Vanities
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1830s French Antique Vanities
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Vanities
Wood
1930s Italian Baroque Revival Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut, Burl
Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Maple
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century Scottish Antique Vanities
Satinwood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Metal
1920s French Vintage Vanities
Nickel
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chippendale Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
1920s French Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Vanities
Maple
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
1820s Italian Charles X Antique Vanities
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Lucite
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century American Empire Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Early 1900s Italian Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Oak
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
2010s British Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood, Sycamore, Walnut
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century Louis XIII Antique Vanities
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Stone, Rock Crystal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Vanities
Iron
2010s Italian Victorian Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
1890s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Vanities
Stone
Early 20th Century French Edwardian Vanities
Crystal, Silver
20th Century Swedish Vanities
Mirror, Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood, Resin
1920s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Crystal
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Walnut
1760s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Mahogany, Yew
1940s English Queen Anne Vintage Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Teak, Wenge, Plywood
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Charles X Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Futurist Vanities
Metal
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s Vintage Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
Early 19th Century Italian Regency Antique Vanities
Glass, Walnut
1960s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Vanities
Walnut
Vintage, New and Antique Vanities
Vintage, new and antique vanity tables have forever felt like personal, intimate sanctuaries of sorts, designed to introduce a level of serenity that feels rare and welcome in our otherwise frenetic days. They’ve been variously known as dressing tables or makeup tables over the years, but no matter what we call them — and whether it's a sophisticated contemporary piece or an iconic vintage Luigi Massoni vanity — vanities have offered a special place for us to get ready for work, an early-morning appointment or lunch date or whatever lies ahead.
“Beauty routines, taking the time to protect what you have, a moment to accessorize, a moment to pause and slow down — these are all so important now as an antidote to our fast and hectic lives,” says Oona Bannon, creative director of Pinch Design in Clapham, South London. “Just thinking about a dressing table makes me feel calm.”
When decorative boxes would no longer suffice as repositories for cosmetics, fragrant oils and perfumes, dressing tables originated in France and England during the 17th century. Men who called the latter home used “shaving tables” — a proto-dressing table — for their grooming routines while women found in dressing tables an oasis for applying makeup, particularly as improvements upon vanity tables equipped them with mirrors and lighting. In the United States, as vanity tables became a seamless component of bedroom furniture, furniture makers working in Chippendale, Rococo and other styles were regularly commissioned to produce these popular items.
Vanity tables have evolved over the years, and while there is lots to love about the ornate carving and pronounced curvilinear forms of Victorian vanities, the clean lines that characterize mid-century modern vanities and the decorative flourishes associated with Art Deco vanities, the main elements of this furnishing are the same. All vanities are about as tall as a standard table with room for seating furniture, which tends to be a small bench, a stool or an armless chair. Many also have special organization features for makeup. Without a chair and a mirror, a vanity would resemble a dresser.
Nowadays, vanities are more than a place to do hair and makeup. They’re a platform to display beauty products and store makeup collections. Vanities are standard in bedrooms, particularly if you’re not lucky enough to have a spacious dressing room or walk-in closet for your dressing table. The better the lighting is in your bedroom or wherever you’ve positioned your vanity table — even if you’ve opted for a moody setting versus a bright one — the more you will benefit from having this personal place of respite to prepare for the day ahead.
Find your antique, new or vintage vanity table today on 1stDibs.
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