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.
1930s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Hardwood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany, Satinwood
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1950s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1940s Vintage Regency Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century English Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1940s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Cherry
1950s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Composition
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Indian Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Marble
1930s Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood, Yew
Mid-20th Century French Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Walnut
1960s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Goatskin
1950s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1960s Vintage Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
1940s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Regency Furniture
Ceramic
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Giltwood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood, Walnut, Giltwood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Satinwood, Burl
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
1960s Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century British Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1930s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Metal