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.
Regency Style Bronze Elephant Candle Holder Sconces
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A pair of elephant candle sconces in cast bronze. Regency style with a hint of colonial fauna. Each elephant head has a twisted gilt bronze candle holder suspended from its trunk. Us...
Bronze
Pair of Antique Silver Plated Electrified Candlesticks Lamps with Shades
Located in Sheffield, MA
Slim and elegant, the pair of early 19th century English silver-on-copper candlesticks have been electrified for modern flame bulbs. The lamps have been weighted at the bottom and ha...
Silver Plate
$899 / set
H 12.75 in W 5.25 in D 5.25 in
Pair of Antique English Edwardian Silver Plated Candlesticks
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This pair of antique silver plated candlesticks are hallmarked "W.S.&Co." which we are unable to identify specifically, but believe t...
Metal
Pair of "Art Nouveau" Silver Plated Candlesticks
Located in New Orleans, LA
Figural candlesticks of young damsels.
Silver Plate
$1,161 / set
H 10.24 in W 4.93 in D 4.93 in
Quality Pair of Antique Victorian Silver Plated Candlesticks
Located in Suffolk, GB
Quality pair of antique Victorian silver plated candlesticks having an outstanding quality pair of antique Victorian ornate silver plated candlesticks standing on ornate shaped round...
Silver Plate
$850 / set
H 9.75 in W 3.5 in D 3.5 in
Pair Antique Neoclassical Style Corinthian Column Gilt Bronze Candle Holders
Located in New York, NY
Pair Neoclassical style Corinthian column form gilt bronze candle holders Late 19th- Early 20th Century Attractive, well detailed Corinthian column capitals with reeded column bodies...
Bronze
$550 / set
H 16 in Dm 4.75 in
Pair of Brass Candlestick with Hurricane Glass Shades Table Lamps, 1940s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Pair of vintage brass candlestick accent, boudoir, or table lamps feature baluster shaped brass bodies in Scandinavian Modern style with a reference to Swedish Grace style; the socke...
Brass
$550 / set
H 13.5 in W 5.25 in D 5.25 in
Antique Victorian Silver Plated Glass Hurricane Lamp Shade Candlestick - Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Victorian Silver Plated Base Glass Hurricane Lamp Shade Candlesticks - a Pair. Circa Early 20th Century. Measurements: 13.5" H x 5.25" Dia...
Silver Plate
Pair Neoclassical Bronze Mirrored Wall Sconces Candle Holders
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage or antique pair of bronze wall sconces features ornate Louis XVI style framed with twin arms extending from the bottoms; each candle holder is equipped with wide bobeche to ...
Brass, Bronze
$1,482 / set
H 15 in W 4.5 in D 4 in
Antique Pair of French Doré Bronze Neoclassical Ormolu Gilt Candlesticks Lamps
Located in Dublin, Ireland
An Exceptionally Fine Pair French Ormolu and patinated Bronze early Victorian Single Light Candlesticks of tall slender form and fairly standard proportions, now converted to a Stunn...
Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of Antique Silver Plated Corinthian Candlesticks
Located in Suffolk, GB
Pair of antique silver plated Corinthian candlesticks having pretty shaped removable sconces to the top and supported by attractive circular re...
Silver Plate
Pair of Louis XV Style French Bronze Candle Sconces
Located in Winter Park, FL
A pair of Louis XV style French two-light cast bronze candle sconces. Nice quality casting with original patina. Not wired, for use with candles. Circa 1900-1920 Dimensions: 10"W x 6...
Bronze
$820Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.85 in W 4.34 in D 43.71 in
Pair Of Antique Decorative Candlesticks, English, Silver Plate, Candle Sconce
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a pair of antique decorative candlesticks. An English, silver plated candle sconce, dating to the early 20th century, circa 1920. Elegant pair of candlesticks with a bright...
Silver Plate
$945 / set
H 23.5 in W 12 in D 4.25 in
Vintage Regency Style Lion Mask and Ring Candle Sconces After Maitland Smith
Located in Morristown, NJ
20th c., a pair of vintage gilt and black wood and metal wall sconces featuring elegant lion head motifs at the top. The sconces are crafted in a classical style, with the lion heads...
Metal
Pair Of Empire Style Figural Candle Hurricane Lamps
Located in Norwood, NJ
Fine and large patinated bronze and marble candle lamps with fabulous wheel cut hurricane shades. Three women, "Three Graces", in patinated bronze holding large cut glass hurricane, ...
Marble, Bronze
c17901810 Pair Regency Anglo-Irish Cut Lead Crystal Mantle Lusters/ Girandoles
Located in Opa Locka, FL
Pair Antique Anglo Irish Mantle Lusters/ Girandoles. Cut lead crystal. Castellated rims, fern cut baluster stem, slice cut printies, with annular knops an...
Crystal
Regency Style Brass Hurricane Lamp, Large Scale
Located in Stamford, CT
Brass large scale photosphere, or hurricane lamp in the Regency style. Candle stand only. No glass shade.
Brass
Regency Style Brass Hurricane Lamp, Large Scale
Located in Stamford, CT
Very cool glass and brass large scale photophore, or hurricane lamp in the Regency style. The shaped glass shade with a brass rim on top over a heavy bras base, this will not blow ov...
Brass
Sold
H 11 in W 10.5 in D 4 in
Wonderful Pair Rock Crystal French Doré Bronze Three-Arm Bow Swag Candelabra
Located in Roslyn, NY
Wonderful pair of rock crystal bobeches and centerpiece are the highlights of these french gilt bronze candelabra with very fine detail. Measures: 10.5" W x 11" H on 4" base.
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Sold
H 14 in Dm 6.5 in
Pair Purple Blown Glass Hurricane Shades from the Estate of Paul & Bunny Mellon
Located in Hudson, NY
This very nice pair of handblown glass hurricane shades were made in the early 19th century. English in manufacture the color is a rich and lovely shade of purple. Shades like these ...
Glass