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.
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Hardwood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Copper
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Chestnut, Paint
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Belgian Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Aluminum
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron, Metal, Iron
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
1990s Philippine Regency Furniture
Wood
20th Century British Regency Furniture
Lacquer
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Birdseye Maple
1950s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass, Nickel
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold, Brass
1810s Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Stone
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Stone
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Glass, Paint
Late 20th Century Chinese Regency Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1810s Welsh Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Virgin Islands Antique Regency Furniture
Oak, Cane, Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany