It was unexpected that, at the age of 64, William IV was crowned king of England. He had two older brothers, yet the death of Prince Frederick put him in line for the British throne when George IV died in 1830. His reign was brief, as he died on June 20, 1837, but it was a pivotal time of change, with parliamentary reform leading to the present-day constitutional monarchy. Antique William IV–style furniture reflects this period of transition, with forms that bridged the neoclassicism of the preceding Regency style and the more extravagant Victorian style that would follow.
Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, William IV designs were often more imposing than Regency furniture and featured decorative attributes. There were sofas balanced on lion’s feet and tables with brass fittings. But furnishings of this period were largely marked by straight lines and subdued ornamentation compared to those of the George IV era. William IV had an unassuming way about him and was much more formal, whereas the ruler who preceded him was a king of extravagance. George IV had an affinity for French decor and was heavily invested in overhauling the private residences at Windsor Castle.
Carvings on William IV four-poster beds and cabinets included scrolling shapes, lotus leaves and acanthus, while popular pieces like tilt-top tables and upholstered seating on caster legs provided flexible interiors. Richly toned woods like mahogany and rosewood were used for sideboards, bedposts boasting reeded details and dining chairs with intricate chair backs and turned front legs.
William IV left no legitimate heirs, so his young niece, Victoria, became queen. She would lead an era of taste in which the innovations of the Industrial Revolution allowed for manufacturing showier furniture to fill elaborate interiors. With its comparatively refined forms and restrained designs, William IV style was a pause before a time of radical aesthetic change.
Find a collection of authentic William IV tables, armchairs, decorative objects and other 19th-century furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.
$9,411Sale Price / set|40% Off
William IV (c1830) solid mahogany square table including 12 chairs
Located in London, GB
William IV mahogany extending dining table, the square top with three solid mahogany leaves over a moulded frieze and turned reeded tapering legs on bronze castors, 342 cm extended, ...
Hardwood
$28,800 / item
Custom English William IV Style Pedestal Dining Table
Located in Woodbury, CT
Handcrafted for us in Cuban mahogany in William IV style, this double pedestal dining table can seat up to 14. Excellent proportions and a superb antique finish define this table. Fr...
Mahogany
$6,800Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 29.5 in W 42 in D 96 in
Contemporary Solid White Oak Dining or Conference Table
By Klein Agency
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dinners are our favorite. We love having them, hosting them, laughing around during them, cleaning up after them. This is what our dining table is and means to us. The solid white oak...
Wood, Oak
Midcentury Italian Organic Modern Rattan Pedestal Dining Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Fantastic Mid-Century Modern Italian double pedestal dining table crafted from split reed rattan. The organic modern design features are demilune or "C" shaped pedestal forms topped ...
Bamboo, Rattan, Glass, Wood
Italian Single Travertine Pedestal Glass Top Dining Conference Table
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Italian Single Travertine Pedestal Glass Top Dining Conference Table glass top measures 1/2'' thick
Travertine, Brass
Custom English Flame Mahogany Double Pedestal Dining Table
Located in Woodbury, CT
Double pedestal, flame mahogany dining table with satinwood crossbanding, beaded edge, mahogany apron. Cannon turned single column pedestals with reeded legs ending in brass "paw" to...
Mahogany, Satinwood, Ebony
Custom Walnut Dining Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This modern walnut dining table is seen here in 126" x 38", however it can be ordered in any size. Because each table is bench-made in our own Los Angeles workshop you can influenc...
Walnut
Custom English Mahogany Double Pedestal Dining Table
Located in Woodbury, CT
Absolutely stunning, swirled mahogany graces the top of this two-pedestal, two-leaf, classically styled dining table. Banded in straight grain mahogany with a delicate stringing of b...
Mahogany, Ebony, Satinwood
Jacques Adnet, Large Square Center Table, France, 1955
Located in New York, NY
This table was part of a project Jacques Adnet undertook with fellow designer André Arbus to redecorate the Palais des Consuls de Rouen in 1955.
Mahogany
Directional Custom Collection Vintage Modern Inlaid Dining Table
By Directional
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique inlaid metal and wood dining table from the Directional Custom Collection. Tabletop is banded with alternating wood grain patterns...
Chrome
Custom Mahogany Double Pedestal Dining Table
Located in Woodbury, CT
A classic English dining table if ever there was one, this non-banded mahogany double pedestal table has the proportions and appearance that c...
Mahogany
Custom Reclaimed Elm Dining Table
Located in Chicago, IL
Made of wood reclaimed from Qing-dynasty architecture, this contemporary dining table is a celebration of wabi-sabi style. The clean lines highlight every knot, split, groove, and co...
Reclaimed Wood
William IV Style Walnut Pedestal Dining Or Center Table
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A William IV style honey-tone wooden pedestal dining or center table with well figured top and frieze with round trim. The table with a slightly tapering pedestal surmounted on a tri...
Walnut
Burl Walnut Three Extension Boards Single Pedestal Round Dining Table
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Burl Walnut three extension boards single pedestal round dining table three (3) table leaves measure 21 inches across.
Mahogany
Sold
H 31.11 in W 65.36 in D 52.76 in
Antique Library Table, English, William IV, Mahogany, Cartographers, circa 1835
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique library table, an English, William IV, mahogany cartographer's table dating to the early 19th century, circa 1835. An exceptional example in fine antique order Delightful russet tones to the select mahogany Grain interest and a desirable aged patina Oxford green, Morocco leather skiver dresses the top Subtle inner 'blind' tooled border with gilt tooled perimeter Framed in crossbanded mahogany with rounded corners Pairs of frieze drawers to either end One end featuring the deep (88cm 34.75") map drawers...
Mahogany
Robust 19th Century English Library Table or Partners Desk
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Extra large 19th century, English mahogany library table or partners desk, featuring a tooled leather top. Six drawers, turned and carve...