Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
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.
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Breccia Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
18th Century English Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Leather, Mahogany
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Ormolu
1740s French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Elm
1720s French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
1720s French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Rosewood
Late 18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
1980s Vintage Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
18th Century German Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak, Pine
1810s English Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
1770s British Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Kingwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Elm
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 18th Century European Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Mid-18th Century English Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 18th Century English Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
1710s French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Porphyry
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze