Vanities
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
1950s Brazilian Vintage Vanities
Iron
1910s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Vanities
Nutwood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass, Gold Leaf
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Metal
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal, Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Satinwood
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Vanities
Mirror, Bentwood
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Teak, Wenge, Plywood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Vanities
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Edwardian Vanities
Crystal, Silver
Early 20th Century Vanities
Stone
1920s Dutch Modern Vintage Vanities
Belgian Black Marble
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Vanities
Wood
1920s Danish Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Vanities
Silver
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Vanities
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s English Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Hardwood
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Hardwood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Vanities
Leather
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Early 1900s American Antique Vanities
Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Cut Glass, Mirror, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Vanities
Nickel
1920s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1950s British Vintage Vanities
Teak
Early 20th Century French Charles X Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Brass
1920s American Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Brass
1920s English Other Vintage Vanities
Metal
1920s French Empire Vintage Vanities
Onyx
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Marble
Early 1900s English Adam Style Antique Vanities
Satinwood
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Ebony, Macassar
Early 20th Century American Vanities
Maple
Early 20th Century Belgian Vanities
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Vanities
Oak
Early 20th Century Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Rosewood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Country Vanities
Mahogany
1950s German Bauhaus Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Ash
1950s Italian Other Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century European Vanities
Crystal, Marble
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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