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Vanities For Sale
19th Century Louis XV Style Tulipwood Parquetry Sewing Table
Located in Vero Beach, FL
19th century Louis XV style tulipwood parquetry sewing table
Ladies small sewing table with a lift-up lid. The interior has the original velvet inset. Beneath is a tray containing compartments for sewing accessories...
Category
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Materials
Tulipwood
French Early Modern Console / Vanity /Desk /Writing Table, Robert Mallet-Stevens
Located in New York, NY
A Rare French Early Modernist Console / Vanity / Desk / Writing Table in Chromed Tubular Steel, Aluminum & Marble in the style of Robert Mallet-Stevens. The origin of this exquisite ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Materials
Marble, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Gio Ponti for Giordano Chiesa Vanity Table with Mirror from Hotel Royal, Naples
Located in New York, NY
Gio Ponti for Giordano Chiesa rare and original vanity / dressing table or desk with attached original Fontana Arte round mirror for the Hote...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Brass
Rare Gilbert Rohde Macassar Ebony Table model #3773
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A Gilbert Rohde Dressing Table Manufactured by Herman Miller 1937
Can be used as a Vanity or a desk
Beautiful Grain pattern to Maccasar Ebony
Original surface to Nickel Plated Metal...
Category
1930s North American Vintage Vanities
Materials
Macassar
French Ormolu-Mounted Kingwood and Parquetry Vanity Dressing Table
Located in Doylestown, PA
French Louis XV style ormolu-mounted kingwood and satinwood parquetry dressing table or coiffeuse, late 19th century.
Incredibly luxurious petite dressing table...
Category
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Materials
Ormolu
C. G. Kimerly for Widdicomb 1940s Dramatic Art Deco Large Round Mirror Vanity
Located in St. Louis, MO
C. G. Kimerly for Widdicomb Lacquered Greek key base and casing with bleached mahogany drawers and brass pulls. Dramatic large round mirror with gl...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Materials
Brass
Finnegan’s of London Exquisite Mahogany Dressing Table with Accessories
Located in Milford, NH
A fine example of a Finnegan’s of London exquisite dressing table in solid mahogany and mahogany veneer. The fold out table supports a three mirror...
Category
1910s English Vintage Vanities
Materials
Sterling Silver
Alvar Aalto Vanity, 1930
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Dronten, NL
Almost a century later from its original days of manufacturing, a dressing table designed by Alvar Aalto is extremely hard to find. This particular piece is completely original, whi...
Category
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Birch
Mid-Century Teak Dressing Table with Adjustable Mirror, 1960s
Located in Budapest, HU
This 1960s teakwood dressing table is all about quiet elegance and clever details. The silhouette is clean and sculptural, with a warm tone and subtle curves that bring out the beaut...
Category
1960s Vintage Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Teak
Antique French Louis XV Style Ornate Carved Vanity Table With Chair
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique French Louis XV Style Ornate Carved Vanity Table with Chair
This beautiful Antique French Louis XV Style vanity table and chair set makes a stunning addition to any dressing...
Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Vanities
Materials
Paint
Cool Dutch 1970's Space Age Vanity Dressing Table & Matching Wallmounted Mirror
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Fantastic 1970's Space Age Bedroom Vanity / Dressing Table
The Vanity has an adjustable mirror and a drawer unit for storing your make up goodies
...
Category
1970s Dutch Space Age Vintage Vanities
Materials
Brass
Art Deco Rectangular Wood and Goat Skin French Console Tables, 1920
Located in Rome, IT
Very rich in movements, this console is unique in its kind also for the precious material with which it is coated.
The console is made up of a wooden top covered in goatskin, where ...
Category
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Materials
Goatskin, Wood
Mid Century Lacquered Louis XVI Style Dressing Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
White lacquered mid century Louis XVI style dressing table outlined in lime green accent.
Category
20th Century Italian Directoire Vanities
Materials
Wood
Early Mid-century Combed Wood Vanity by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman w/ Mirror
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Early Mid-century vanity with matching stool by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman company features his trademark combed wood sides with curled brass pulls. The Vanity includes two convex...
