Vanities
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
19th Century English Georgian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Brass
Late 20th Century French Modern Vanities
Laminate
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1780s English George III Antique Vanities
Crystal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1820s Georgian Antique Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Glass, Walnut
2010s Egyptian Modern Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Oak, Walnut
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Wood, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s European Modern Vanities
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century European Georgian Antique Vanities
Satinwood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Modern Vanities
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Brass
2010s British Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Resin
2010s American Modern Vanities
Marble, Steel, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Stone, Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Silver, Silver Leaf
1940s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Glass
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.