Regency Furniture
Like France’s Empire style, Regency-style furniture was rooted in neoclassicism; the characteristics of its bedroom furniture, armchairs, dining room tables and other items include clean lines, angular shapes and elegant details.
Dating roughly from the 1790s to 1830s, antique Regency-style furniture gets its name from Prince George of Wales — formally King George IV — who became Prince Regent in 1811 after his father, George III, was declared unfit to rule. England’s Regency style is one of the styles represented in Georgian furniture.
George IV’s arts patronage significantly influenced the development of the Regency style, such as the architectural projects under John Nash, which included the renovation of Buckingham House into the formidable Buckingham Palace with a grand neoclassical facade. Celebrated designers of the period include Thomas Sheraton, Henry Holland and Thomas Hope. Like Nash, Hope instilled his work with classical influences, such as saber-legged chairs based on the ancient Greek klismos. He is credited with introducing the term “interior decoration” to English with the 1807 publishing of Household Furniture and Interior Decoration.
Although more subdued than previous styles like Rococo and Baroque, Regency interiors incorporated copious use of chintz fabrics and wallpaper adorned in chinoiserie-style art. Its furniture featured fine materials and luxurious embellishments. Furniture maker George Bullock, for instance, regularly used detailed wood marquetry and metal ornaments on his pieces.
Archaeological discoveries in Egypt and Greece informed Regency-era details, such as carved scrollwork, sphinxes and palmettes, as well as the shape of furniture. A Roman marble cinerary chest, for example, would be reinterpreted into a wooden cabinet. The Napoleonic Wars also inspired furniture, with martial designs like tented beds and camp-style chairs becoming popular. While the reddish-brown mahogany was prominent in this range of pieces, imported woods like zebrawood and ebony were increasingly in demand.
Find a collection of antique Regency tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Carrara Marble
1810s French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Lead
1820s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Portuguese Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass, Tôle
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s American Regency Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Philippine Regency Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Northern Irish Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal, Iron
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
1990s American Regency Furniture
Textile, Wood, Lacquer
1960s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Earthenware
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Aluminum
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Regency Furniture
Limestone
19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
2010s European Regency Furniture
Carrara Marble
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Limestone
1920s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
1990s American Regency Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Concrete
Late 20th Century Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Mirror, Hardwood