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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An Attractive French Kidney Shape Desk.

An attractive French Kidney Shape Desk. Raised on cabriole legs with brass mounts to the knees and s...

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...

George II Red Walnut Bureau

For sale is a good quality George II red walnut bureau, with a hinged fall enclosing a well fitted i...

An Important George III Mahogany Bureau Bookcase

An Important George III Mahogany Bureau Bookcase. In very good and original condition, retaining its...

A Fine English Bureau Plat

A fine English bureau plat. In quality mahogany and raised on turned and fluted legs with brass cap...

A Fine George III Mahogany Partners Writing Table

A fine George III mahogany partners writing table. Of superior quality and manufacture this table st...

A Victorian Rosewood Writing Table

A Victorian Rosewood writing table. Raised on turned and carved end supports with cabriole legs and...

19th Century Mahogany Writing Table

The beautiful new green leather top and original broken gilt tooling sit above two full length mahog...

19th Century inlaid mahogany desk

19th Century inlaid mahogany desk, the top having a shelf flanked either side by concave hinged stat...

Fine Victorian Burr Walnut Pedestal Desk

For sale is a top quality mid-Victorian gilt metal mounted figured walnut and ebonised pedestal desk...

18th Century oak desk on later stand

18th Century oak desk on later stand, the sloped desk having a hinged lift up lid opening to reveal...

Victorian oak pedestal desk

Victorian oak twin  pedestal desk with 9 drawers and leather insert top .circa 1880 The desk is in g...

Top Quality Inlaid Burr Walnut Davenport Desk

A great quality Victorian Serpentine burr walnut davenport desk, four opening drawers to one side, f...

Pair of early 20th Century mahogany Carlton house desk's

A fabulous quality near pair of freestanding early 20th Century mahogany and inlaid Carlton house de...

Victorian Teak Campaign Secretaire Chest

For sale is a good quality Victorian teak campaign secretaire chest, the top drawer with a fall fron...

19th Century mahogany two drawer writing table

19th Century mahogany two drawer writing table, the moulded edge top having a black leather writing...

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.