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.
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce
1960s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1920s European Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Pine, Wood, Birdseye Maple
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Fruitwood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Softwood
1850s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1870s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Mirror
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1860s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Burl
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Burl
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Cherry
Early 20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Muslin, Mahogany
1890s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1890s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1820s Russian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1890s Norwegian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Burl
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Pine