Vanities
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Steel, Nickel
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Lacquer
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Marble, Iron
2010s Portuguese Vanities
Lacquer
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Czech Vanities
Paper
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Vanities
Metal, Iron
1950s Italian Other Vintage Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian International Style Vanities
Marble, Metal
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vanities
Other
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Tortoise Shell
1950s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
Early 20th Century Late Victorian Vanities
Marble, Iron
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Metal, Pewter
2010s Italian Vanities
Metal
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Precious Stone
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Silver, Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century American Sheraton Vanities
Steel
Mid-19th Century French Antique Vanities
Ormolu
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vanities
Wood
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Lacquer, Mirror, Wood
1860s French Antique Vanities
Bronze
1930s American Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1940s American Vintage Vanities
Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal
1930s French Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
20th Century French Vanities
Oak, Mirror
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Ormolu, Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1930s French Vintage Vanities
Wood
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal, Chrome
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.
Read More
19 Dreamy Feminine Bathrooms
To make a bathroom feel warm, serene and composed, adding feminine elements is the way to go. Featuring furry furniture, pops of pink and curated antiques, these sumptuous spaces are idyllic retreats in which to while away a few hours.
How the Vanity Table Became This Year’s Must-Have Item
Once seen as fussy furniture relics from the past, vanities have made a big comeback. Here's why.