Vanities
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
Mid-19th Century Italian Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Metal, Pewter
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1910s European Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
1950s Vintage Vanities
Metal
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
2010s European Space Age Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Renaissance Vanities
Glass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
1880s Italian Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
2010s Italian Renaissance Vanities
Glass
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Chinese Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
1920s Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1880s Danish Other Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
19th Century North American Federal Antique Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century French Charles X Vanities
Wood
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Vanities
Nutwood
20th Century Italian Directoire Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
1830s American Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Vanities
Bronze
19th Century European French Provincial Antique Vanities
Fruitwood
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
1920s Swedish Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Glass, Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Modern Vanities
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Metal, Iron
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Fabric, Mirror, Laminate, Rosewood
1950s Italian Other Vintage Vanities
Brass
2010s American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Early 1900s Italian Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century English Antique Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Bronze, Steel
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Vanities
Mirror, Bentwood
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Steel
20th Century English Victorian Vanities
Mirror, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Mirror, Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
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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