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 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
2010s English Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
19th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Silver Plate
2010s American Regency Furniture
Walnut
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Palisander
Early 20th Century Spanish Regency Furniture
Cane
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Paint, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Other
Mid-20th Century English Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century Scottish Antique Regency Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
2010s British Regency Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Metal, Silver
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Regency Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 17th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut