Vanities
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Vanities
Oak, Plywood
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood, Parchment Paper
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
2010s Italian Empire Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1940s French Empire Vintage Vanities
Ormolu
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Metal
1810s French Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Lebanese Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1970s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany, Parchment Paper
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Glass, Hardwood
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
1940s European Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Upholstery, Sycamore
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Maple, Mirror
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass, Nickel
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Aluminum
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood, Mirror
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Satinwood, Giltwood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze, Steel
Early 2000s German Art Deco Vanities
Wool
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Fruitwood
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Ormolu, Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Rosewood
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Sycamore, Parchment Paper
1940s Czech Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Glass, Mirror, Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, 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.