have been made in a variety of styles over the years. Shop for a variety of writing tables with drawers on 1stDibs.
What is a small writing desk called?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
A small writing table is also called a davenport table or davenport desk. They normally feature a sloped or inclined top attached with hinges to the back of the table. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage davenport desks.
What is an old-fashioned writing desk called?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023
What an old-fashioned writing desk is called varies by design. Pieces with drop-down fronts are secretary desks (these are typically made of two parts: a chest of drawers on the bottom and a hutch or cupboard with shelves on the top), while ones that rest on two pillars, cabinets or bookcases are pedestal desks. A desk with a small writing surface positioned in front of drawers and cubbies is a bureau à gradin. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of desks.
What's the difference between a desk and a writing table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2026
Desks typically include drawers or storage compartments, while writing tables (and secretary desks) offer a flatter surface with little to no built-in storage.
What was the term in French furniture for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
In French, the term for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface is secretaire. This type of desk is called a secretary desk in English. Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments, which are called pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers, are revealed. On 1stDibs, shop antique secretary desks from some of the world's top sellers.
What's the difference between a mid-century modern desk and a writing table?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2026
Desks typically include drawers or storage, while writing tables are a flatter, more minimal work surface; check the listing description for storage details.

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