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.
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1970s Spanish Vintage Regency Furniture
Silver Leaf
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Concrete
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Tin
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Oak
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
1840s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1830s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Satinwood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass, Iron
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Regency Furniture
Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Lacquer, Linen, Silk, Poplar
2010s English Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1820s Antique Regency Furniture
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Cut Glass
1920s Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Brass
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Crystal
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s Austrian Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Boxwood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Furniture
Leather
20th Century Regency Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
1840s Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s Welsh Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Tulipwood
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Satinwood
1930s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Velvet, Mahogany