Regency Folk 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 English Antique Regency Folk Art
Shell, Glass, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Scottish Antique Regency Folk Art
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Regency Folk Art
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 2000s Regency Folk Art
Paint, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Regency Folk Art
Glass, Paper
1930s Vintage Regency Folk Art
Paint
1850s English Antique Regency Folk Art
Tin
Mid-19th Century British Antique Regency Folk Art
Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Regency Folk Art
Multi-gemstone, Siena Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Stoneware
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Metal
Early 19th Century American Antique Regency Folk Art
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Antique Regency Folk Art
Paint
1820s English Antique Regency Folk Art
1790s English Antique Regency Folk Art
Marble, Gold
Early 1800s English Antique Regency Folk Art
Mother-of-Pearl, Paint, Paper
1810s English Antique Regency Folk Art
Beech, Paint, Upholstery
1960s German Vintage Regency Folk Art
Paint
Early 19th Century British Antique Regency Folk Art
Ceramic, Faience, Luster
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Walnut
1930s French Vintage Regency Folk Art
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Mexican Antique Regency Folk Art
Ceramic, Clay, Terracotta
Late 19th Century American Antique Regency Folk Art
Pottery
Mid-20th Century German Regency Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Regency Folk Art
Pottery
Mid-19th Century American Antique Regency Folk Art
Pottery
Early 19th Century French Antique Regency Folk Art
Pottery
1960s Vintage Regency Folk Art
Shell
19th Century American Antique Regency Folk Art
Stoneware
Early 19th Century American Antique Regency Folk Art
Canvas
1850s British Antique Regency Folk Art
Oak
18th Century Irish Antique Regency Folk Art
Pine
19th Century Spanish Antique Regency Folk Art
Canvas
19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Mahogany
1840s British Antique Regency Folk Art
Wood
1820s European Antique Regency Folk Art
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Wood
1880s British Antique Regency Folk Art
Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Regency Folk Art
Giltwood
1810s English Antique Regency Folk Art
Steel