60 Inch Sideboard

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.

For get-togethers or large celebratory meals in your already sumptuous dining area, a charming and durable vintage, new or antique buffet, with its decorative and practical features, can truly elevate the experience.

Although often used as a synonym for “sideboard,” a buffet technically possesses a tiered or shelved superstructure for displaying decorative kitchenware. The term derives from buffet à deux corps, a piece that is seen mostly in French Provincial furniture. And while the terms “case pieces” and “case goods” may cause even the most decor-obsessed to stumble, these furnishings — which include buffets, credenzas, cupboards and other must-have items — have been a vital part of the home for centuries.

Buffets are the ideal place to keep serveware and larger serving pieces that you’d rather have tucked away when not in use. They’re typically long and low and can be the perfect option for serving food as well as storing your porcelain and making your space tidy and organized. Feel free to dress up your buffet between meals with decorative objects or stacks of art books.

A buffet can be positioned in your living room, entryway or hall if space allows. But if you intend to permanently pair your case piece with your dining room table, when shopping for your vintage buffet you’ll definitely want to think about your dining room’s space restrictions. Allow for at least two feet of space between your buffet and your table so that guests can easily move to and fro as needed, and a buffet that is convenient for serving food should be as high as a kitchen counter if possible.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your home bar or dining area, find Art Deco buffets, mid-century modern buffets, Hollywood Regency buffets and other varieties on 1stDibs today.