Vanities
19th Century American American Empire Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
Late 18th Century English Hepplewhite Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Vanities
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Vanities
20th Century Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
20th Century French Vanities
Oak, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Vanities
Silver Plate, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s German Modern Vanities
Steel, Other
Early 18th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Plywood
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Romantic Vanities
Brass
1860s French Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Stone, Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
18th Century German Baroque Antique Vanities
Fruitwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Vanities
Metal
20th Century French Vanities
Oak
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
2010s Indian Other Vanities
Metal
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Stone
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Indian Other Vanities
Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Copper, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Brass, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Copper, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Vanities
Mirror
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Satinwood, Giltwood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XVI Vanities
Aluminum
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Marble, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Vanities
Maple, Faux Leather
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Ceramic
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Rosewood
19th Century European Antique Vanities
Mahogany
2010s Indian Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
2010s American Other Vanities
Metal, Sheet Metal
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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