Like France’s Empire style, Regency-style furniture was rooted in neoclassicism; the characteristics of its bedroom furniture, armchairs, dining room tables and other items include clean lines, angular shapes and elegant details.
Dating roughly from the 1790s to 1830s, antique Regency-style furniture gets its name from Prince George of Wales — formally King George IV — who became Prince Regent in 1811 after his father, George III, was declared unfit to rule. England’s Regency style is one of the styles represented in Georgian furniture.
George IV’s arts patronage significantly influenced the development of the Regency style, such as the architectural projects under John Nash, which included the renovation of Buckingham House into the formidable Buckingham Palace with a grand neoclassical facade. Celebrated designers of the period include Thomas Sheraton, Henry Holland and Thomas Hope. Like Nash, Hope instilled his work with classical influences, such as saber-legged chairs based on the ancient Greek klismos. He is credited with introducing the term “interior decoration” to English with the 1807 publishing of Household Furniture and Interior Decoration.
Although more subdued than previous styles like Rococo and Baroque, Regency interiors incorporated copious use of chintz fabrics and wallpaper adorned in chinoiserie-style art. Its furniture featured fine materials and luxurious embellishments. Furniture maker George Bullock, for instance, regularly used detailed wood marquetry and metal ornaments on his pieces.
Archaeological discoveries in Egypt and Greece informed Regency-era details, such as carved scrollwork, sphinxes and palmettes, as well as the shape of furniture. A Roman marble cinerary chest, for example, would be reinterpreted into a wooden cabinet. The Napoleonic Wars also inspired furniture, with martial designs like tented beds and camp-style chairs becoming popular. While the reddish-brown mahogany was prominent in this range of pieces, imported woods like zebrawood and ebony were increasingly in demand.
Find a collection of antique Regency tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Antique English Regency Mahogany Pole Screen Fire Hearthware Tapestry Stand 66"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique English Regency / Georgian style pole or fire screen on stand. Made of mahogany featuring scrolled pierced / reticulated adjustable screen framing a floral tapestry backed w...
Textile, Mahogany
ANTIQUE 1828 ORIGINAL KiNG GEORGE IV NEEDLEWORK TAPESTRY SAMPLER HARDWOOD FRAME
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this rather stunning, 1828 dated needlework sampler made during the reign of King George IV I have three ot...
Cotton, Hardwood
Regency Period Sampler, 1824, by Eliza Brewster
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Regency Sampler, 1824, by Eliza Brewster. The sampler is worked in silk on a linen ground, mainly in cross stitch. Meandering floral border. Colours green, red, brown, gold, silver, blue and pink. Verse reads, 'Let me be wise in Youth, O Lord that so, I safe may tread the way, I ought to go. Lead me and teach me what, Is right and just, And in thy help O GOD, To place my trust.'. Signed and dated, 'Eliza Brewster Finish'd this Sampler June 18...
Linen
COLLECTABLE ANTIQUE ANTIQUE 1791 GEORGE III NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER ORiGINAL STAMPED
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this rather stunning, 1791 dated needlework sampler from Scotland I have a number of these samplers for sal...
Cotton
COLLECTABLE ANTiQUE ANTIQUE 1817 MARY PERKINS GEORGE III NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this rather stunning, 1817 dated needlework sampler made by Mary Perkins I have a number of these samplers ...
Cotton
Antique Sampler, 1834 by Ann Kelk
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
1834 'Knowledge' Sampler by Ann Kelk. The sampler is worked in silk on a linen ground, in a variety of stitches. Simple embroidered border. Colors black, crea...
$562Sale Price|25% Off
H 17.75 in W 19.25 in D 1.125 in
American framed needle work sampler by Seraphina Learned, 1800's
Located in Kenilworth, IL
American sampler of silk floss on linen with a modest zig-zag border framing an uppercase letter alphabet, followed by a cursive alphabet, a lower case alphabet, and the numerals one...
Linen, Silk
Antique Berlin Wool-work Needlepoint Sampler
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An antique needlepoint sampler depicting samples of lace patterns, florals, bird and geometric motifs. Presented in a metallic gold frame ...
Fabric, Wool
$9,024Sale Price|20% Off
H 96.07 in W 79.93 in D 0.3 in
Antique French Tapestry Handwoven French Tapestry Aubusson Verdure Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional rare large antique French Tapestry handmade human animals "Mille Fleurs" Tapestry 6'8" x 8' (7' x 8') 203cm x 244cm Circa 1910 " An exce...
Wool
English Renaissance Style Painted Mythological Tapestry
Located in Queens, NY
English Renaissance style (20th Century) beige and blue painted tapestry of two maidens flanked by unicorns holding heraldic banners in a pastoral scene with a millefleur background....
Ceramic
Antique Sampler, 1792, by Mary Pointon
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Georgian Sampler, 1792, by Mary Pointon. The sampler is worked in silk threads on a linen ground, mainly in cross stitch. Geometric pattern border. Colours green, gold, silver, pink,...
