Vanities
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Resin
1940s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Maple, Oak
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Empire Antique Vanities
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Vanities
Metal
1850s English Victorian Antique Vanities
Walnut
1960s French Louis XIII Vintage Vanities
Bronze
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Walnut, Mirror
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Metal, Aluminum
Late 19th Century French Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Mahogany
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Marble
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Formica, Hardwood
Early 18th Century French Regency Antique Vanities
Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Nickel
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Vanities
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Oak
Late 20th Century Philippine Vanities
Rattan, Reed, Mirror
1940s Vintage Vanities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
19th Century English Antique Vanities
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Vanities
Brass
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Teak
Late 19th Century English Antique Vanities
Ironstone, Mirror, Oak
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Vanities
Mirror, Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Wicker
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Panamanian Modern Vanities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Copper
1720s French Louis XIV Antique Vanities
Metal, Bronze
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Metal, Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
2010s American Modern Vanities
Metal
2010s British Futurist Vanities
Aluminum, Metal
1920s British Biedermeier Vintage Vanities
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Modern Vanities
Laminate
21st Century and Contemporary English Post-Modern Vanities
Oak
19th Century French Antique Vanities
Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Vanities
Rosewood
Late 19th Century French Rococo Antique Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century American Sheraton Antique Vanities
Glass, Wood
1830s Danish Empire Antique Vanities
Bronze
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Marble
1930s Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1850s French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Tulipwood
2010s Asian Organic Modern Vanities
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Hollywood Regency Vanities
Bronze
1920s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Vanities
Carrara Marble, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Vanities
Brass
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Walnut
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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