Vanities
2010s Italian Vanities
Bronze
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
Early 19th Century American Empire Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
2010s Italian Empire Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century European Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Marble, Brass
1880s Italian Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Mahogany
19th Century English Georgian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Renaissance Revival Antique Vanities
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Vanities
Ormolu
2010s Portuguese Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1820s Italian Charles X Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Baroque Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Ukrainian Industrial Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
19th Century European French Provincial Antique Vanities
Fruitwood
2010s Ukrainian Vanities
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Vanities
Brass
19th Century British Regency Antique Vanities
Brass, Bronze
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Wood
1860s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Rosewood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s European Modern Vanities
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s British Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood, Sycamore, Walnut
1840s English Victorian Antique Vanities
Silver Plate
1830s French Charles X Antique Vanities
Burl
Early 1800s English Antique Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century Spanish Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Fruitwood, Kingwood, Tulipwood, Harewood
1810s French Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Silver Leaf
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century English Adam Style Antique Vanities
Metal
Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Hardwood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
1820s German Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Pine
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Vanities
Wood
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Hardwood, Walnut
2010s Italian Vanities
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Copper, Wrought Iron
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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