Vanities
1870s Scottish Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Mirror, Cherry
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Steel, Brass, Iron
Early 1900s Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Oak
20th Century English Victorian Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
1870s Scottish Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Vanities
Iron
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Other
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Boxwood, Rosewood
Early 20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Marble, Brass
1850s English Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Pine
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Upholstery, Rosewood, Satinwood
1890s French Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century Late Victorian Vanities
Marble, Iron
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
1880s Italian Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
Early 20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Metal, Iron
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Bronze, Steel
2010s American Industrial Vanities
Brass, Steel
20th Century English Victorian Vanities
Mirror, Hardwood
1880s Scottish Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
2010s Italian Victorian Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 1900s English Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Hardwood
2010s Ukrainian Industrial Vanities
Metal
1880s English Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Mahogany
1840s English Victorian Antique Vanities
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century European Late Victorian Antique Vanities
Marble, Brass
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Hardwood
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Wood
1870s English Victorian Antique Vanities
Satin
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
19th Century English Victorian Antique Vanities
Metal
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Vanities
Faux Bamboo, Mirror
Early 19th Century American Victorian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Hardwood, Mahogany
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.