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.
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Cherry, Softwood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Silver, Bronze, Enamel
1820s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1830s American Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Upholstery
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1910s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Fabric, Upholstery, Oak
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Enamel
Early 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Fruitwood
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century North American Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Pine
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
Early 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Softwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Softwood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Walnut
2010s Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Pine
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Fur, Fabric, Upholstery, Elm
1870s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Walnut, Wood, Lacquer
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
18th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1870s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Burl
Early 1800s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century North American Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Birch
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pine
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut