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.
1970s Portuguese Vintage Regency Furniture
Gold
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Marble
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Paint
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
1820s French Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Wood, Pine, Gesso
Mid-19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wicker
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
20th Century Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Rosewood
1990s English Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 1800s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood, Mahogany
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1790s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Late 18th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Tapestry, Velvet, Oak
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
2010s Unknown Regency Furniture
Marble
1830s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu