Writing Tables/Desks
Writing tables/desks were traditionally desks or tables used for writing (as opposed to, say … kitchen tables). Writing desks were normally found in the studies (today we would call them a home office) of old-time aristocrats as well as the rich and wealthy, and also company offices, even the battlefield! Today, writing tables and desks are no longer restricted to the use of companies and people with more money than they know what to do with. It is now possible to find cheap writing desks to fit the budget of even middle-income families looking for study tables for their children. It is possible to find discount writing desks made of cheaper wood like pine or wood composites for use by professionals who work from home or telecommute. Today, there are specialized laptop writing desks to fit the miniscule spaces of cubicles – desks meant for you to type on your laptop but not do any real writing with your pen and paper. Writing/computer desks like these have special holes meant for cables. They may even have accessories like computer keyboard drawers and built-in power points.
What types of writing tables/desks are there?
The bulk of the market for writing desks are of course cheap discount writing desks. They are usually made from cheap wood, plastics and/or wood composites (also known as MDF). Many of these desks come as kits requiring assembly and can be bought from online stores like Amazon. You can also pick them up from your local Walmart or Home Depot. Most of these will not last for more than a few years, but then that’s more than good enough for many children and poor college students.
Whereas the most number of writing desks/tables sold are the cheap DIY-assembled types, the ones bringing the highest margins to manufacturers are executive writing desks. You can find these heavy large writing desks in the CEO’s office of many larger companies. There are massive solid oak writing desks, antique mahogany writing desks and fragrant cherry wood writing desks. While many of these executive writing desks look elegant, they are really designed to look imposing and intimidating.
The most profitable market, though, are probably elegant writing desks for middle-class families. You will find the greatest range of designs here, inspired by antiques from the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.
Victorian writing desks
The original Victorian-style writing desks were made from 1840-1910, named after Queen Victoria who reigned in England from 1837 to 1901. Even though it was the first mass-produced style of furniture, the design was extremely ornate with many elaborate carvings and ornaments. The legs of Victorian-style furniture usually had a small round coiled ball feet or ball-and-claw feet. Victorian writing desks and furniture tend to have a heavy, ponderous dark feeling.
Sauder writing desks
Sauder isn’t so much a style of furniture as it is a manufacturer of furniture. They actually make many different styles of furniture. What distinguishes them is the fact that their furniture is what they call “ready-to-assemble”, and that they are one of North America’s largest furniture companies. They have a long history of making practical, functional, sturdy and affordable furniture. Sauder’s writing desks are more of the same.
Mission style writing desks
Mission-style furniture were a reaction against the ornate heavy Victorian style. Mission-style writing desks are often handmade and free of ornamentation – what we would call minimalist in design. They give a light-feeling and look simple, natural and functional.
Country writing desks
Country-style furniture has an old-fashioned rustic village look. Country writing desks have an rural, unsophisticated casual charm about them. The mission-style of furniture is, in a sense, a type of country-style furniture.
Queen Anne writing desks
The Queen Anne furniture style came into being when Anne was Queen of England in 1702. Whereas Anne only reigned until 1714, the style of furniture that bore her name continued to be made for another 40 years. Queen Anne writing desks, like other furniture of this style, had moderate proportions and looked very graceful. This type of furniture was built with dovetail joints and usually had cabriole legs and batwing drawer pulls. The feet of Queen Anne furniture typically terminated in ball-and-claw or drake feet.
Modern/Contemporary writing desks
What is the modern or contemporary style? Growing up, I remembered three distinct styles of contemporary-style furniture – stark black and white with harsh lines; lots of glass and steel; and bright colors and a plastic look and feel.
Choosing your writing tables/desks
The first thing you need to do when choosing a writing desk is to think about who will be using it. For example, no matter how well-supervised they are, kids and teenagers tend to be pretty rough on furniture. If you are going to have to buy a new table or desk every few years no matter how much you spend, maybe you should think about buying cheap writing desks. Find an unpainted/unfinished wood writing desk to shave a few more dollars off the cost. One nice bonus is that it’s harder to see scratches on an unpainted table top.
You will also want to take a good look at where you want to place your writing table and decide on the size. Do you want a small wood writing desk or a large writing desk? Large writing desks give you more space to work, with over 5 feet in width and two-and-a-half to over three feet in depth. But they also take up a lot more room. And don’t forget that they may be too large to fit through your door – you may need to disassemble them and then re-assemble them yourself where you want to finally place them.
Do you have a separate computer table or will you need your new writing desk to do double-duty? If it needs to also hold your computer, does it need additional holes for running and organizing your various cables (power, network, monitor, etc)? Does the writing desk need to be sturdy enough to put your desktop CPU and monitor?
If the new writing table/desk is for your own use, you will also want to measure the heights of the tables you currently use. Are your current writing tables or computer desks at a comfortable height? If yes, then that is the height you want for your new writing desk. If not, decide if it is too high or too low and adjust accordingly when you go shopping.