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.
Antique Victorian Outstanding Quality Burr Walnut Secretaire Bookcase
Antique Victorian Outstanding quality burr walnut secretaire bookcase having an exceptional quality...
Large Antique Edwardian Quality Inlaid Mahogany Freestanding Kidney Shaped Desk
Large Antique Edwardian quality inlaid mahogany freestanding kidney shaped desk having a quality inl...
Fine 18th Century Mahogany Secretaire Cabinet
A magnificent and rare 18th Century George II Parcel Gilt Secretaire Cabinet of wonderful colour, in...
Important Early 18th Century Walnut Kneehole Desk
A rare and impressive George I Walnut Kneehole Desk of outstanding untouched colour and patination....
Fine Pair of Antique George III Quality Mahogany Desk/Carver Chairs
Fine pair of antique George III quality mahogany desk/carver chairs having a quality mahogany turned...
Antique Edwardian Quality Mahogany Partners Desk
A fine Edwardian mahogany partners desk of generous proportion and refined design. The rectangular m...
Superb Early 18th Century Quality Antique George I Walnut Bureau
A fine superb quality early 18th-century George I period walnut bureau of compact proportions beauti...
Fine Early 18th Century Walnut Secretaire Cabinet
A rare and important George I Walnut Secretaire Cabinet of good colour and fine proportions, veneere...
18th Century Mahogany Bureau
A fine quality 18th Century solid Mahogany Bureau of good colour and in good original condition, ret...
Antique George III Quality Mahogany Kneehole Desk
An Antique George III mahogany kneehole desk, beautifully balanced and displaying the restrained ele...
Unusual Antique George III Quality Mahogany Writing Desk
Unusual Antique George III quality mahogany writing desk having a quality mahogany lift up writing/r...
A Rare Burr Oak Knee-Hole Desk
A rare George I, Burr oak knee-hole desk. Raised on bracket feet with seven oak lined drawers and kn...
18th Century Mahogany Kneehole Desk
A superior 18th Century Mahogany kneehole Desk of the most glorious colour and patina, with highly f...
Victorian Burr Walnut Piano Top Pop Up Davenport
For sale is a fine quality Victorian Burr Walnut Piano Top Pop Up Davenport. The top of the davenpor...
18th Century Dutch Marquetry Bureau
For sale is a top quality late 18th century Dutch Marquetry Bureau. The bureau is profusely inlaid a...
François Linke French Louis XVI Ormolu Kingwood Bureau Plat Desk
A rare early François Linke bureau plat (c.1889, a masterwork of the Belle Époque by France’s most c...
A Quality Mahogany Partners Writing Table
A quality mahogany Partners Writing Table. Raised on turned legs with original brass castors, stampe...
Small Mid 18th Century Mahogany Kneehole Desk
A good quality small 18th Century figured Mahogany Kneehole Desk of excellent colour and patina, wit...
Small Early 18th Century Burr Walnut Bureau
A rare Queen Anne Burr Walnut Bureau of extremely small proportions and good faded glowing colour an...
Early 18th Century Oak Bureau Bookcase
A wonderful and well proportioned early 18th century Oak Bureau Bookcase of superb colour and patina...
Antique Mahogany Davenport Desk By Gillows Of Lancaster
An antique solid mahogany Davenport desk, dating to circa 1820–1835, spanning the late Regency and e...
A Small Regency Rosewood Writing Table
A small Regency rosewood writing table. Standing on shaped feet with tapered supports, united by str...
A Chamber Writing Table Attributed To Gillows
A Chamber writing table attributed to Gillows of Lancaster. Of fine quality, this small table bears...
Antique 19th Century Padouk Anglo-indian Campaign Secretaire Chest & Cupboard
An early 19th century Padouk Anglo Indian Campaign Chest with a secretaire & cupboard. With gadroone...
A Superb Cylinder Desk In The Manner Of John Mclean
A Superb Cylinder Desk in the manner of John Mclean. Finished all round, this beautiful desk is rais...
Exhibition Quality Davenport made by T.H. Filmer & Sons
English
circa 1860 - 1870
Mid 19th Century Amboyna & Brass Mounted Davenport
The gilt brass galle...
George III Chippendale Period Tambour Writing Table
circa 1770 - 1780
18th century mahogany tambour desk.The cylinder shaped tambour top opens to revea...
Antique Rare French Napoleon III Boulle Brass Serpentine Center Table
Here we have an Antique Rare French Napoleon III (1852-70) Ebonised & A La Reine Boulle Brass Serpen...
Rare 17th Century Oak Bureau
A rare and probably unique 17th Century Oak Bureau of superb colour, in remarkably original conditio...
Antique Victorian Walnut Cylinder Bureau Bookcase With Writing Desk & Cupboard
A Victorian Walnut Cylinder Bureau Bookcase. This 3 in 1 piece has a bookcase, writing area, and cup...
Edwards and Roberts Writing Desk
A very good quality inlaid mahogany writing desk by Edwards and Roberts of London. Of fine construct...
Early 18th Century Oak Bureau
Fine early 18th Century Oak Bureau of lovely warm honey colour, in good original condition. The shap...
Superb Mahogany Pedestal Desk
A fine quality solid mahogany double pedestal desk, with curtesy panel, nine drawers with brass swa...
Fine French Burr Walnut Bureau Platt Desk
A lovely French burr walnut and tulipwood banded bureau platt or dressing table, with gold shaped le...
Super Kidney Shaped Mahogany Desk
A very nice quality solid mahogany Edwardian serpentine desk with satinwood banding and green leathe...
George III Mahogany Secretaire Bookcase
A handsome late 18th-century George III mahogany secretaire bookcase of elegant proportions, retaini...
Fine 18th Century Mahogany Bureau Bookcase
A Superb quality 18th Century solid Mahogany Bureau Bookcase made from the finest cuban Mahogany and...
Early 18th Century Walnut Kneehole Desk
A superb and rare early 18th century provincial Walnut Kneehole Desk of good colour and patina in ou...
George II Walnut Kneehole Desk
A Fine 18th Century George II Figured Walnut Kneehole Desk of rich honey colour with brushing slide....
18th Century Mahogany Kneehole Desk
A fine George II Mahogany Kneehole Desk with brushing slide, fitted with supporting lopers and slidi...
Early 18th Century Walnut Bureau Bookcase
A Fine Queen Anne Double Dome Walnut Bureau Bookcase with figured matched Walnut veneer and feather...
18th Century Mahogany Secretaire Kneehole Desk
An outstanding George II Mahogany Secretaire Kneehole Desk of small proportions with Superb rich col...
Early 18th Century Walnut Bureau
A fine George 1st Walnut bureau of small proportions with striking figured walnut veneers and very g...
Queen Anne Style Kneehole Desk
For sale is a good quality Queen Anne style oyster shell and inlaid kneehole desk. The top of the de...
Antique Burr Walnut Kneehole Desk
A charming small antique burr walnut kneehole desk crafted in the Georgian style and dating from the...
Large William IV Mahogany Davenport
For sale is a good quality William IV mahogany davenport of large proportions, having two banks of d...
Superb Adams Inlaid Desk
Outstanding Adams style inlaid desk on the large side, black leather and figured mahogany inlaid top...
Antique Chinese Dragon Carved Bureau
This stunning antique bureau is likely an Anglo-Chinese or Chinoiserie piece (European furniture w...
19th Century French Bonheur Du Jour
For sale is a French 19th Century Amboyna and Ebony Cabinet, with three quarter balustrade gallery,...
19th Century French Bureau De Dame
For sale is a good quality 19th century French gilt metal mounted marquetry bombé bureau de dame, in...
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.