Vanities
1970s American Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Acrylic, Lucite
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Glass, Mirror, Maple
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
2010s American Modern Vanities
Steel
1920s Dutch Modern Vintage Vanities
Belgian Black Marble
1990s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather
1970s American Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Lucite
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Leather, Oak
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood, Resin
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Bone
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Panamanian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Marble
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Iron
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Stone
2010s Peruvian Modern Vanities
Stone
2010s German Modern Vanities
Steel, Other
20th Century European Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Vanities
Mirror, Resin
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
Late 20th Century American Modern Vanities
Mahogany
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Wood
Late 20th Century French Modern Vanities
Laminate
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern 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.