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Wood
Frits Henningsen solid elm table circa 1940-50s
Located in London, GB
This 1950s elm table made by Frits Henningsen in the 1940s-50s is a perfect example Frits Henningsen's commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Whereas most designers and cabinetmake...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Materials
Hardwood
Antique White Wicker Dressing Table / Desk & Chair Set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Charming antique wicker vanity / desk with matching chair. Chair seat cushion has been reupholstered in a pink & white plaid cotton fabric. A ver...
Category
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Materials
Wicker
1950s Robert Irwin Louis XVI Burl Walnut Dressing Table / Vanity
Located in Germantown, MD
A 1940s Robert Irwin Co. Furniture Louis XVI Style Burl Walnut Dressing Table / Vanity
Measures 52" in width, 20" in depth and 30" in height. knee clearance is 24.5".
Category
Mid-20th Century American Louis XVI Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Fruitwood
1960s Fully Restored Danish Teak Dressing - Vanity Table
Located in Knebel, DK
Danish teak vanity table from the 1960s.
The vanity table features a large adjustable mirror, and 2 spacious drawers with room for what you need at the vanity table.
The table has ...
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Teak
Hollywood Regency Gilt Metal Rope-Tied Mirrored Vanity with Chair on Casters
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Glamorous Italian-style gilt metal vanity with mirrored surface and attachable mirror manufactured by Townhome Originals (ca. 1970s, California, USA).
Vanity has been paired with a matching, diminutive, gilt-metal vanity chair on casters...
Category
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Materials
Metal, Brass
Italian NeoClassic Oak Parquetry Desk, Natural
Located in Westwood, NJ
An Italian NeoClassic style starburst pattern parquetry desk with tapered legs. It has one center drawer flanked by two smaller drawers with Verde Bronze finished handles.
Shown in...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Materials
Wood
French Chestnut and Oak Desk from Le Grand Monarque À Chartres, circa 1720
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved, circa 1720, using chestnut and oak woods, this desk was recently part of Le Grand Monarque hotel in Chartres, France. The desk has been stripped at some point, allowing the beautiful wood grain and round dowel construction to become focal points.
The stunning desk has a shaped top with quarter round molding. A 23 ½” W seat opening is topped by a concave front drawer with a bronze drop handle affixed by a pair of rosette mounts. Similar handles can be seen on each of the four main drawers, which are surrounded by thick cavetto molding. These drawers also have a scalloped keyplate and mounts of two putti hunting dragons hidden amongst foliage. Interestingly, the sides are comprised of four rectangular panels, with the two nearest to the straight back side being functional drawers.
Known as a bureau caissiers (“cashier’s desk...
Category
1720s French Louis XIV Antique Vanities
Materials
Metal, Bronze
Handcrafted Console Vanity Table, English Oak
Located in London, GB
Modernist console or vanity table designed and handmade in England using traditional furniture making techniques. Completely handcrafted from fully quarter-sawn English oak. Hand dov...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Materials
Oak
1920s Antique Vanity Baroque Venetian, Dressing Table, Hand Carved Walnut & Burl
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Early 20th century, antique vanity or entrance console, entry mirror on a hand carved walnut frame, with a gold leaf surface finish. Venetian Baroque cabinet in walnut and burl walnu...
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Revival Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Burl, Walnut
Post-modern travertine Vanity and Mirror set
Located in LYON, FR
1980's Travertine vanity/ console table with brass inlay and matching Mirror. Sunburst design on top with a fluted base, tapering in at the middle. M...
Category
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Travertine, Brass
Mid-Century Modern Mirrored Vanity Table after Alvar Aalto design for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Unique, petite single drawer vanity and mirror after the design of Alvar Aalto for Artek.
It's simplistic design is stunning.
Circa 1960's, this piece is constructed using natural B...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Oak
Early XXth Century French Dressing Table
Located in Whaley Bridge, GB
Sn5533 Elegant early 20th century kidney shaped dressing table in mahogany, having an oval swing mirror on scrolling foliage supports fitted with lights in a rose petal glass shades ...
