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.
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Metal, Iron
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Maple
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Philippine Regency Furniture
Stone, Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Regency Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate
1930s Czech Vintage Regency Furniture
Gold
1970s Spanish Vintage Regency Furniture
Brass
1820s British Antique Regency Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1910s British Vintage Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1810s British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Antique Regency Furniture
Marble
20th Century Regency Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Yew
20th Century English Regency Furniture
Leather, Yew
Mid-18th Century French Antique Regency Furniture
Limestone
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Brass
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
1930s English Vintage Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Porcelain
1980s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Leather
19th Century British Antique Regency Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Regency Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany, Giltwood
1920s Vintage Regency Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Stone, Metal
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Regency Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Regency Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century North American Regency Furniture
Stone
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
19th Century Irish Antique Regency Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century Indian Regency Furniture
Wood
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Furniture
Rosewood
1810s English Antique Regency Furniture
Brass, Steel
1820s English Antique Regency Furniture
Sheffield Plate
1920s American Vintage Regency Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Furniture
Crystal, Metal