Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.
Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.
The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.
Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.
Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Iron
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Birdseye Maple
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Cane, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Iron
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Marble
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Ash
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Cherry
20th Century Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Italian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood, Paint
1990s Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary German Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Tôle
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Iron, Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Furniture
Bronze