Regency Furniture
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.
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Paper, Birch
Early 19th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
Early 1900s Spanish Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
17th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Pine
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century European Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1940s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Alabaster, Metal
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Pine
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf, Bronze
20th Century Regency Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass, Silver Leaf
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Silk, Upholstery, Foam, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold
20th Century Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Great Britain (UK) Antique Regency Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Wood
Early 20th Century British Regency Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Rosewood
1880s British Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century British Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
18th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Lacquer
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Pearlware
20th Century Regency Furniture
Mohair, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1950s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Faux Leather, Foam, Wood
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Glass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Paint
20th Century British Regency Furniture
Lacquer
20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Bamboo
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Cotton, Upholstery, Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
1830s English Antique Regency Furniture
Agate, Sterling Silver
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Rosewood
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany