Vanities
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century British Antique Vanities
Softwood, Mahogany
2010s Italian Vanities
Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Metal
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Brass
19th Century English Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Vanities
Mirror, Acrylic
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Walnut, Mirror
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Teak
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Silver, Enamel
Mid-19th Century German Other Antique Vanities
Silver, Copper
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Silver Leaf
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Leather
1940s Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century European Industrial Vanities
Metal
1930s French Vintage Vanities
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1950s English Vintage 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.
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