Louis XV Furniture
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Iron
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Softwood
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
1970s North American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rosewood
1820s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1880s European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 1900s English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Terracotta
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
2010s American Louis XV Furniture
Limestone
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Felt, Oak