Vanities
1910s British Indian Ocean Territory Anglo Raj Vintage Vanities
Teak
1910s North American Vintage Vanities
Burl
1910s Vintage Vanities
Wood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Vanities
Brass
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Marble, Bronze
Early 18th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mirror, Giltwood
18th Century European Gothic Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1720s French Louis XIV Antique Vanities
Metal, Bronze
1910s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Walnut
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Vanities
Walnut
18th Century Austrian Baroque Antique Vanities
Fruitwood, Walnut, Pine
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Rustic Antique Vanities
Brass
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Metal, Pewter
1910s European Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Pearwood
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Mid-18th Century English Antique Vanities
Brass
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Vanities
Wood
Late 18th Century English Hepplewhite Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Late 18th Century European Georgian Antique Vanities
Satinwood
1760s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Tulipwood
Late 18th Century English Sheraton Antique Vanities
Satinwood, Boxwood, Ebony, Rosewood
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Rosewood
18th Century German Baroque Antique Vanities
Fruitwood
Mid-18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Vanities
Walnut
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Burl, Mirror, Walnut
1780s English George III Antique Vanities
Crystal
Late 20th Century Italian Edwardian Vanities
Brass
1960s American Neoclassical Vintage Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Oak, Teak
Late 20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Tortoise Shell
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Hollywood Regency Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Walnut
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century French Edwardian Vanities
Mahogany
20th Century British Art Deco Vanities
Wood, Paint
1910s English Georgian Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Elm, Mahogany
1760s Italian Antique Vanities
Faux Leather
1910s French Vintage Vanities
Brass
1910s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Boxwood, Ebony, Elm, Fruitwood, Mahogany, Walnut
1750s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
1910s Belgian Country Vintage Vanities
Marble
Late 18th Century English Chippendale Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Bronze
18th Century Dutch Rococo Antique Vanities
Mahogany
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Wood
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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