Vanities
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
1970s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Late 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mirror, Cherry
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1930s French Modern Vintage Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Iron
1950s Brazilian Vintage Vanities
Iron
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Marble, Ormolu
Early 2000s German Art Deco Vanities
Wool
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
20th Century British Vanities
Oak
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Bamboo
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1960s Dutch Minimalist Vintage Vanities
Formica, Teak, Plywood
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Brass
1970s Spanish Rococo Vintage Vanities
Wood
2010s Panamanian Modern Vanities
Metal
Early 1900s Austrian Edwardian Antique Vanities
Tortoise Shell, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
1880s Danish Other Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Post-Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Australian Aesthetic Movement Vanities
Brass
1940s European Vintage Vanities
Brass
20th Century English Vanities
Satinwood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European Futurist Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Vanities
Wood
20th Century British Vanities
Hardwood
18th Century French Antique Vanities
Walnut
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Smoked Glass, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Rosewood
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Vanities
Mirror, Bentwood
Mid-19th Century German Other Antique Vanities
Silver, Copper
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
1920s Dutch Modern Vintage Vanities
Belgian Black Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s British Vintage Vanities
Teak
2010s Italian International Style Vanities
Marble, Metal
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s European Space Age Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century Polish Art Deco Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Chippendale Vanities
Brass
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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