Regency Seating
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.
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany, Giltwood
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Regency Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Silk, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Regency Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
2010s English Regency Seating
Silk, Upholstery
1950s English Vintage Regency Seating
Leather, Hardwood
1820s English Antique Regency Seating
Velvet, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Seating
Birdseye Maple, Maple
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Regency Seating
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Brass
Late 20th Century American Regency Seating
Leather
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Regency Seating
Iron
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
1990s Regency Seating
Silver Leaf
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century American Regency Seating
Wood
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather, Hardwood
Early 20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather, Oak
1990s American Regency Seating
Textile, Wood, Lacquer
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Regency Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Regency Seating
Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Elm, Yew
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Hardwood
20th Century Italian Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century Regency Seating
Mahogany
1940s British Vintage Regency Seating
Ebony, Mahogany, Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Wood
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Rattan, Ebony
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Hardwood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Silk, Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Leather, Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood
20th Century American Regency Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century Regency Seating
Fabric, Cane, Wood
20th Century American Regency Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Regency Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century French Regency Seating
Fabric, Beech
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
1990s American Regency Seating
Giltwood
1860s English Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
1950s Norwegian Vintage Regency Seating
Jacquard, Wood, Cherry
20th Century Regency Seating
Brass
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather
1980s Unknown Vintage Regency Seating
Velvet
1980s Italian Vintage Regency Seating
Wrought Iron
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Metal
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Leather, Elm