Looking For a Vintage Desk

[poetman]

I want to buy a vintage looking desk for my study, and I would appreciate some Lounger's suggestions on the following.

This is my current desk:

It measures 59.5 across, 29.5 deep, and 30.5 high. I like big desks, and am looking for something bigger.

On my local craigslist I found these:

This measures 73.5 across, 30 inches deep and 27" high. He's asking 50, but price is negotiable.

Then this one:

The dimenisons are 46"wide by 24"deep by 30"high.
I like this look the best, but it's the smallest. The only thing is I'm not sure if it is solid wood or if it's a modern desk made of part plarticleboard. (Although, I wouldn't think so.) She's asking 90, but the price is also negotiable.

So, what are your thoughts, should I keep what I have and wait, or should I get one of the two above?

Thanks All!

 

[LizzieMaine]

The third desk would be a great buy -- especially if that inlay on the top is real and not a photo-finish.

True vintage desks did tend to be a bit on the smallish side compared to those today -- there weren't as many things that needed to be kept on them. And don't necessarily be put off by non-solid-wood as a sign of not being vintage -- I use my grandfather's old desk, c. 1940, which has a masonite back and drawer bottoms. A lot of less-expensive furniture built before the war used such materials.

If you really want a sturdy vintage desk, look for the big heavy oak desks used by school teachers -- they were big, built to last forever, had lots of drawer space, and still turn up at school surplus sales.

 

[Nick D]

I've tried to seperate between two desks. One gets computer related stuff, the other everything else. Whether that will work for you is entirely dependent upon your needs and your space. But I would jump at the bottom one for a writing desk.

 

[Tomasso]

I like big desks

Look for a partners desk, they're not too hard to find.

 

[Story]

Here's a trick

If you like a desk with a small footprint (width by depth, like #3) but it's too short for your legs, you can fit (or have someone fit) short wood blocks on the inside of the two base sides.

The desk's feet will hover an inch or so off the floor, but this is less noticeable with carpeting.

 

[poetman]

If you like a desk with a small footprint (width by depth, like #3) but it's too short for your legs, you can fit (or have someone fit) short wood blocks on the inside of the two base sides.

The desk's feet will hover an inch or so off the floor, but this is less noticeable with carpeting.

I like desks that have a lot of desk space. I tend to sprawl everything on my desk--many books, papers, etc. I only keep a pen cup, lamp and laptop on the desk, but I'm always working with a lot of books and papers out, so I really need a large surface area. But, I also want the desk to have a vintage look to it.

 

[Lucky Strike]

That's a classic pedestal desk, typically made in mahogany or dark oak, with a gilt-edged leather top.

Like so:

A few random examples:

 

[Story]

If you find a desk smaller-than-you-like but with the right 'look', you might be able to work something out by creating an "L" with your existing desk.

I've seen that done before, but you'd need a near-match in both color and height. Plus, you'd lose one of the two drawers in your current desk.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Pedestal desks like that are rarely very big; for a bigger top, you might, as Tomasso suggests, try to find a partners' desk.

A diplomat's desk has no "pedestals", that is no stacks of drawers from the top to the floor. They normally have a horizontal row of drawers under the top.

The variety is endless: Here's a somewhat more typical partners' desk, but in a very slender burl birch version:

Partners' desks are double desks with the two persons sharing it facing each other, with their own set of drawers etc. They're very often more than double the size of the corresponding regular desks.

Most people think of the typical partners' desk as a doubled-up pedestal desk, but they're also made with fewer drawers and proper legs, like the one above.

A drawback is that most of the partners' desks were made to be free-standing, and they might not come into their own drawn up against a wall.

This isn't really a partners' desk, more like a big diplomat's, but you get the idea:

 

[Lucky Strike]

I like desks that have a lot of desk space. I tend to sprawl everything on my desk--many books, papers, etc. I only keep a pen cup, lamp and laptop on the desk, but I'm always working with a lot of books and papers out, so I really need a large surface area. But, I also want the desk to have a vintage look to it.

You need shelves, then:

An workable alternative might be to get some type of bureau or a bureau-bookcase, and maybe a more moveable table on the side, say, a dining-table in the same style (these are easier to get hold of than good pedestal desks):

This one might not be everybody's cup of tea, but what a piece of baroque:

 

[Lucky Strike]

Another forgotten, but very practical classic is a revolving bookcase:

 

[dhermann1]

Those are great desks posted by Lucky Strike, keep in mind most of them are $5,000 antiques. I like the third one you showed as well, with the mahogany finish. That's a great deal. What will the rest of your study look like? Looks like you have deep red walls and some nice wood trim. For my 1939 Art Deco place, I was able to find on Ebay a 1950 vintage Eames style transitional deco/moderne desk. Actually the delivery was more expensive than the desk itself. Anyhow, for a $75 cost, if you can pick it up yourself (I hear people outside of New York City tend to own these weird contraptions called "cars". They sound very useful), you'd be doing great. Give us an idea of how the rest of the room, and your place in general, looks. From what I see in the shot of your old desk, I like the mahogany. Those particle board desks seem really nice when you first get them, and they tend to have good design for the kind of use we give our desks nowadays, but once they get a few little chips in the veneer, they start looking pretty sad. And you can usually get a really good solid wood desk as cheaply as a particle board one.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Those are great desks posted by Lucky Strike, keep in mind most of them are $5,000 antiques.

Yes, some of them are pricey, but many of the examples are much cheaper (these are European auction results, commission included):

$800:

$500:

$220:

$2000:

$1200:

$1200:

$220:

This one, on the other hand, went for ~$100.000:

 

[poetman]

Lucky,

Thanks for all those postings! I really appreciate it! I love those revoloving bookcases--I never see them though! I also found a partners desk for sale, but it's pushing my budget, and more importantly, I tend to put my desks against the wall--but it has a lot of desk space, drawers, and it's pretty. She wants 250 for this.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

The $50 looks good for your needs. Plenty of room on the top and wide drawers.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Lucky,

Thanks for all those postings! I really appreciate it! I love those revoloving bookcases--I never see them though! I also found a partners desk for sale, but it's pushing my budget, and more importantly, I tend to put my desks against the wall--but it has a lot of desk space, drawers, and it's pretty. She wants 250 for this.

This one looks much, much better, dollar for dollar. It's probably solid, and can then take use and abuse in a much more forgiving way. Have you had a proper look at it? It doesn't look very old, but well-made.

 

[Tomasso]

In what city is this desk located? It looks very similar to one that I donated to charity while clearing out the basement of a Chicago property.

 

[Nick D]

The carved pedestal desk with the Green Men cost a lot less than I expected.

 

[John in Covina]

I like bigger desks myself. At work I like to have space to have a front and back desk so certain projects don't get disturbed with the focus shifts to answering another inquirery.

 

[poetman]

The third desk would be a great buy -- especially if that inlay on the top is real and not a photo-finish.

True vintage desks did tend to be a bit on the smallish side compared to those today -- there weren't as many things that needed to be kept on them. And don't necessarily be put off by non-solid-wood as a sign of not being vintage -- I use my grandfather's old desk, c. 1940, which has a masonite back and drawer bottoms. A lot of less-expensive furniture built before the war used such materials.

If you really want a sturdy vintage desk, look for the big heavy oak desks used by school teachers -- they were big, built to last forever, had lots of drawer space, and still turn up at school surplus sales.

Do you know where I can find examples of more vintage desks? Also, did they make vintage desks in larger dimensions?

thanks!