Vanities
Early 20th Century English Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Bronze
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Mahogany
20th Century Vanities
Wicker
1980s French Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal
1960s French Louis XVI Vintage Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Vanities
Mirror, Fiberglass, Wood, Lacquer
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chippendale Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Iron
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Walnut
1920s Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vanities
Kingwood
Mid-20th Century North American Art Deco Vanities
Leather, Mahogany, Glass
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1960s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s American Vintage Vanities
Lucite
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Vanities
Mirror, Oak, Porcelain
1910s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Mahogany
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Silver, Enamel
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Bakelite, Maple, Walnut, Burl
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
1920s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Brass
1970s Spanish Rococo Vintage Vanities
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vanities
Marble, Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Burl, Mirror, Walnut
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Oak, Teak
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century Art Deco Vanities
Quartz
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Vanities
Marble, Chrome
20th Century French Art Nouveau Vanities
Metal, Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Travertine, Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Velvet, Mirror
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Formica, Beech
Mid-20th Century American Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Silver Plate
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
1970s Vintage Vanities
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
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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