Vanities
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Faux Leather, Mahogany
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Faux Leather, Mahogany, Lacquer
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1940s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
2010s Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Silver, Enamel
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Sycamore
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Maple, Oak
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Marble
1980s North American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Acrylic
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Brass, Bronze
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Carrara Marble, Bronze, Iron
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Vanities
Mirror, Wood
20th Century English Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s Italian Art Deco Vanities
Wood, Plywood
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Marble, Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze
18th Century Austrian Baroque Antique Vanities
Fruitwood, Walnut, Pine
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Leather, Elm
1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Teak
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Oak
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany, Parchment Paper
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1920s Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
20th Century English Art Deco Vanities
Silver, Enamel, Ormolu
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
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.