Regency Furniture
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.
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
Mid-19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Beech
1990s American Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1980s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Paint
1830s Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Wire
Early 18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
18th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1970s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1940s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Mid-20th Century German Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1990s American Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1970s German Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
1960s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
18th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Glass, Rosewood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Other
1940s French Vintage Regency Furniture
Walnut
1830s Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 20th Century Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century British Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
1990s American Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century Chinese Antique Regency Furniture
Alabaster
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
2010s American Regency Furniture
Velvet
Early 19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Mexican Regency Furniture
Ebony
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood