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.
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Statuary Marble, Other
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s American Regency Furniture
Limestone
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
1810s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 18th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Siena Marble
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Iron
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Cut Glass
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1850s English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron, Metal, Iron
1810s Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Birch
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Stone, Marble, Statuary Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood, Elm
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Composition
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Regency Furniture
Iron
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Burl
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Rosewood
2010s European Regency Furniture
Carrara Marble
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood