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.
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Brass, Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Leather, Walnut
2010s Philippine Regency Seating
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Beech
Early 1900s British Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Seating
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Rosewood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Pine
2010s English Regency Seating
Maple
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Hardwood
20th Century American Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood, Burl
19th Century Irish Antique Regency Seating
Leather, Mahogany
1990s Italian Regency Seating
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Brass
1960s British Vintage Regency Seating
Fabric
1960s American Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Cherry
Early 20th Century American Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
1980s American Vintage Regency Seating
Faux Bamboo
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Wood, Upholstery
20th Century American Regency Seating
Metal, Brass
1960s American Vintage Regency Seating
Leather, Wood
19th Century Portuguese Antique Regency Seating
Rosewood
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Seating
Cotton, Linen, Cane, Birdseye Maple
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Regency Seating
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Seating
Walnut
20th Century Regency Seating
Cane, Wood
1950s English Vintage Regency Seating
Leather, Hardwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Seating
Giltwood
20th Century English Regency Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Seating
Beech
1960s American Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany, Satinwood
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Regency Seating
Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Regency Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Late 20th Century North American Regency Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary European Regency Seating
Walnut
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather, Beech
Mid-20th Century Regency Seating
Cotton, Wood, Lacquer
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Wool, Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Mahogany
20th Century American Regency Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Other
1970s Belgian Vintage Regency Seating
Stainless Steel