Category
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Materials
Mahogany
Italian NeoClassic Oak Parquetry Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
An Italian Neo-Classic style oak parquetry desk with a starburst patterned oak parquetry top to bottom. It has a central drawer flanked by two further additions. It rests on tapered ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Materials
Wood
Toillette with armchair Dilly Dally brown 70s by Luigi Massoni for Frau
Located in Milano, MI
Outstanding Italian toilet designed by Luigi Massoni for poltrona Frau in the 1960s. The armchair and table are upholstered in leather. The toilet can be folded by integrating the ch...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Materials
Metal
Geraldo de Barros Vanity desk, 1955
Located in Barcelona, ES
Vanity Desk by Geraldo de Barros
Manufactured by Unilabor Brasil, 1955 Iron, jacaranda, mirror
Measurements
128 cm x 43 cm x 83h cm (149h cm mirror included)
50,39 in x 16,92 in x ...
Category
1950s Brazilian Vintage Vanities
Materials
Iron
Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau Restored Dilly Dally Vanity Set Mint Green
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau, restored ‘Dilly Dally’ vanity set, fabric, plastic, brass, mirrored glass, metal, lacquered wood, Italy, 1968
Outstandin...
Category
1960s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Metal, Brass
ANTIQUE 1920'S ART DECO BURR WALNUT DRESSING TABLE WITH LARGE MiRROR
Located in Pulborough, GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this Exquisite Antique 1920s Art Deco Burr Walnut Dressing Table.
This exudes elegance and sophistication, showcasing the distinctive geometric ...
Category
20th Century British Vanities
Materials
Walnut
Modern Eglomise Glass Byzantine Gold Vanity and Forged Metal Legs by Ercole Home
By Ercole Home
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Mystic Byzantine Gold Green vanity by Ercole Home has a 9-drawer, with ivory wood finish on oak. Hand painted eglomise glass panels are inset on the surface.
There are nine pulls in brushed brass finish.
The hand hammered metal base...
Category
2010s American Modern Vanities
Materials
Metal
Art Deco Widdicomb Chicago Worlds Fair Illuminated Vanity
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very well crafted and thought out designed vanity from the Art Deco period a tall illuminated mirror with side switch and swing out pedestals on chromed rods and the original stool . To each side of the mirror there is a pedestal one open and to the other a pivoting top with a storage bin the top making a small table . Two smaller drawers and a lower larger door having aluminum and Bakelite pulls . The piece has burl wood , walnut and maple wood mixed on to different surfaces to create a high end rich feel of luxury . Manufactured by the Ralph H. Widdicomb furniture company and one like this rare example was featured in the 1933 Chicago...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Bakelite, Maple, Walnut, Burl
Space Age White Italy Dresser Vanity Table Lacquer Wood Fibreglass
By MB Italy
Located in Valladolid, ES
One of a kind dressing table, space age style, 70s, with great influence of Art Deco aesthetics.
In white lacquered wood, with a black marble effect fiberglass top. Large circular mirror in the upper part and the storage part is divided into two drawers on each side.
With lighting in the upper and lower fin shapes.
A piece of great sophistication and glamour, very difficult to find.
It has a plate with the name of the Italian manufacturer DBM.
The period known as the Space Age or Space Age was the post Atomic Age, that is, the late 50's and early 70's. It is part of the “stylings” that reigned in the US during the 20th century.
The concept of an optimistic world based on a possible "Earth of Tomorrow" reigned by the dominance of atomic energy and space travel.
This "Styling" is inspired by the North American space race, but above all, the aesthetics based on Science Fiction, space satellites, helmets, ships, the effect of weightlessness and a "cinematic" proposal of a new style. of life of the future. Movies like Barbarella 1968, James Bond, Space Odyssey 2001...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Fiberglass, Wood, Lacquer
Danish Design Teak Dressing Table, 1960s
Located in Breda, Netherlands
Danish Design Dressing Table
What a showpiece! This Danish dressing table is made of teak and is in very good vintage condition. Expertly crafted from high-quality teak and designed ...
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Teak
Art Deco Modern Vanity Dressing Table Round Mirror Leather & Walnut Wood
Located in Porto, PT
Claire Dressing Table embraced an Art Deco style with curvy and opulent shapes. This eye-catchy modern dressing table owns the promise of enriching any master bedroom design project....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Materials
Brass
Antique Mahogany Dressing Table
Located in Whaley Bridge, GB
Sn5386 An elegant French dressing table in mahogany having shaped triple mirror with original bevelled edge glass (minor imperfections) decorated with a ormolu bows to the top above ...