Silk
$5,027Sale Price|20% Off
H 80.32 in W 60.24 in D 0.3 in
Antique French Tapestry Handwoven French Tapestry Verdure Scenic Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
Rare Antique French Tapestry Pictorial Woodsman Verdure 1920 Tapestry Large Tapestry Wall Hanging 5'2" x 6'8" 5 x 7 153cm x 204cm circa 1920 "Thi...
Wool
Antique Sampler, 1834, By Mary Thornhill
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
William IV Sampler, 1834, By Mary Thornhill. The sampler is worked in silk threads on a linen ground. Meandering strawberry border. Colours green, gold, silver, pink, brown and blue....
Silk
$900Sale Price|25% Off
H 21.5 in W 21.5 in D 1.75 in
Framed American needle work sampler by Anna Woodbury, 1839
Located in Kenilworth, IL
American marking sampler, featuring five sample alphabets and a numerical progression in contrasting styles and stitch. The sampler was stitched by Anna Woodbury, born 1839, and assi...
Linen, Silk
Gabriel Laneyrie petit-point needlework panel tapestry 1934
Located in Paris, IDF
French artist Gabriel Laneyrie made this petit-point needlework panel in Paris in 1934, named La porteuse d’eau, The water bearer. The tapestry displays a beautiful France province ...
Wool
$1,761
H 76.78 in W 70.87 in D 0.4 in
Large Vintage Uzbek Suzani Needlework Textile Blanket or Tapestry
Located in Antwerp, BE
Large vintage Suzani Uzbek Samarkand textile, Suzani means needlework and these embroideries are some of the most characteristic forms of tex...
Silk, Cotton
$6,988Sale Price|23% Off
H 103.94 in W 85.04 in D 0.3 in
Large Antique Flemish Tapestry Antique Tapestry Verdure Wool & Silk 1850
Located in New York, NY
Rare Mid 1800's Antique Flemish Tapestry Fine wool & silk beige 7'1" x 8'8" (216cm x 264cm) Circa 1850 "This is a very fine Authentic Antique Flemish Tapestry in Wool & Silk hunti...
Wool, Silk
Large 17th century Aubusson Tapestry "Verdure" French
By Royal Manufacture of Aubusson
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Very big tapestry of the 17th century of the royal manufacture of Aubusson of the period "Verdure". Very beautiful work of craftsmanship for this unique p...
Wool, Linen
Pair Antique Samplers, 1825 and 1829, by Sarah Ann Terry
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Pair of Regency Samplers, stitched in 1825 and 1829, by Sarah Ann Terry. The samplers are worked in wool threads on a linen ground, mainly in cross stitch....
Linen
Regency Sampler, 1820, by Mary Bishop
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Regency Sampler, 1820, by Mary Bishop. The sampler is worked in silk on a linen ground, mainly in cross stitch. Meandering strawberry border. Colours pink, black, green, gold, blue, ...
Linen
Regency Period Norfolk Sampler, 1827, by Maria Curtis
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Regency period sampler, 1827, by Maria Curtis. The sampler is worked in fine wool and silk on linen ground, in cross stitch. Meandering floral strawberry border. Colours red, yellow,...
Linen
Regency Scottish Sampler, 1812, by Margaret Christie
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Regency Scottish Sampler, 1812, by Margaret Christie from Perth. The sampler is worked in silk on linen ground, in cross stitch throughout. Meandering...
Silk
Small Regency Sampler, 1818, by Sarah Wakley
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Regency Sampler, stitched in 1818, by Sarah Wakley. The sampler is worked in silk on linen ground, in cross stitch throughout. Simple line border. Colours copper, gold, silver, blue ...
Silk
Regency Woolwork Deer Embroidery, Mary Clark 1826
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Regency period woolwork embroidered picture of a deer in a country scene. The embroidery is worked in wool on a canvas ground, in a variety of stitches. Pictorial scene depicts a rec...
Wool
Regency Period Sampler, 1817, by Isabella Atkinson Aged 9
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
House and church Sampler, 1817, by Isabella Atkinson Aged 9. The sampler is worked in silk on linen ground, mainly in cross stitch. Meandering floral border. Colours black, red, yell...
Silk
Framed Two Sided English Silk Embroideries of Regency Twins
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Framed two sided English silk embroideries of Regency twins, each side, with a similar well dressed and detailed embroidery.
Silk, Wood
Pair of Regency Needleworks
Located in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire
An exceptional pair of Regency needleworks in silk in their original frames: Constantine and Shakespeare.
Silk
18th Century Large Aubusson Tapestry Outdoor Tavern Scene
Located in Toledo, OH
French Aubusson tapestry, handwoven silk and wool during the 18th century. This tapestry features an outdoor tavern scene with a carriage in the background and a dog in the lower lef...
19th Century Silk Embroidery, England
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century silk embroidery with two women and an angel. Reverse painted glass with black and floral trim in oval.
Glass, Paint, Silk, Wood