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
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1960s Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Silver Plate, Brass
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Baize, Rosewood, Satinwood
18th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century British Regency Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Mirror
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Tôle
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Macassar, Rosewood, Satinwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
1910s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Northern Irish Regency Furniture
Marble
1980s Philippine Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Resin
1820s Antique Regency Furniture
Boxwood, Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Silver
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Milk Glass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Cane, Pine
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1960s European Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Gold Leaf
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 18th Century Belgian Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Regency Furniture
Wood