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.
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood, Pine
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Lacquer
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Giltwood, Burl
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Statuary Marble
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Aluminum
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Silver Plate
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ormolu
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Composition, Metal
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1830s British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Great Britain (UK) Antique Regency Furniture
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Steel
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Regency Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s Caribbean Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sterling Silver
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Bamboo, Upholstery
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1810s French Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Irish Regency Furniture
Marble
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Satinwood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Northern Irish Regency Furniture
Statuary Marble
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood, Glass
Early 18th Century American Antique Regency Furniture
Hardwood, Wood, Upholstery, Linen
1920s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood