Objects of Desire: Dressing Tables Groomed for Style
I’ve always been nostalgic for the golden age of Hollywood, when women dressed to the nines and could seduce with a single hair flip. So when I first struck out on my own, I sent myself on a mission to find a vintage dressing table. I quickly found the perfect one: solid wood, from the 1960s, with an adjustable three-way mirror and plenty of drawers for makeup and toiletries. I lugged that piece wherever I went, cramming it into tiny apartment bedrooms and cashing in favors with strong-armed friends who graciously lugged it from staircase to staircase.
Unfortunately, the time came for me to part with this beautiful piece when I moved in with my now-husband. The fact that a neighbor wanted to refinish it and gift it to his wife for their first anniversary helped ease my parting with this sentimental piece, but I was still sad it had to go, and I think about it often. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps a smaller version would fit in my closet or bathroom.
With that in mind, I’ve rounded up five of my favorite dressing tables for inspiration. I hope they give you ideas for your space, too.
Custom Dressing Table
This homeowner wanted a dedicated makeup vanity that was close to a water source. It was designed to look like a piece of furniture, while custom millwork provides the durability and convenience of a built-in.
How it was made: This custom piece was made completely out of black walnut and hardwired to the wall to accommodate internal outlets for hair dryers and other beauty tools.
“The tops are made of Quartzite for durability, with the exception of the center console, which is walnut, and it flips up to reveal the makeup mirror and additional storage,” says Ilivette Hidalgo-Nilsson, owner of TerraCotta Properties.
Why it works: Hidalgo-Nilsson placed it in front of large windows so her client would have the benefit of natural light when applying makeup in the morning. Its custom nature also allowed TerraCotta Properties to create a perfect match to the sink vanities and other wood accents in the rest of the bathroom.
Tip: Hidalgo-Nilsson says there’s no need to go completely custom unless you want to and you’re doing an extensive remodel or build. “Find a similar vintage piece, have marble tops installed and hire an electrician to run a power cord through the back so you can keep the hair dryer handy,” she says.
Design: TerraCotta Properties; custom millwork: Rick Greenwalt & Sons
DIY Dressing Table
This ingenious dressing table was made for a TV show. The subject: illustrating how design can improve your everyday life.
How it was made: Optimise Design sourced a vintage suitcase from a secondhand store, lined it with fabric, and attached legs from Ikea. An electrician helped install the lights.
Why it works: Remember Monica’s overstuffed closet on Friends? That’s essentially what this room used to be. “We cleared out the room and blocked up the existing door on to the landing and created a new opening on to the master bedroom,” says Denise O’Connor at Optimise Design.
This creative dressing table now lives alongside the client’s clothes and shoes, helping to create a dedicated space in which to prepare for the day.
Barcelona Dressing Table
This compact, mirrored dressing table is a delightfully contemporary take on the classic vanity.
How it was made: Though it feels thoroughly modern, this table’s design was inspired by the classic Barcelona Chair designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lily Reich in 1929. You can see the inspiration in the curved, X-shaped legs.
Why it works: While this piece is also available with a mirror attached, a simple, wall-mounted mirror keeps it feminine and functional without making the room feel like a set from Scarface.
Available at Azura Furniture and BeautifulModernThing
Vintage Dressing Table
This vintage vanity from the 1920s or ’30s has followed Lucid Interior Design’s Michelle Mawbry from house to house and been repainted three times over the past 15 years to accommodate her changing decor.
How it was made: Mawbry kept the original mirror but removed the old hardware in favor of beautiful Asian-motif pulls.
Why it works: Mawbry views furniture as sculpture and used this piece to create a beautiful — yet practical — bedroom vignette.
Tip: She recommends dressing up vintage pieces with updated hardware and paint. For those planning to use the piece for daily makeup application, she also suggests having glass or mirror custom cut to protect the top.
Purchased from Of Things Past
Lady’s Desk by Barbara Barry for Henredon
This elegant vanity creates a versatile space that’s as well equipped for jotting a quick email as it is for applying mascara.
How it was made: Fluted drawers and nickel sabots add femininity to this classic piece. At 66 inches wide, this painted hardwood desk has ample space for a pair of table lamps, plus a full array of primping tools.
Why it works: Paired with the clients’ own mirror, this piece creates an airy, feminine space. A hickory chair upholstered in rich teal offsets the ivory desk and white walls like a crown jewel.
Purchased from Henredon
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