Biedermeier Benches
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.
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Benches
Beech
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Fabric, Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Benches
Wood, Burl
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Cherry, Softwood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Maple
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Fruitwood, Walnut
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Benches
Fruitwood
1840s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Benches
Birch
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Benches
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Maple, Upholstery, Fruitwood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Benches
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Benches
Birch, Fabric
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Muslin, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
1820s Russian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Velvet, Birch
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Benches
Upholstery, Wood
1910s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Benches
Fruitwood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Walnut, Fabric
1980s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Benches
Wood, Maple, Lacquer
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Cherry
1960s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Benches
Velvet, Wood
20th Century Spanish Biedermeier Benches
Bentwood
Early 1800s Chinese Antique Biedermeier Benches
Elm
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Beech, Bentwood
1830s Czech Antique Biedermeier Benches
Cherry
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Cherry
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Benches
Pine
1910s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Benches
Fabric, Bentwood
2010s American Biedermeier Benches
Oak
1850s European Antique Biedermeier Benches
Wood
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Upholstery, Walnut
1830s Russian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Burl
Early 20th Century Biedermeier Benches
Upholstery, Hardwood
1980s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Benches
Wood, Maple, Lacquer
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Ash
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Elm
Early 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Benches
Mahogany
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Fabric, Wood, Walnut
19th Century Belgian Antique Biedermeier Benches
Rush, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Biedermeier Benches
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Benches
Fruitwood, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Benches
Fabric, Maple