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 English Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1820s Unknown Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Tapestry, Velvet, Oak
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal
2010s American Regency Furniture
Paper
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Gold
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Satinwood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Persian Antique Regency Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Kingwood, Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1960s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Giltwood, Burl
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Beech
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Statuary Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1920s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Elm
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Pearlware, Pottery
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1870s French Antique Regency Furniture
Iron, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany