Vanities
1950s American Vintage Vanities
Lucite
Early 20th Century English Vanities
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vanities
Mahogany, Lacquer
1850s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Vanities
Marble, Chrome
Late 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vanities
Marble, Metal
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Beech
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Iron
1970s Spanish Rococo Vintage Vanities
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1930s Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Formica, Beech
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Oak
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Steel, Brass, Iron
1960s American Neoclassical Vintage Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
20th Century French Art Nouveau Vanities
Metal, Brass
Mid-19th Century German Other Antique Vanities
Silver, Copper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Resin
20th Century English Art Deco Vanities
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Romantic Vanities
Velvet, Mirror, Plastic, Wood
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Oak
Late 20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
1940s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Cane, Mirror, Wood
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Marble, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Vanities
Stone
1910s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Vanities
Fruitwood
1970s American Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Lucite
Mid-20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Vanities
Metal
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Lacquer
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Vanities
Travertine, Brass
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Mahogany
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Chrome
Early 20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Marble, Brass
20th Century English Victorian Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vanities
Bamboo
20th Century British Art Deco Vanities
Wood, Paint
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Velvet, Mirror
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
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.
Read More
19 Dreamy Feminine Bathrooms
To make a bathroom feel warm, serene and composed, adding feminine elements is the way to go. Featuring furry furniture, pops of pink and curated antiques, these sumptuous spaces are idyllic retreats in which to while away a few hours.
How the Vanity Table Became This Year’s Must-Have Item
Once seen as fussy furniture relics from the past, vanities have made a big comeback. Here's why.