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.
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Granite, Brass, Steel
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Satinwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Rattan
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Alabaster, Metal
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Cotton, Linen
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
1970s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass, Cut Steel
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Bamboo
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Stone
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
1970s Vintage Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Cotton, Wood
1980s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Marble, Brass
1970s German Vintage Regency Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1990s German Regency Furniture
Crystal
1980s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Gold Plate, Iron
1970s Belgian Vintage Regency Furniture
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Berlin Iron
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Spanish Regency Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Raffia
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany, Giltwood
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Blown Glass
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1980s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Gold Plate, Iron
Late 20th Century Colombian Regency Furniture
Bone
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Rope, Glass, Lucite, Plaster
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1970s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Chrome
1970s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Lacquer
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Paint
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Wood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic, Lucite
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Lacquer
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1990s Regency Furniture
Metal