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.
1790s American Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Beech
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Cut Glass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Tin
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron, Wire
1790s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century English Regency Furniture
Rush
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s French Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Copper
1830s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1920s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
1790s Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
1970s Belgian Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Nickel
1820s Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Marble
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 1800s Antique Regency Furniture
Leather
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel
1830s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Rosewood
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather
1880s Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
1890s Belgian Antique Regency Furniture
Silver
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood