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.
1990s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Birdseye Maple
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1830s British Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Glass
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
1820s Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1980s Philippine Vintage Regency Furniture
Cane, Bamboo, Rattan
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bamboo, Paint, Bone
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 1800s French Antique Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Copper
1960s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Iron
1810s French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Linen, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1920s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Oak
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Regency Furniture
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Metal
1970s Vintage Regency Furniture
Cotton, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Hide, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Lacquer
1990s American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 1800s Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Lacquer
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Goatskin, Leather, Cane