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.
$12,500
Regency Cocuswood Sofa Table
Located in Greenwich, CT
Fine Regency Cocuswood, kingwood and holy wood sofa table, the vividly grained top with bookmatched veneers over two real and two false drawers, one working drawer fitted with ratche...
Wood, Kingwood
$2,625Sale Price|25% Off
Regency Rosewood Library Table with Lyre Base
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stunning early 19th century style side table in figured rosewood. The top with rounded corners and inlaid with boxwood is supported by a simple rosewood veneered frieze with a drawer...
Rosewood
Pair of Fine Late Regency Mahogany and Tulipwood Drop-Leaf Tables
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Possibly Scottish, circa 1820. Banded and burled tables with double pedestal supports with carved leafy center panels. Raised on banded legs. With serpent...
Mahogany
$1,253Sale Price|30% Off
Antique Regency Mahogany Pedestal Pembroke Sofa Dining Table
Located in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Antique fine quality Regency C1825 mahogany pedestal Pembroke sofa dining table 19th Century. Far better than most. Active mahogany lined drawer to one end and a dummy to the o...
Wood
Vintage gold chromed and glass coffee table, Italy 1970s
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
Made in Italy vintage coffee table from the 1970s. Golden iron structure with refined and geometric decoration on the top. In very good conditions with only few signs of time on gold...
Iron
Regency Rosewood Sofa Table by William Wilkinson of Ludgate Hill
Located in Castle Douglas, GB
Regency rosewood sofa table by William Wilkinson. The well figured rectangular top, with folding leaves and canted corners, over a panelled frieze with a pair of concealed shallow dr...
Rosewood
A Fine Regency Lyre Ended Sofa Table A Very fine piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Fine Regency Lyre Ended Sofa Table A Very fine piece, with brass handles and claw feet, the table has 2 long divided drawers at one side these are dummy faced at the other. The pi...
Mahogany
$11,751
Antique Satinwood Sofa Table
Located in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire
A satinwood sofa table with lovely matched veneers and tulipwood cross banding on the top; the drawers, which are designed without handles, have ebony stringing and the standard end ...
Satinwood
Antique Scottish Mahogany & Rosewood Crossbanded Sofa Table
By William Trotter
Located in Glasgow, GB
A Regency Scottish sofa table attributed to William Trotter of Edinburgh. The richly figured mahogany top with a rosewood crossbanded edge and D-end dr...
Brass
Early 19th Century Regency Mahogany Carlton House Desk, circa 1820
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An early 19th century Sheraton "Carlton House" form desk of substantial size in ribboned mahogany, with three cockbeaded frieze drawers with fine original gilt brass pulls. The case inlaid with ebony stringing, the second tier in horse shoe form houses six drawers. The antique black tooled leather work surface opens in the center to an adjustable stand. Elegant turned tapering legs are decorated with upper knee flutes in the manner of John Nash...
Leather, Mahogany
A Very Fine Early 19th Century Regency Sofa Table
Located in Dublin, IE
A very fine early 19th Century Regency mahogany sofa table finely hand carved and of exceptional quality with rich patination and grain. The well figured moulded top, crossbanded wi...
Brass
Vintage Bevan Funnell Burr Walnut Extending Sofa / Occasional Table Nice Timber
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage Bevan Funnell, Burr Walnut, extending sofa / occasional table. A very well made and decorativ...
Walnut
$3,226Sale Price|33% Off
Tesselated Stone and Brass Sofa Table by Maitland Smith
Located in Cheshire, GB
Tesselated stone and brass Regency style sofa table the large rectangular top with rounded corners above two draws standing on splay legs with...
Stone
Regency Sofa Table Mahogany Antique Furniture
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Mahogany Sofa table with crossbanded edging and 2 drawers either side Nice designs to the crossbanding to the front with lozenge motifs and hexagonal designs All supported on a stretcher base the splay legs finished with brass castors The top and flaps are crossbanded in mahogany with satinwood bands Elegant and refined piece of English antique furniture...
Mahogany