Gustavian Decor
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Pedestals and Columns
Pine
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Pine, Giltwood
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Console Tables
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Pine, Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Antique 1810s Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Beech
Antique 1780s Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Wood, Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Grandfather Clocks and Long...
Pine
Antique 1790s Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Wood, Birch
20th Century Gustavian Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Early 20th Century European Gustavian Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Corner Cupboards
Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Benches
Pine
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Iron
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Brass
Antique Early 1800s Swedish Gustavian Benches
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Game Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Console Tables
Pine
Antique 1780s Swedish Gustavian Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Pine, Giltwood
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Corner Cupboards
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Console Tables
Pine
Antique 17th Century Swedish Gustavian Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Benches
Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Wood, Paint
Antique 1820s Swedish Gustavian Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Corner Cupboards
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Night Stands
Brass
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Glass, Wood
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Footstools
Upholstery, Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Center Tables
Marble, Metal, Bronze
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Brass
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Gustavian Decor For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Gustavian Decor?
A Close Look at gustavian Furniture
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.