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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Philippine Vintage Regency Furniture
Iron, Gold Leaf
18th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Northern Irish Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Satinwood, Burl
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Stone
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ironstone
Mid-20th Century English Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Cane, Rattan
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Belgian Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
1910s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
1970s Portuguese Vintage Regency Furniture
Gold
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1800s Antique Regency Furniture
Leather
20th Century Regency Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Sapele Wood
1840s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
1880s French Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Gesso, Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Cane
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Pottery
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Ceramic
1970s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1980s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century North American Antique Regency Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic