Vanities
1870s Scottish Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Early 1800s French Empire Antique Vanities
Mirror, Wood, Cherry
1950s American French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Marble, Brass
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1950s American Vintage Vanities
Lucite
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Teak, Wenge, Plywood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century European Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Boxwood, Rosewood
Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
Mid-19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Marble
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Formica, Beech
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Lacquer
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century Louis XV Antique Vanities
Metal
Mid-19th Century German Other Antique Vanities
Silver, Copper
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Cane, Mirror, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Leather, Fabric
Late 19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Vanities
Wood, Paint
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s British Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Satinwood
1950s American Vintage Vanities
Rattan
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Mid-19th Century American Colonial Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1850s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mirror, Ash, Maple
1850s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Other
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Oak
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Metal, Brass
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Oak, Teak
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Late 19th Century Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
19th Century English Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Bone
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Vanities
Ironstone, Mirror, Oak
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Marble
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Wicker
1830s Danish Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Sheraton Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century British Antique Vanities
Softwood, Mahogany
19th Century Louis XIII Antique Vanities
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Vanities
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Wood
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.
Read More
19 Dreamy Feminine Bathrooms
To make a bathroom feel warm, serene and composed, adding feminine elements is the way to go. Featuring furry furniture, pops of pink and curated antiques, these sumptuous spaces are idyllic retreats in which to while away a few hours.
How the Vanity Table Became This Year’s Must-Have Item
Once seen as fussy furniture relics from the past, vanities have made a big comeback. Here's why.