Vanities
21st Century and Contemporary European Futurist Vanities
Metal
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Walnut
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Stone
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century Vanities
Kingwood
Late 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Fabric, Rattan, Mirror
1930s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Art Deco Vanities
Wood, Plywood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
1850s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Tulipwood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Carrara Marble, Bronze, Iron
Late 19th Century Scottish Antique Vanities
Satinwood
Late 19th Century Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Formica, Hardwood
1960s Dutch Minimalist Vintage Vanities
Formica, Teak, Plywood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
1810s French Restauration Antique Vanities
Carrara Marble
1890s English Arts and Crafts Antique Vanities
Oak
Late 20th Century French Provincial Vanities
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s Portuguese Vanities
Lacquer
2010s German Modern Vanities
Steel, Other
1980s North American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Acrylic
2010s Italian Other Vanities
Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s European Space Age Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Vanities
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
20th Century European Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Vanities
Walnut
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Chestnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Sycamore
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
19th Century Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
1940s Italian Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1880s Danish Other Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
19th Century British Antique Vanities
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
Vintage, New and Antique Vanities
Vintage, new and antique vanity tables have forever felt like personal, intimate sanctuaries of sorts, designed to introduce a level of serenity that feels rare and welcome in our otherwise frenetic days. They’ve been variously known as dressing tables or makeup tables over the years, but no matter what we call them — and whether it's a sophisticated contemporary piece or an iconic vintage Luigi Massoni vanity — vanities have offered a special place for us to get ready for work, an early-morning appointment or lunch date or whatever lies ahead.
“Beauty routines, taking the time to protect what you have, a moment to accessorize, a moment to pause and slow down — these are all so important now as an antidote to our fast and hectic lives,” says Oona Bannon, creative director of Pinch Design in Clapham, South London. “Just thinking about a dressing table makes me feel calm.”
When decorative boxes would no longer suffice as repositories for cosmetics, fragrant oils and perfumes, dressing tables originated in France and England during the 17th century. Men who called the latter home used “shaving tables” — a proto-dressing table — for their grooming routines while women found in dressing tables an oasis for applying makeup, particularly as improvements upon vanity tables equipped them with mirrors and lighting. In the United States, as vanity tables became a seamless component of bedroom furniture, furniture makers working in Chippendale, Rococo and other styles were regularly commissioned to produce these popular items.
Vanity tables have evolved over the years, and while there is lots to love about the ornate carving and pronounced curvilinear forms of Victorian vanities, the clean lines that characterize mid-century modern vanities and the decorative flourishes associated with Art Deco vanities, the main elements of this furnishing are the same. All vanities are about as tall as a standard table with room for seating furniture, which tends to be a small bench, a stool or an armless chair. Many also have special organization features for makeup. Without a chair and a mirror, a vanity would resemble a dresser.
Nowadays, vanities are more than a place to do hair and makeup. They’re a platform to display beauty products and store makeup collections. Vanities are standard in bedrooms, particularly if you’re not lucky enough to have a spacious dressing room or walk-in closet for your dressing table. The better the lighting is in your bedroom or wherever you’ve positioned your vanity table — even if you’ve opted for a moody setting versus a bright one — the more you will benefit from having this personal place of respite to prepare for the day ahead.
Find your antique, new or vintage vanity table today on 1stDibs.
Read More
19 Dreamy Feminine Bathrooms
To make a bathroom feel warm, serene and composed, adding feminine elements is the way to go. Featuring furry furniture, pops of pink and curated antiques, these sumptuous spaces are idyllic retreats in which to while away a few hours.
How the Vanity Table Became This Year’s Must-Have Item
Once seen as fussy furniture relics from the past, vanities have made a big comeback. Here's why.