Regency Settees
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.
19th Century British Antique Regency Settees
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Brass
1840s Indian Antique Regency Settees
Cane, Rosewood
1810s English Antique Regency Settees
Brass
Early 19th Century Cuban Antique Regency Settees
Cane, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Rosewood
1810s English Antique Regency Settees
Leather, Hardwood
1810s French Antique Regency Settees
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Settees
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Settees
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Settees
Leather
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Settees
Velvet, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Upholstery, Mahogany, Giltwood
19th Century British Antique Regency Settees
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Brass
19th Century French Antique Regency Settees
Velvet, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Regency Settees
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Settees
Mohair, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Regency Settees
Birch
Mid-20th Century Danish Regency Settees
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Hardwood, Paint
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Regency Settees
Birch
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Regency Settees
Beech, Bentwood
1970s American Vintage Regency Settees
Fabric
19th Century British Antique Regency Settees
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Settees
Giltwood, Wood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Settees
Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Fabric, Oak
1830s English Antique Regency Settees
Mahogany
19th Century European Antique Regency Settees
Velvet
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Settees
Upholstery, Walnut
1810s British Antique Regency Settees
Mahogany
19th Century European Antique Regency Settees
Upholstery, Mahogany, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Settees
Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Antique Regency Settees
Maple, Burl, Cane
Early 19th Century American Antique Regency Settees
Linen, Upholstery, Cane, Birdseye Maple