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 English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Cane, Pine
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Velvet, Giltwood
1960s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1960s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Plaster
2010s American Regency Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Burl
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
1820s Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ironstone
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1890s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 1800s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Mahogany, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Chinese Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Tortoise Shell, Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Belgian Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Cane
19th Century Scottish Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s British Regency Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Indian Regency Furniture
Cane, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
1810s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Regency Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Fruitwood
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
19th Century German Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass