Vanities
Mid-20th Century French Vanities
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival Vanities
Gold
1890s Antique Vanities
Ash
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Glass, Mahogany, Nutwood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s French Vintage Vanities
Leather
Early 1900s Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Cherry
1980s Vintage Vanities
Leather
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Revival Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Patent Leather, Wood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century American Sheraton Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
19th Century American American Empire Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Mirror
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Faux Leather, Mahogany
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century European Vanities
Crystal, Marble
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Leather, Fabric
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Leather, Fabric
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
1940s American Vintage Vanities
Brass
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
1850s Italian Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Walnut
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Precious Stone
1910s Polish Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Bentwood
1820s French Charles X Antique Vanities
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Polish Art Deco Vanities
Walnut
18th Century German Baroque Antique Vanities
Fruitwood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Satinwood, Giltwood
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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