Vanities
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Metal, Brass
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vanities
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Silver, Enamel
1850s English Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Copper
Late 19th Century English Antique Vanities
Ironstone, Mirror, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
1810s French Restauration Antique Vanities
Carrara Marble
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Maple, Oak
1880s Italian Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Marble
1960s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Glass, Teak
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Late 20th Century Philippine Vanities
Rattan, Reed, Mirror
2010s Panamanian Modern Vanities
Metal
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
2010s Asian Organic Modern Vanities
Walnut
20th Century British Vanities
Oak
Late 19th Century American Sheraton Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Iron
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
1960s North American Vintage Vanities
Mirror
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
1720s French Louis XIV Antique Vanities
Metal, Bronze
20th Century English Campaign Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal, Aluminum
1830s Danish Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Post-Modern Vanities
Oak
1940s Vintage Vanities
Wood
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
1960s Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1960s French Louis XIII Vintage Vanities
Bronze
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Walnut, Mirror
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Oak
2010s British Futurist Vanities
Aluminum, Metal
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1910s Vintage Vanities
Wood
1980s North American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Acrylic
20th Century American Biedermeier Vanities
Walnut, Burl
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak, Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass, Chrome
2010s Italian Vanities
Glass, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
2010s British Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
1980s Vintage Vanities
Leather
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Upholstery, Rosewood, Satinwood
1920s British Biedermeier Vintage Vanities
Walnut
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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