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.
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1720s French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Marble, Gold Leaf
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1960s German Vintage Regency Furniture
Bronze, Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Copper, Tin
2010s Philippine Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1850s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1960s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass, Nickel
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Chenille, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Goatskin, Leather, Cane
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1880s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Limestone
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century British Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1790s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Leather
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Metal
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Regency Furniture
Walnut
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 20th Century Persian Regency Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
2010s British Regency Furniture
Mirror, Oak