American Antique Desks

The corporate office layout is enormously different when compared to offices even twenty years ago. Effucuebt electronic recordkeeping and communications replaced copious amounts of paperwork and ergonomic cubicles took the place of traditional desks and chairs. Even so, antique desks remain popular choices in mid-level and C-suite corporate environments, as well as in home offices.

American antique desks generally fall into two categories: those intended for commercial use and those made for domestic spaces. Desks created for commercial use tended to be larger, simpler, and more utilitarian in design, though some featured gilt, tooled tops, or heavy-set legs. Domestic desks were usually smaller in size and more ornate, with inlays of exotic woods and sometimes gilded or brass accents.

Ranging from leather-topped to gilded, with reeded legs and built-in storage, American antique desks come with a rich history and are collectible classics in their own right.

Quick Facts

• In 1989, an elaborately carved 18th-century desk by master Rhode Island cabinetmaker John Goddard sold at a Christie's New York auction for $1.2 million
• In 1989, an 18th-century desk produced by fine American furniture maker John Goddard sold at auction for an unbelievable $12.1 million
• A late-18th century Chippendale cherry slant-lid desk sold at Skinner in September 2015 for a very modest $492