Vanities
1920s British Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Maple
1920s British Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1910s British Indian Ocean Territory Anglo Raj Vintage Vanities
Teak
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Ebony
1920s Charles II Vintage Vanities
Elm, Oak
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze
1920s American Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Brass
1920s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Vanities
Oak
1920s Dutch Modern Vintage Vanities
Belgian Black Marble
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Steel, Nickel
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1920s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1910s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1920s French French Provincial Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Marble, Bronze
1920s Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
1920s British Biedermeier Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1920s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Vanities
Carrara Marble, Brass
1910s Vintage Vanities
Wood
1910s North American Vintage Vanities
Burl
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Vanities
Wood
1920s Swedish Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1920s English Vintage Vanities
Vermeil, Silver
1910s European Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Stone, Brass
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Oak
1920s English Other Vintage Vanities
Metal
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Pearwood
1920s French Vintage Vanities
Nickel
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Burl, Mirror, Walnut
1920s Italian Baroque Revival Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut, Burl
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Bronze, Steel
1920s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Crystal
1920s French Art Deco 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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