Antique Desks & Writing Tables

Antique desks and writing tables come in a host of forms, each designed with a particular function or setting in mind.

Getting to grips with the key types can help you choose a piece that fits your home, meets your practical needs and suits the level of decorative impact you’re after.

Among the most recognisable forms of antique desks are pedestal desks. They normally feature a central drawer and kneehole, flanked by banks of drawers to either side (the pedestals). The writing surface is often finished in tooled, inset leather, and in some examples, a shallow raised gallery or additional storage sits toward the rear of the top.

Typically, though not always, they were made in three sections to allow for easy transport and access. Pedestal desks were common in both domestic studies and professional offices from the late Georgian period onwards, and the form has remained in consistent use ever since.

Antique writing tables are generally lighter in form, often with a single tier of just one or two drawers below the top and raised on slender turned legs with castors. Tops are sometimes finished in tooled leather, though polished wood is equally common.

They were mostly designed for occasional use in drawing rooms or libraries, rather than for intensive clerical work. Even so, they were built with the quality and durability expected of fine cabinetmaking and remain more than capable of handling regular use in the home.

Writing tables were sometimes finished on all sides, intended to sit freely within a room. Where this is the case it can make them well suited to modern interiors that favour open layouts and flexible furniture placement.

Today, antique writing tables appeal as much for their versatility as their appearance. Their lighter construction and more open aesthetic make them our most popular choice of writing surfaces for the home. While offering far less storage, they offer considerably greater ease of placement and mobility.

Their reduced scale when compared to more traditional desks make them well suited to sitting a range of secondary uses and positions, like behind a sofa, beneath a window or even in a hallway. Whether used as a laptop desk, dressing table or occasional console, they bring refinement and order to a space without feeling too heavy or overbearing.

Davenports normally feature a sloped inset leather hinged writing surface which lifts open to reveal fitted internal storage. Most examples include four or five working drawers on one side, with corresponding faux drawer fronts on the opposite side for symmetry. The rear section of the top is commonly fitted with a raised gallery or stationary compartments, adding both utility and visual interest.

Compact and instantly recognisable, the style first appeared in the late 18th to early 19th century. Tradition links the name to a Captain Davenport who is said to have commissioned the original design from Gillows of Lancaster, however no firm historical record of this individual survives.

The Davenport quickly gained popularity in the home due to its small footprint and unique silhouette. It was especially popular in Victorian homes, often used in living rooms or bedrooms rather than formal studies.

Practical, easily placed and often beautifully decorative, crafted in fine walnut or mahogany.

Coming in a huge range of sizes and styles, bureau desks normally combine a writing surface and storage. The hinged fall-front folds away when not in use, making them well suited to smaller rooms and helping to keep a space neat without compromising on function.

Sometimes with an inset leather writing surface, they often feature pigeonholes and some small drawers inside. Typically this kind of desk was designed for more domestic settings rather than commercial.

A subsection of the broader bureau category is the ever-popular bureau bookcase, sometimes known as a “student’s desk”. These compact, often incredibly shallow pieces combine a fall-front writing surface with a bookcase or shelving section below, offering both workspace and storage in a remarkably efficient footprint.

Originally intended for smaller studies, bedrooms or student lodgings, their vertical structure makes them especially well suited to tight spaces, while still providing a dedicated area for correspondence or writing, now, of course, perfectly suited to laptop use.

Today, they’re appreciated for their compact elegance and versatility. A smart solution for homes without a dedicated office, for living rooms where a desk is occasionally needed, or anywhere space is at a premium.

Distinctly recognisable by their tambour shutter that rolls down to conceal the working surface, roll-top desks became popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Typically constructed in oak and fitted with multiple pigeonholes and drawers, they were favoured in offices and schools for their ability to secure documents while keeping everything within easy reach.

Today, they offer practicality and a particular aesthetic which remains popular. Variations on this theme include the cylinder desk and fold top desks.

A more decorative cousin of the bureau, the Bureau de Dames is a small, elegant writing desk often associated with French design but also produced in England during the 18th and 19th centuries. Typically feminine in proportion and detailing, these pieces often feature curved cabriole legs, serpentine or bombe fronts and marquetry or inlay work.

The writing surface is usually concealed behind a fall-front top, with small drawers and pigeonholes revealed when opened. Designed more for correspondence and refinement than heavy clerical use, they were often placed in bedrooms, drawing rooms or boudoirs.

Today, they appeal for their charm, delicacy and versatility, making ideal statement pieces in dressing rooms, quiet corners or anywhere a lighter desk is desired.

Partners’ desks are large, double-sided versions of the pedestal desk, originally designed for shared use. They typically feature a central kneehole on each side, with drawers or cupboards facing outwards on both fronts, allowing two people to sit opposite each other. These desks were most commonly used in legal offices, banks or commercial environments where collaborative work was the norm.

Statement pieces ideal for large studies or libraries, and built on a grander scale than standard pedestal desks, partners’ desks often have deeper tops, additional storage and a more commanding presence.

Though originally practical in nature, partners’ desks are now often appreciated for their architectural form and imposing stature. They serve as striking centrepieces and remain highly functional for anyone looking for a serious working desk with real weight and gravitas.

Architects’ desks were designed to accommodate large-format drawings and precision work, often featuring an angled or adjustable top supported by a robust base. Most surviving examples date from the late 19th to early 20th century but earlier examples sometimes come up, like the one pictured.

Most often built in oak, ash or mahogany, some include integrated drawers, shelving, or tool wells, and many show the honest wear of working life. These are substantial, characterful pieces, ideal for use as statement desks, studio workstations or striking decorative elements in lofts and creative interiors.

While not technically a desk, the library table comfortably falls within this category due to its scale, form and intended function. These broad, freestanding tables were typically found in grand 18th and 19th-century country house private libraries, studies and drawing rooms, most often crafted in the finest rosewood or mahogany.

Most feature a flat top with one or two frieze drawers and often a particularly decorative base. Though originally designed for reading and writing, many now serve equally well as writing tables or centre tables.

A secretaire desk is one which conceals a writing compartment behind a fall-front or drop-down panel, often incorporated into a chest of drawers. When closed, it presents as a solid storage piece, but when opened, it reveals a writing surface and typically internal storage, pigeonholes or even hidden compartments.

Combining practical storage with discreet functionality, the secretaire is ideal for rooms where a more formal, tidy appearance is desired.

Designed primarily for needlework, some 19th-century sewing tables occasionally included a writing surface, allowing the piece to serve a dual purpose. Typically compact and finely constructed in walnut, mahogany or rosewood, these tables often feature a central work basket, small drawers for threads and tools and a flat inset leather surface for occasional correspondence.

Favoured in well-appointed Victorian homes, they reflect a period when furniture was increasingly tailored to women’s activities and combined refinement with discreet practicality.

Reading tables were designed for use while standing or seated, often with adjustable angled tops to support books, maps or documents. Again, not technically desks, but they fall within this category as functional working furniture, typically used in libraries, studies and ecclesiastical settings.

Most examples date from the 18th and 19th centuries and are constructed in fine rosewood, mahogany or walnut. Some include candle slides, drawer compartments, or ratcheted mechanisms to alter the reading angle. Today, they’re valued for their distinctive purpose-driven design and are often repurposed as decorative accent pieces or lecterns.