Vanities
19th Century Sheraton Antique Vanities
Mahogany
19th Century European Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s Portuguese Vanities
Lacquer
19th Century Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
1890s English Arts and Crafts Antique Vanities
Oak
19th Century British Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Travertine, Brass
2010s Italian Renaissance Vanities
Glass
2010s European Space Age Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Iron
1870s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Vanities
Mirror, Oak
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
2010s Italian Renaissance Vanities
Glass
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 19th Century Adam Style Antique Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
1880s Danish Other Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
1830s American Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Kingwood
Late 19th Century British Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s American Modern Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Iron
Late 19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century English Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Bronze, Steel
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Marble, Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1880s Scottish Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s Italian Victorian Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Portuguese Vanities
Canvas, Velvet
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1880s Italian Country Antique Vanities
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Pine
1860s French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Copper
Late 19th Century French Rococo Revival Antique Vanities
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Bronze, Enamel
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Vanities
Gold Leaf, Brass
2010s Italian International Style Vanities
Marble, Metal
2010s Italian Other Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
19th Century North American Federal Antique Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1820s French Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s American Vanities
Glass
1820s Georgian Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s Egyptian Modern Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Oak, Walnut
1890s French Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
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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