Vanities
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Bronze
2010s French Neoclassical Vanities
Sycamore, Wenge
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Marble, Ormolu
1890s English Adam Style Antique Vanities
Satinwood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Oak
Late 19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vanities
Marble
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Ebony
1890s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century Louis XV Antique Vanities
Metal
1960s French Louis XVI Vintage Vanities
Metal
1920s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Early 20th Century English Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Mirror, Bakelite, Maple, Walnut, Burl
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Velvet, Mirror
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Iron
20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Stone, Bronze
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Colonial Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1970s Chinoiserie Vintage Vanities
Bamboo, Rattan, Reed, Mirror, Teak
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Vanities
Art Glass, Cut Glass, Oak
1870s Scottish Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Marble
Late 20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Oak, Teak
1950s American Vintage Vanities
Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Romantic Vanities
Velvet, Mirror, Plastic, Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
Early 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Brass, Bronze
Early 1800s French Empire Antique Vanities
Mirror, Wood, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Rosewood
Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Satinwood
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Brass
1910s Vintage Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Vanities
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Vanities
Mirror, Oak, Porcelain
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Chrome
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Silver Plate
1950s British Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vanities
Mahogany, Lacquer
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Mirror
Early 20th Century Art Deco Vanities
Quartz
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Walnut
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Vanities
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Silver Leaf
1980s American Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Vanities
Brass
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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