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.
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Metal
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Brass
1930s Czech Vintage Regency Furniture
Gold
Mid-20th Century Japanese Regency Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1960s Unknown Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Crystal, Iron, Tin
1950s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Wood
1960s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
1940s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century British Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Cane
1940s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany, Giltwood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1930s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Regency Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Cane, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood, Mirror
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Plaster
Mid-20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1950s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Marble
1940s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood