Vanities
Mid-19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Marble
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Satinwood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s European Modern Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Bronze
1950s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Metal, Gold Leaf
1920s Danish Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
2010s Panamanian Modern Vanities
Metal
Early 1900s English Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Hardwood
1810s French Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Vanities
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1960s Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Edwardian Antique Vanities
Tortoise Shell, Mahogany
19th Century British William IV Antique Vanities
Cedar
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Stone
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Bronze
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Marble, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XVI Vanities
Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Hardwood, Walnut
1920s French Empire Vintage Vanities
Onyx
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Vanities
Wood, Mirror
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s Egyptian Modern Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Oak, Walnut
19th Century British Regency Antique Vanities
Brass, Bronze
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Post-Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Metal
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Hardwood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Empire Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Rosewood
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Ebony, Macassar
2010s American Modern Vanities
Marble, Steel, Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
Mid-19th Century German Other Antique Vanities
Silver, Copper
2010s American Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mirror, Cherry
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Country Antique Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival Vanities
Gold
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1920s American Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Brass
19th Century British Regency Antique Vanities
Pine
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
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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