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 Scottish Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s Bajan Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century British Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood, Mirror
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1880s English Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Brass, Iron
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1930s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Rosewood, Satinwood
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1810s Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1920s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Northern Irish Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Cane, Paint
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Paper
1960s Vintage Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Synthetic, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Pewter
1990s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood, Mahogany
2010s English Regency Furniture
Marble
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel, Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Limestone
1890s English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Travertine, Steel
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass