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.
1780s French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze, Gold Leaf
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1800s British Antique Regency Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Granite
1850s English Antique Regency Furniture
Tin
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Cane
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Glass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1830s English Antique Regency Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Wood
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Muslin, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
1820s Danish Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Regency Furniture
Stone
1960s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Regency Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Statuary Marble
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Regency Furniture
Giltwood
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut, Giltwood