Vanities
1940s Vintage Vanities
Walnut
2010s Italian Vanities
Wood
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Vanities
Mahogany
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Vanities
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
20th Century Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Vanities
Marble
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Leather, Fabric
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
1950s American Vintage Vanities
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Oak
20th Century Vanities
Mahogany
1850s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vanities
Mirror, Ash, Maple
19th Century American Antique Vanities
Oak
19th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Vanities
Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Mahogany
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Vanities
Marble, Bronze
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Chrome
1910s Vintage Vanities
Wood
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
1950s French Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Mirror, Walnut
2010s Emirian Post-Modern Vanities
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Vanities
Silver, Enamel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Vanities
Leather, Oak
1980s North American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Acrylic
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Goatskin, Wood
2010s French Modern Vanities
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Metal
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Vanities
Leather, Wood, Resin
Early 20th Century British Vanities
Silver, Enamel
19th Century English Art Nouveau Antique Vanities
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Vanities
Stainless Steel
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Vanities
Mahogany, Bone
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vanities
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Vanities
Silver
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Vanities
Kingwood, Walnut
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Vanities
Faux Leather, Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century Louis XV Antique Vanities
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Vanities
Marble
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vanities
Ormolu, Bronze
1930s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vanities
Brass
Mid-20th Century Australian Aesthetic Movement Vanities
Brass
20th Century Vanities
Sterling Silver
2010s Art Deco Vanities
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Vanities
Stone
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
Brass, Chrome
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Vanities
Marble, Bronze
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.
Read More
19 Dreamy Feminine Bathrooms
To make a bathroom feel warm, serene and composed, adding feminine elements is the way to go. Featuring furry furniture, pops of pink and curated antiques, these sumptuous spaces are idyllic retreats in which to while away a few hours.
How the Vanity Table Became This Year’s Must-Have Item
Once seen as fussy furniture relics from the past, vanities have made a big comeback. Here's why.