Vanities
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Vanities
Metal
1840s French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Pine
1820s French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s French Neoclassical Vanities
Sycamore, Wenge
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Vanities
Iron
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Steel, Brass, Iron
Early 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vanities
Marble, Metal
1960s American Neoclassical Vintage Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
1830s American Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Wood
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Bronze, Steel
Early 1900s Italian Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Steel
2010s Ukrainian Industrial Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s North American Neoclassical Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
20th Century American Louis XVI Vanities
Wood
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Ebony
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Brass, Bronze
1920s Charles II Vintage Vanities
Elm, Oak
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Vanities
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Vanities
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Formica, Beech
20th Century Neoclassical Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1950s Italian Neoclassical Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vanities
Mahogany, Oak
1920s French Neoclassical Vintage Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century European Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble
1960s Industrial Vintage Vanities
Metal
Late 19th Century British Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Mahogany
20th Century American American Classical Vanities
Brass
1920s Industrial Vintage Vanities
Early 20th Century European Industrial Vanities
Metal
1930s American Industrial Vintage Vanities
Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century Industrial Vanities
Metal
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.