Regency Footstools
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 British Antique Regency Footstools
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Wool, Upholstery, Mahogany
1810s English Antique Regency Footstools
Leather, Hardwood
1810s English Antique Regency Footstools
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Beech
20th Century American Regency Footstools
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Footstools
Brass
1830s English Antique Regency Footstools
Brass
20th Century Regency Footstools
Tapestry, Wood
2010s English Regency Footstools
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Footstools
Gold Leaf
2010s English Regency Footstools
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Regency Footstools
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary South African Regency Footstools
Zebra Hide
19th Century Irish Antique Regency Footstools
Brass
1820s French Antique Regency Footstools
Fabric, Beech
1960s French Vintage Regency Footstools
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Regency Footstools
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Swedish Regency Footstools
Fabric, Mahogany
2010s Italian Regency Footstools
Leather
1860s English Antique Regency Footstools
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century English Regency Footstools
Walnut
1960s American Vintage Regency Footstools
Wood, Wool, Faux Leather
1980s Vintage Regency Footstools
Cotton
1820s British Antique Regency Footstools
Textile, Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Brass
1820s English Antique Regency Footstools
Upholstery, Pine
1970s American Vintage Regency Footstools
Wood
19th Century British Antique Regency Footstools
Wood, Paint, Gesso
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Silk, Hardwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Footstools
Upholstery, Hardwood
20th Century French Regency Footstools
Fabric, Giltwood
20th Century English Regency Footstools
Faux Bamboo, Mahogany
1950s American Vintage Regency Footstools
Cotton, Cane, Polyester, Mahogany