Vanities
Early 1800s European Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Steel, Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Vanities
Iron
Early 18th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Bronze, Steel
Early 20th Century French Regency Vanities
Marble
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century English Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
2010s Ukrainian Industrial Vanities
Metal
Late 19th Century Italian Regency Antique Vanities
Metal
19th Century British Regency Antique Vanities
Pine
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
19th Century British Regency Antique Vanities
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Regency Antique Vanities
Glass, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1970s American Regency Vintage Vanities
Horn, Canvas, Mirror
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Post-Modern Vanities
Oak
1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Walnut
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Birch, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vanities
Wood
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Other
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Rattan
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Vanities
Wood, Glass
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
19th Century English Regency Antique Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century English Regency Vanities
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Marble
Early 19th Century Regency Antique Vanities
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Regency Vanities
Wood
1820s English Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1960s Industrial Vintage Vanities
Metal
1820s British Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century English Regency Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1860s English Regency Antique Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
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.