Vanities
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1960s Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Vanities
Brass, Metallic Thread
21st Century and Contemporary American Rustic Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Vanities
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Vanities
Brass
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Glass, Wood
1860s English Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Carrara Marble, Bronze, Iron
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1810s French Restauration Antique Vanities
Carrara Marble
20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Vanities
Chrome
1820s Georgian Antique Vanities
Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Silver Plate
20th Century Vanities
Mahogany
20th Century American Chinese Chippendale Vanities
Wood
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Hardwood
1860s French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Kingwood
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood, Parchment Paper
2010s Portuguese Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal, Aluminum
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Mirror, Teak
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Iron
Late 19th Century Unknown Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Brass, Bronze
2010s Italian Vanities
Wood
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Cherry, Mirror
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century British Antique Vanities
Softwood, Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Vanities
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Art Deco Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Bronze
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Naugahyde, Laminate, Mahogany
20th Century Swedish Vanities
Mirror, Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Mirror, Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Bamboo, Glass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Vanities
Brass
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Vanities
Nutwood
Early 1900s Austrian Edwardian Antique Vanities
Tortoise Shell, Mahogany
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.