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.
1940s Austrian Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Ironstone
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Tortoise Shell, Faux Bamboo
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood, Mahogany
1860s English Antique Regency Furniture
Lacquer
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
1950s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Concrete
1960s Vintage Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
1990s American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Yew
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s American Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
2010s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Boxwood, Olive, Satinwood
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1930s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
1940s Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
2010s American Regency Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut, Amboyna
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass
2010s British Regency Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Cane, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Stone, Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Cherry
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1780s Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Oak
20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Walnut