Category
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Materials
Mahogany
Echtes Kristall Spiegelglas Rosewood Mid Century Danish Modern Vanity Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Echtes Kristall Spiegelglas Rosewood Mid Century Danish Modern Chrome Vanity Table. Item features a flip top with fixed mirror, chrome flat bar base, beautiful wood grain, or...
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Materials
Chrome
Superb 19th Century French Empire Neoclassical Mahogany Dressing Table Vanity
Located in Hopewell, NJ
This exceptional French 19th century Empire mahogany dressing table is complete with its original mercury glass mirror and white Carrara marble top. The oval mirror is framed with be...
Category
1940s French Empire Vintage Vanities
Materials
Ormolu
ANTIQUE 1920'S BURR WALNUT ART DECO DRESSING TABLE WiTH PLENTY OF DRAWERS
Located in Pulborough, GB
Antiques of London
We are delighted to offer for sale This Exquisite Antique 1920s Burr Walnut Art Deco Dressing Table.
Is a stunning example of the craftsmanship and design aes...
Category
20th Century British Vanities
Materials
Walnut
Antique Dressing Table, Northern Europe, circa 1920
Located in Chorzów, PL
Dressing table from the beginning of the 20th century. The furniture is preserved in very good condition, after professional renovation.
Dimensions: height 159 cm / width 142 cm /...
Category
1920s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Materials
Walnut
Antique Italian Three-Panels Mirror Vanity
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wonderful three-panel vanity. The vanity features a central mirror flanked by two narrower side mirrors. Below the central mirror is a small table with marble top and two drawers. Th...
Category
1940s Italian Baroque Vintage Vanities
Materials
Gold Leaf
Art Deco French Mirrored Vanity on Serpentine Legs with Tri-Fold Mirror
Located in New York, NY
This stunning Art Deco French mirrored vanity is a testament to the elegance and sophistication of the era. The mirrored glass covering much of its surface creates a sense of spaciou...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Wood
Vintage Anglo Indian Wicker and Rattan Peacock Vanity
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Rare and unusual vintage Anglo Indian vanity handcrafted in a stylized peacock form with wicker sides and back having a woven rattan top, drawers fronts, and cabinet doors.
Kneehol...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Vanities
Materials
Wicker, Rattan
Vintage German Modern Rosewood Desk with Drawers and Shelf
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Unique German Modern rosewood desk by Moser. It is quite uncommon to find German furniture here in the states. This piece was likely brought to America by someone in the military. Mo...
Category
1970s German Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Rosewood
French Provincial Vanity Secretary or Ladies Desk w/Distressed Antiqued Finish
Located in Topeka, KS
Marvelous Mid-20th Century French Provincial & Country style vanity, secretary, or Ladies Desk with a sea green tint & an all-over distressed antiqued or ceruse finish, double doors ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown French Provincial Vanities
Materials
Brass
Custom Serpentine Etched Mirrored “Harlow” Vanity from Nancy Corzine
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Superb serpentine form vanity with etched decoration under the mirrored surfaces. The frieze with two short drawers with etched ribbon garlands with bows and tassels, flanking a cent...
Category
20th Century Hollywood Regency Vanities
Materials
Mirror
French Pear Wood Ladies Dressing Table. Circa 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
French two drawer pear wood ladies dressing table with fitted interior, pull out leather surface, original folding mirror, and terminating on cab...
Category
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Rare Osvaldo Borsani Vanity Table in Maple with Mirrors and Built-in Lights
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Osvaldo Borsani for Arredamenti Borsani Varedo, dressing table, model '6142', maple, brass, mirrored glass, lacquered wood, Italy, 1943
An exquisite and truly exceptional vanity table designed by the Italian Osvaldo Borsani, dating back to around 1943. This rare gem encapsulates the quintessence of Borsani's design ethos: elegant and graceful proportions, fine materials, and unique constellations. Crafted from warm-toned maple, every detail speaks of refinement, from the intricately carved legs adorned with graphic white lines to the kidney-shaped top embellished with a mirrored surface, reflecting one's cherished objects with finesse. An outstanding element is the trio of individual rectangular mirrors with softly rounded contours, equipped with built-in lamps executed within a brass framework, their crown sockets gracefully encircling the lightbulbs. These mirrors are affixed to a maple panel punctuated by three characteristic holes, a signature touch of Borsani. A discreet drawer offers practical storage while maintaining the table's sleek aesthetic. In every aspect, this table attests to Borsani's masterful ability to strike the perfect balance between the orante elegance of Art Deco and the daring approach towards materiality and streamlined functionality of Modernism.
Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, raised by a family of fine furniture makers in Varedo. At the age of 16, he joined his father’s furniture shop, the Atelier di Varedo, which was fully engaged in designing and furnishing homes inspired by the Italian Art Deco movement. The designer of the atelier was the Italian architect Gino Maggioni (1898-1955) who was known for his Viennese Jugendstil orientation of the early 20th century. In the 1930s, he graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Politecnico di Milano, where he studied Fine Arts and Architecture respectively. In 1932, the family company was renamed ‘Arredamenti Borsani’ and opened its first studio in Milan. During this period, he encountered Avant-Garde artists of various artistic disciplines like Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Agenore Fabbri (1911-1998), Aligi Sassu (1912-2000), Roberto Crippa (1921-1972), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-) and Giò Pomodoro (1930-2002). These collaborations resulted in the creation of furniture and interior design projects with a high-level of craftsmanship and artistry. In 1953, Borsani founded together with his twin brother Fulgenzio Borsani ‘Tecno’, a design and manufacturing company that produced items based on mechanical innovations and refined technicality. The ‘P40’ adjustable lounge chair (1953) has become the ideological manifesto of Borsani's Tecno program, and still remains the best known, exemplary piece in the Tecno catalogue. Other iconic works that were produced by Tecno were created by Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Vico cham...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Materials
Brass
Clark Walnut Dressing Table
Located in Paris, FR
Dressing Table Clark Walnut with walnut wood vennered top with
5 drawers, with easy glide system, with a removable round mirror
with mirror glass, diameter 60cm. Mirror frame in po...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Vanities
Materials
Stainless Steel
Mahogany duchess dressing table
Located in Cheshire, GB
Mahogany duchess dressing table, the original mirror plate in the moulded frame between carved supports, To the base with a large mahogany top above an arrangement of freeze drawers....
Category
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Materials
Wood
Art Deco Style Mirrored Vanity with Triptych Mirror
Located in New York, NY
Art Deco style mirrored vanity with triptych mirror. Customization available in different sizes,and hardware.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Vanities
Materials
Mirror, Wood
Curved Art Deco Modern Vanity Set By Paul Poiret
By Paul Poiret
Located in North York, ON
This stunning Modern Art Deco Style curved vanity, designed by the iconic French designer Paul Poiret, is an impressive work of art perfect for any bedroom. The vanity features a large round adjustable mirror, allowing you to adjust to your preferred angle. It also features a stylish ottoman with a hidden compartment under the seat, perfect for stashing away items you don’t want to display. The vanity is equipped with plenty of drawers and storage capacity, making it ideal for storing makeup, perfumes...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century African Mahogany Vanity or Desk by E. Gomme for G-Plan
By G-Plan, Ebenezer Gomme
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Mid-century modern vanity/desk designed by E. Gomme for G-Plan in the United Kingdom, circa 1950s. This exquisite vanity is a true masterpiece and features four intricately crafted drawers...
Category
1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Materials
Brass
Art Deco Vanity with Large Round Mirror
Located in North Bergen, NJ
Spectacular Art Deco vanity with large round mirror from the 1920s. having a cabinet door to the right with silver hardware and removable glass counter.
Category
1920s Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Materials
Mirror
French Louis XV Style Vanity or Poudreuse, 19th Century
Located in Belmont, MA
This gorgeous Louis XV style vanity or "poudreuse" dates back to the mid 19th century and comes from France. The woman's dressing table has a very pretty walnut veneer pattern. The m...
Category
1850s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Materials
Walnut
Compact English Arts & Crafts 1920s Oak Dressing Table / Vanity
Located in Leicester, GB
A beautiful 1930s Art Nouveau dressing table from England. This vanity has three deep drawers to the left side with an open seating space and shelf to the right. The vanity is made o...
Category
1920s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Vanities
Materials
Oak
Art Deco Teak Dressing Table
Located in West Hollywood, CA
An Art Deco teak dressing table featuring a beveled mirror at the center. The dresser is designed with a pair of central drawers and side door compartments, combining functionality ...
Category
20th Century Indian Art Deco Vanities
Materials
Teak
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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