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.
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Brass
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Fabric, Cane, Wood
1970s European Vintage Regency Seating
Giltwood
1970s French Vintage Regency Seating
Metal, Steel
1970s Unknown Vintage Regency Seating
Chrome
1970s Belgian Vintage Regency Seating
Stainless Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Seating
Steel, Chrome, Silver Leaf
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Chrome
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Fruitwood
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Seating
Gold Plate, Iron
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Aluminum
1970s Vintage Regency Seating
Cotton, Mahogany
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Silk, Cane, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Regency Seating
Wrought Iron
1970s French Vintage Regency Seating
Steel
Mid-20th Century French Regency Seating
Steel
1970s Belgian Vintage Regency Seating
Stainless Steel
20th Century American Regency Seating
Walnut
1980s Belgian Vintage Regency Seating
Chrome
1950s American Vintage Regency Seating
Rattan
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Seating
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Seating
Other
1980s Belgian Vintage Regency Seating
Steel
1970s French Vintage Regency Seating
Brass, Copper, Nickel
Early 20th Century French Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Brass
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Seating
Velvet, Pine
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Wood
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1970s French Vintage Regency Seating
Brass
1970s French Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Seating
Leather, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Cane, Walnut, Upholstery
1970s American Vintage Regency Seating
Faux Leather, Cane, Mahogany
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Seating
Upholstery, Poplar