Hollywood directors must be in love with vanity sets since they show up all the time in scenes featuring glamorous women primming themselves for elegant appearances. A woman gazes at her reflection in a three-panel mirror, touches up her nose and cheeks with a bit of powder and puckers her lips with a satisfying smack, all from the seat of a vanity set. Vanity sets for the bedroom and bath are a good gift idea that may make ordinary women feel like starlets and you feel like an accomplished director.
Antique Vanity Set
Understanding how vanity sets evolved over time may help you select an old makeup table that's just right for someone who displays a fondness for antiques. In the 1600s, vanity sets were small tables with two or three drawers. Designers took pains to disguise drawers and hide mirrors through fold-down techniques. Hidden, removable compartments contained washbasins to aid in discrete makeup removal.
In the 1700s, when America was still a British colony, vanity sets were called lowboys and featured delicate stands with a few drawers, mirrors and benches. Women used lowboys to apply makeup and men used them to adjust wigs before heading out. Into the Victorian era, vanity sets continued to be a symbol of high status for the wealthy. Victorian vanity sets contained perfume bottles, powder brushes and boxes and showcased claw feet, elaborate designs and expensive wood such as mahogany and rosewood.
While lowboys and earlier vanity sets may be incredibly rare and difficult to find, Victorian era antique sets can readily be found online and at antique dealers. Prices for antique vanities can range greatly depending upon condition and authenticity.
Retro Vanity Set
By the 1950s, vanities gained an addition to their traditional elements of drawers, mirrors, benches and tables -- lights. A light-lined mirror was in vogue on 50s era vanity sets. Today these retro vanity sets are characterized by a simple, utilitarian appearance with one large, shallow middle drawer surrounded on either side by deeper drawers. They are often made of metal and are still suitable as accent furniture for women who want to get ready in the privacy of their own bedrooms. You can find these tables through onsite or online antiques dealers. Prices for antique vanities vary greatly depending upon quality and condition.
Modern Vanity Set
Modern vanity sets retain historical elements in that they are often comprised of wood or metal with mirrors, drawers and washbasins. However, modern styles display sleek lines with metal, glass and wood intermingled on sets that either stand alone or adhere to a bathroom wall. In the latter, mirrors are often separate pieces that attach to the wall directly above the basin, countertop and drawers. Modern vanity sets are available for purchase online and at your local furniture store. They tend to range in price from $300 to $2,000 or more.
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