Regency Decorative Art
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.
Early 19th Century American Antique Regency Decorative Art
Giltwood, Paper
2010s British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Wood
Late 20th Century Regency Decorative Art
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s American Regency Decorative Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s American Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s American Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Mid-19th Century Antique Regency Decorative Art
Metal
1810s English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Giltwood, Canvas
1820s Austrian Antique Regency Decorative Art
Wood
1830s English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Marble
19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Silver Plate, Brass, Copper, Pewter
2010s British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
17th Century Scottish Antique Regency Decorative Art
Burl, Paper
2010s British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Mid-19th Century French Antique Regency Decorative Art
Mirror, Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Cotton
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Silk
2010s Italian Regency Decorative Art
Paper, Paint
20th Century American Regency Decorative Art
Nylon, Paint, Feathers, Leather
19th Century Italian Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper
2010s Italian Regency Decorative Art
Paper, Paint
19th Century Antique Regency Decorative Art
Wood
1870s Chinese Antique Regency Decorative Art
Silk, Bamboo
2010s Italian Regency Decorative Art
Paper
1870s French Antique Regency Decorative Art
Porcelain, Wood
2010s Chinese Regency Decorative Art
Silk
19th Century French Antique Regency Decorative Art
Leather
Mid-20th Century Swedish Regency Decorative Art
Faux Bamboo, Paper
Late 20th Century American Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Mid-19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Glass
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Decorative Art
Beech
1970s Italian Vintage Regency Decorative Art
Metal, Silver
Early 1800s Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper
19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paint
Late 20th Century French Regency Decorative Art
Silk
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Porcelain
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Masonite, Paint, Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper
Late 18th Century European Antique Regency Decorative Art
Paper