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 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1990s American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1920s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
18th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood, Satinwood
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Mexican Regency Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
2010s British Regency Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Wood
2010s English Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
1930s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut, Amboyna
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Other
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Aluminum
1810s French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1970s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Cuban Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Oak, Pine
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Lacquer
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Ormolu
2010s American Regency Furniture
Walnut, Burl
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wool, Walnut
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Boxwood, Mahogany
1810s French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s German Antique Regency Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1970s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass, Chrome
1890s Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron