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
Brass
Early 19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
20th Century Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1990s American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1940s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany, Giltwood
Late 20th Century British Regency Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1970s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
1830s English Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Shell
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Cuban Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Ebony, Satinwood
1820s German Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Cut Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Stone
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Fruitwood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Rosewood
1990s Indonesian Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Shell
20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Regency Furniture
Alabaster
Late 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Austrian Antique Regency Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
1970s German Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Leather
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Oak
1920s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Wood