4 Gustavian Armchairs
Vintage 1920s Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Wood
20th Century Gustavian Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Adam Style Armchairs
Wood, Upholstery
20th Century Gustavian Armchairs
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Wood, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century Italian Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood, Giltwood
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Antique 1890s Swedish Gustavian Chairs
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Antique Early 1900s French Daybeds
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Mid-20th Century Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
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Antique Early 1900s Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
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Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
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Vintage 1950s Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
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Antique 1770s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
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Vintage 1980s North American Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
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Vintage 1940s Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
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Antique Mid-18th Century Dutch Rustic Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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Vintage 1960s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
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Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Birch
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Upholstery, Birch
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
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Antique Late 19th Century European Gustavian Armchairs
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Giltwood
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Fabric, Pine, Giltwood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Fabric, Pine, Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century English Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
Beech
Vintage 1930s Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Sets
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21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Gustavian Armchairs
Beech
20th Century Gustavian Armchairs
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century European Gustavian Armchairs
Pine
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Armchairs
4 Gustavian Armchairs For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are 4 Gustavian Armchairs?
A Close Look at gustavian Furniture
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.