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.
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1990s American Regency Furniture
Walnut
1830s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Cut Glass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Silk, Giltwood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Hardwood, Giltwood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ebony, Amboyna
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1830s British Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Paper
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Shell
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood, Wood, Upholstery
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Concrete
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Glass
Late 18th Century Scottish Antique Regency Furniture
Pine
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1850s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Macassar, Rosewood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Siena Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Muslin, Mahogany
20th Century Regency Furniture
Nickel
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century North American Antique Regency Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Leather, Satinwood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood, Canvas
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood