Vanities
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Silver, Enamel
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood, Resin
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Vanities
Silver
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vanities
Marble, Bronze
1970s Vintage Vanities
Bamboo
Early 1900s Antique Vanities
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Vanities
Stone
Mid-20th Century Australian Aesthetic Movement Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Metal, Brass
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Oak, Teak
19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror
2010s Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal, Aluminum
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Mahogany
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Bone
Early 20th Century French Edwardian Vanities
Mahogany
2010s Emirian Post-Modern Vanities
Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Vanities
Metal
19th Century English Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Brass
Early 18th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Stone, Bronze
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal, Chrome
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Vanities
Metal
Late 20th Century Philippine Vanities
Rattan, Reed, Mirror
1960s French Louis XIII Vintage Vanities
Bronze
2010s Panamanian Modern Vanities
Metal
20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass, Chrome
1940s Vintage Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Brass
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1720s French Louis XIV Antique Vanities
Metal, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Wicker
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Maple, Oak
Late 19th Century English Antique Vanities
Ironstone, Mirror, Oak
1920s British Biedermeier Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
Early 20th Century Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s British Futurist Vanities
Aluminum, Metal
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.