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.
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Silk, Upholstery, Foam, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 19th Century Scottish Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Portuguese Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1990s American Regency Furniture
Textile, Wood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Cane
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Yew
2010s American Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Crystal, Iron, Tin
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Yew
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Terracotta
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood