Biedermeier Sewing Stand
Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Velvet, Cherry, Softwood
Antique Late 19th Century Russian Magazine Racks and Stands
Metal, Brass
Antique 1830s German Biedermeier Side Tables
Walnut
Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Side Tables
Walnut
Antique Mid-19th Century German Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
Antique Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Side Tables
Fruitwood, Paint
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Antique 1830s French Louis Philippe Tables
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Antique 19th Century German Biedermeier Secretaires
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Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
Antique Early 1900s Italian Credenzas
Metal
Antique 1880s French Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple
Antique 1880s French Louis XVI Cabinets
Mahogany
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Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Daybeds
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Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Side Tables
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Antique 1860s French Directoire Secretaires
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Vintage 1950s Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
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Antique 1820s Danish Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Wardrobes and Armoires
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Antique 19th Century German Shelves and Wall Cabinets
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
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Antique 1850s Biedermeier Tables
Walnut, Softwood
Antique 1840s European Biedermeier Decorative Boxes
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century Swedish Karl Johan Console Tables
Elm, Fruitwood
Antique Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Antique 1830s German Biedermeier Side Tables
Brass
Antique 19th Century German Biedermeier Serving Tables
Walnut
Antique 1810s German Biedermeier Side Tables
Walnut
Antique 19th Century End Tables
Antique 19th Century English Biedermeier Industrial and Work Tables
Wood, Leather
A Close Look at biedermeier Furniture
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
Finding the Right tables for You
The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.
Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.
Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.
Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.
The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte.
Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life.
No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .