Vanities
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Chrome
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Wood
1860s French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Kingwood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s German Bauhaus Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Ash
1720s French Louis XIV Antique Vanities
Metal, Bronze
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Oak
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s British Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
1850s Swedish Empire Antique Vanities
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Upholstery, Rosewood, Satinwood
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Wood
19th Century Indian Victorian Antique Vanities
Marble
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Tortoise Shell
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Bronze
1980s North American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Acrylic
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
1820s Georgian Antique Vanities
Wood
1920s French Vintage Vanities
Nickel
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Wood
19th Century British Regency Antique Vanities
Brass, Bronze
19th Century English Sheraton Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Walnut, Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Vanities
Stone
18th Century Italian Antique Vanities
Wood
20th Century Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Post-Modern Vanities
Brass
Late 20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Plastic
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Louis XIII Antique Vanities
Mirror, Oak
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
1940s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Upholstery, Sycamore
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
19th Century North American Federal Antique Vanities
Marble
Mid-18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s European Modern Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Wood
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
1910s Polish Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Formica
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1810s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Marble, Aluminum
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Leather, Elm
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
Late 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mirror, Cherry
1820s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Bronze, Ormolu
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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