Antique Office Furniture

Working from home becomes a genuine pleasure when your desk has been standing since Gladstone was in office. Our dealers stock antique pedestal desks, writing tables, bureau bookcases, filing cabinets, captain's chairs, partners' desks and library tables in mahogany, oak and walnut.

Antique office furniture was built for daily use over decades, if not centuries. The result is a quality of construction and materials that makes modern office furniture look decidedly temporary.

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18th Century Louis XV Escritoire

For sale is a fine quality, 18th Century Louis XV Escritoire. The Escritoire has a drawer at the top...

Fine Quality 18th Century Mahogany Kneehole Desk

A wonderful 18th Century Mahogany Kneehole Desk of superb untouched colour and patina. Having a brus...

Rare Queen Anne Burr Walnut Bureau

A very beautiful Queen Anne Burr Walnut Bureau of exceptional untouched Colour and patina.   with...

A Fine George III Flame Mahogany Roll-Top Desk

A very attractive George III flame mahogany roll top desk. Raised on square tapered legs with origin...

Fine 17th Century Mulberry Bureau In The Manner Of Coxed & Woster

This is a rare and exceptional William & Mary Mulberry and Walnut Bureau possibly by Coxed and Woste...

Superb Regency Rosewood Library Writing Table

A top quality Regency rosewood writing table wth green leather sciver, outstanding double twist legs...

Georgian Mahogany Bonheur De Jour

Good quality 19th Century Georgian Mahogany Bonheur de Jour.Constructed from rich, warm mahogany wit...

Antique Queen Anne Style Walnut Writing Table

A handsome Queen Anne style walnut writing table of elegant proportions, constructed in richly colou...

Victorian Carved Oak Desk

Victorian Carved Oak Pedestal Desk with Green Leather Top   Item Code: S27-1097   A substantial...

Antique George III 18th Century Quality Pollard Oak Slide and Turn Top Davenport Desk

A rare and highly attractive antique George III pollard oak Davenport desk of small proportions and...

17th Century Burr Walnut Bureau Cabinet

This is an exceptionally well figured William & Mary Burr Walnut Bureau Cabinet of good colour and p...

Early 18th Century Elm Bureau

A good early 18th Century Elm Bureau of a lovely rich golden colour. The fall opens to a shaped and...

Very Good Mahogany Desk

A good mahogany nine drawer pedestal desk, with brass handles and green leather top, in very good co...

A Fine Small Early 18th Century Mahogany Bureau

An outstanding early 18th Century George I Mahogany Bureau of superb faded golden colour and rare sm...

Superb Mahogany Partners Desk

A superb oak lined mahogany double pedestal partners desk of small proportions, nine drawers to one...

Superb Chippendale Mahogany Pedestal Desk

A super quality Victorian mahogany double pedestal desk, working locks with keys, original red leath...

A Rare Serpentine Knee-hole Desk

A George III flame mahogany, serpentine fronted knee-hole desk. With beautifully selected flame maho...

An English Ormolu Mounted Bureau Plat

An English ormolu mounted bureau plat possibly by Gillows. In burr walnut, tulip-wood and amaranth a...

Antique George III Quality Mahogany Bureau

Antique George III quality mahogany bureau having a mahogany fall opening to reveal a fully fitted i...

Quality Antique Victorian Inlaid Rosewood Marquetry Writing Desk

Quality antique Victorian inlaid rosewood marquetry writing desk with the top section having an attr...

Working at an Antique Desk

The rise of home working has transformed the market for antique office furniture. A Victorian pedestal desk with leather-lined top, brass handles and deep filing drawers does everything a modern desk does, but with the added satisfaction of working at something genuinely well made. Partners' desks, designed for two people to work facing each other, are magnificent pieces that make a statement in any study or office.

Kneehole desks are more compact and suit smaller rooms. Carlton House desks, with their distinctive U-shaped gallery of drawers and compartments, are the Rolls-Royce of writing desks and highly sought after. Davenport desks, small and slope-topped, were designed for correspondence and work perfectly as laptop stations.

Office Chairs

The captain's chair, with its curved back and arms on a swivel base, was the standard office chair of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. They remain supremely comfortable and are well suited to long hours of desk work. Look for examples with the original leather or consider having a worn seat re-upholstered.

Desk chairs on castors, library chairs and reading chairs all serve office purposes and can be found in a range of styles and sizes to suit your space and working habits.

Technology and Antique Desks

Modern technology integrates well with antique desks. Cable management can be discreetly handled through existing holes (originally for inkwell holders) or through the back of the kneehole. Many antique desks offer more drawer space than any modern equivalent, which is useful for storing chargers, papers and stationery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most antique pedestal and partners' desks have generous surface areas that easily accommodate a monitor, keyboard and other equipment. Measure the desk surface and kneehole height before purchasing if you plan to use a large monitor. A laptop works comfortably on virtually any antique desk.

A partners' desk is a large double-sided desk with drawers on both sides, originally designed for two people to sit opposite each other. They are typically made in mahogany with leather-lined tops and are among the most impressive pieces of antique furniture available.

Captain's chairs and desk chairs from the Victorian and Edwardian periods were designed for long working days and can be very comfortable. Many have adjustable height mechanisms that still function well. Try before you buy if possible, and consider a cushion if the original upholstery is firm.

A Davenport is a small, compact desk with a sloping top that lifts to reveal storage, and a column of drawers down one side. They were first made in the late 18th century, reputedly for a Captain Davenport, and were popular throughout the Victorian period as ladies' writing desks.