Vanities
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Vanities
Brass
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Plastic, Acrylic, Wood
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Kingwood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Spanish Baroque Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Biedermeier Vanities
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Bronze
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Vanities
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Walnut
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
Early 1900s American Mission Antique Vanities
Metal
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Aluminum
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze
19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1980s French Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze, Ormolu
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Vanities
Wood
Early 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass, Chrome
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Steel
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
Mid-18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s Italian Vanities
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Hollywood Regency Vanities
Bronze
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
2010s Italian Other Vanities
Wood
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Maple, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Nickel, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Vanities
Oak, Mirror
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
19th Century Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Lucite
2010s European Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
1960s French Louis XVI Vintage Vanities
Metal
Late 20th Century American Queen Anne Vanities
Cherry
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Nickel
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Modern Vanities
Laminate
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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