Children's Furniture
18th Century English Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century English Hepplewhite Antique Children's Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Sri Lankan Dutch Colonial Antique Children's Furniture
Silver
Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Children's Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Children's Furniture
Pine
18th Century Dutch Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century French Antique Children's Furniture
Brass
18th Century Indonesian Dutch Colonial Antique Children's Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Children's Furniture
Fabric, Wood
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Children's Furniture
Fabric, Oak
17th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Children's Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Children's Furniture
Mahogany
1760s French Louis XVI Antique Children's Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century English George III Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
18th Century Swedish Dutch Colonial Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
17th Century British Adirondack Antique Children's Furniture
Wood
18th Century English Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Children's Furniture
Fabric, Wood
17th Century French Antique Children's Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
18th Century American Folk Art Antique Children's Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century British Georgian Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
1780s Swedish Rustic Antique Children's Furniture
Pine
Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Children's Furniture
Wood, Maple
1760s French George II Antique Children's Furniture
Chestnut
Late 18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Children's Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century American William and Mary Antique Children's Furniture
Oak
1650s French Antique Children's Furniture
Faux Leather
Late 18th Century English William and Mary Antique Children's Furniture
Oak, Rush
Antique, New and Vintage Children's Furniture
When you’re shopping for antique, new and vintage children’s furniture, you’ll want your choices to fit nicely within the decor scheme of the rest of your home. But you’ll also want to create an alluring and inspirational space for your children to feel relaxed and encouraged creatively. Indeed, a child’s room can be simultaneously stylish and playful — the ideal environment for children.
Understandably, beds were the first piece of furniture designed for young children. In Ancient Egypt, children’s beds were scaled-down versions of adult beds. They were intended to be a logical size for a child and low enough to the ground so that they could climb in by themselves.
Historians discovered early high chairs in Ancient Greece. In the 6th century B.C., a child’s training potty might have also been used as a high chair, while archaeologists on a dig discovered a terracotta high chair in a marketplace in Athens. By the Renaissance period, children’s bookshelves were popular with upper-class families who had disposable income and the desire to beautify all areas of the home. The original purpose was to organize school books, but shelves eventually became integral to children’s rooms of the era.
In the early 20th century, Italian physician Maria Montessori changed the way designers thought about children’s furniture. She wrote that it was important for children to have a safe environment of their own that they could easily navigate. Montessori believed that children’s furniture should be sized for them but that it should also be made of light, durable materials so that it’s easy for them to carry if needed.
Today’s widely known mid-century modern furniture designers took interest in the idea that young children should have well-crafted furniture of their own. You can find vintage mid-century modern children’s furniture created by the likes of Harry Bertoia, Charles and Ray Eames and Alvar Aalto. Contemporary industrial designer and architect Philippe Starck is also known for having introduced versions of his furniture that were geared toward children, especially his seating and storage solutions.
It’s never too early for good design. Decorating a child’s room offers the opportunity to combine elevated furnishings and a youthful spirit and can result in spaces that are at once elegant and whimsical. On 1stDibs, find design ideas for children’s rooms as well as a variety of new, antique and vintage children’s furniture today.