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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Mahogany Swivel Office Desk Chair

Fine quality brown leather and mahogany swivel office desk chair, standing on brass castors, brass s...

Super Queen Anne Burr Walnut Bureau

A very pretty Queen Anne serpentine fronted bureau of small proportions, standing on tall cabriole l...

Super Burr Walnut Queen Anne Bureau

A very nice four drawer Queen Anne burr walnut bureau, leather writing surface, in excellent overall...

19th Century Regency Style Mahogany Pedestal Desk

Good quality 19th Century mahogany pedestal desk with 6 drawers .   The desk has an unusual blen...

Victorian Burr Walnut Pedestal Desk

Victorian Burr Walnut Pedestal DeskA handsome Victorian burr walnut pedestal desk, circa 1870, measu...

Antique Walnut Queen Anne Style Bureau Bookcase

Afine quality Edwardian Queen Anne style walnut bureau bookcase, featuring a glazed upper section ab...

Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Style Parquetry & Ormolu Cylinder Desk c1869

A superb mid-19th century French Louis XVI style cylinder desk, made circa 1869, veneered in kingwoo...

Exceptional Antique French Louis XV Large Freestanding Kingwood Ormolu Partners Bureau Plat Desk

A superb large antique French Louis XV style kingwood and ormolu mounted partners bureau plat desk d...

Victorian Kidney Shaped Rosewood Writing Table

A splendid mid-Victorian period kidney shaped writing table, or desk. Of very good construction with...

18th Century Walnut Kneehole Desk

A handsome 18th century walnut kneehole desk of excellent proportions, retaining a rich, genuine col...

Superb Georgian Mahogany Desk

Excellent quality Georgian mahogany kneehole desk, oak lined drawers, working keys, in excellent ove...

Queen Anne Figured Walnut Bureau

A fine early 18th-century Queen Anne figured walnut bureau of exceptional colour and rich patina, re...

18th Century Dutch Marquetry Walnut Bureau

A splendid Dutch walnut marquetry bureau c. 1760. Well constructed in solid walnut with attractive b...

19th Century Oak Kneehole Desk

A charming light oak kneehole desk, English, Circa 1880. This solid oak desk is finished all round...

French Neoclassical Office Set by Mercier Frères – Desk, Cabinet & Chair

An exceptionally rare and complete French Neoclassical office suite by Mercier Frères, dating from t...

Inlaid Mahogany Carlton House Desk

A fine inlaid mahogany Carlton House desk, beautifully crafted in the classic Georgian style with an...

Antique Regency Mahogany Desk Chair

A fine antique Regency mahogany desk chair dating from around 1830, beautifully constructed with ele...

Edwardian Mahogany Kidney Shaped Desk

A fine Edwardian kidney shaped desk in a beautiful mahogany, circa 1900. The desk features a new han...

19th Century Satin Birch Heal And Son Desk

A great satin birch desk circa 1850 by Heal and son, London.   A really good quality piece as you...

Flame Mahogany Writing Desk

A splendid French mahogany writing desk from the Napoleon III period. Of generous proportions and ve...

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.