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American, antique, antique periods, antiques, Atlanta, cabriole legs, carved wood, custom furniture, dressing, furniture, furniture history, furniture rentals, Georgia, hardwood, history, imported furniture, interior design, mbw furniture, motif, rentals, shell, shells, side, table, toilet, toilette, vanity
Originating in 18th-century France, vanities initially were called “toilet tables.” High-born ladies would wrap their cosmetics in small, square linens (toilettes) reminiscent of modern handkerchiefs before storing the bundle in chests and vanities. 17th-century England also had a piece of furniture called the toilet table; however, it was less elaborate than its French counterpart, simply a small table with two or three drawers.
MBW French Dressing Table – ACME Louis 2-pc Vanity
The 1788 Cabinet-Makers’ London Book of Prices includes a design for the dressing stand, complete with folding tops, cistern, and basin drawer for light bathing related to the application and removal of cosmetics. Ladies and gentlemen alike washed their hands and faces in this manner years before the advent of plumbing. The design is a modification of the lowboy, a table-height chest with 1 or 2 rows of drawers. Essentially, a vanity is a lowboy that features a mirror for fashion and makeup application.
Victorian-era and 19th-century England referred to vanities as dressing tables. They eventually became a commonplace feature of bedroom sets. Their popularity continued well into the 20th Century as they traveled from France’s toilet tables to the vanities of the New World. Boston and Newport, Rhode Island cabinetmakers were crafting European-inspired dressing tables as early as the 1730s.
ZUO Modern Leatherette Vanity – MBW Shabby Chic Cream Table
Vanities, lowboys, and dressing tables are usually constructed from oak, walnut, or mahogany with brass pulls and escutcheons. The exquisitely ornate chests of Queen Anne, early Georgian, and Chippendale fame most often boast s-curved cabriole legs, hand-carved knees, as well as claw-and-ball feet. Carved scallop shells are a common motif for dressing tables of any century.
MBW is proud to provide furniture rentals for Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Customers in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida may now take advantage of high-quality rentals. While there are many reasons to rent furniture in Atlanta and the surrounding states, only one company guarantees exquisite service, quality imports, custom solid wood furniture, and rental possibilities: MBW Furniture.