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.
1980s American Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Cherry
1790s Danish Antique Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
1790s English Antique Regency Seating
Ormolu
2010s Philippine Regency Seating
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Mid-18th Century European Antique Regency Seating
Birch
20th Century Italian Regency Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Brass
1980s Vintage Regency Seating
Rosewood
20th Century American Regency Seating
Burl, Fabric, Wood
1990s Italian Regency Seating
Fruitwood
20th Century English Regency Seating
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Regency Seating
Aluminum
20th Century English Regency Seating
Leather
Early 20th Century Regency Seating
Upholstery, Cherry
20th Century Regency Seating
Leather, Upholstery
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Rattan, Ebony
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Elm, Yew
Late 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Seating
Oak
Late 20th Century Regency Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century English Regency Seating
Brass
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Brass
Early 1900s British Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Seating
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Hardwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Cane, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Other
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century Regency Seating
Mahogany
1940s British Vintage Regency Seating
Ebony, Mahogany, Giltwood
1960s Unknown Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Hardwood
1960s American Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Regency Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Seating
Cane
Late 20th Century North American Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century North American Antique Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century British Regency Seating
Brass
Early 20th Century French Regency Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Hardwood
2010s English Regency Seating
Upholstery, Silk
1980s American Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century French Regency Seating
Leather
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Seating
Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Regency Seating
Iron
1960s American Vintage Regency Seating
Leather, Cane, Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Seating
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Seating
Wood