Biedermeier Footstools
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.
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Oak, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Pearwood
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Burlap, Wood, Walnut
18th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Pine
Late 18th Century French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Wood
Mid-20th Century Polish Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Footstools
Wood
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Leather, Fabric, Oak
18th Century French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Biedermeier Footstools
Lacquer, Fabric, Upholstery
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Hardwood
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric, Beech
1820s French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric, Beech
1820s French Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Wood
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Mahogany, Maple, Fabric
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fruitwood, Upholstery
Early 1900s German Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric, Velvet, Foam, Walnut, Lacquer
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Footstools
Walnut, Upholstery