Northern Europe Biedermeier Birch Sofa with Ebonzied Wood details, Early 1900s
Located in Southampton, NY
Northern Europe Biedermeier Birch Sofa with Ebonzied Wood details, Early 1900s.
Wood, Birch
Antique Biedermeier Karelian Birch Ormolu Sofa Table 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a stylish antique Swedish Karelian Birch Biedermeier Sofa table with ebonised detail, circa 1820 in date.
Wood, Birch
19th Century Russian Biedermeier Cherrywood Settee
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This is a graceful Russian cherrywood Biedermeier settee with a cresting top rail containing centred ebonized oval over upholstered back and seat flanked by fully padded arms above c...
Fabric, Cherry
Biedermeier Benches, Mahogany, Intricate Carvings, France, 1840
Located in Greding, DE
A pair of Biedermeier benches with intricate carvings, half round armrests and pillars on the sides with acanthus leaves. In the middle of the backrests are two stylized flower motif...
Mahogany
Sofa, Northern Europe, circa 1900.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Sofa, Northern Europe, circa 1900. Very good condition, after professional renovation and replacement of upholstery. Wood: mahogany dimensions: height 125 cm seat height 46 cm len...
Walnut, Fabric
$2,677Sale Price|23% Off
Antique 19th-Century Biedermeier Cherry Salon Table
Located in Darmstadt, DE
This beautiful salon table before us is a true masterpiece. It hails from the Biedermeier period around 1830 in Germany and is crafted from solid cherry wood. This type of wood is no...
Spruce, Cherry
Antique sofa, Northern Europe, around 1880.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique sofa, Northern Europe, around 1880. Very good condition, after wood renovation. dimensions: height 111 cm seat height 46 cm width 178 cm depth 72 cm
Fabric, Walnut
Antique sofa, Northern Europe, circa 1870.
Located in Chorzów, PL
A sofa from the second half of the 19th century in a Victorian style. An antique, small piece of furniture with a beautiful form will give elegance to any interior. A sofa with a sim...
Fabric, Walnut
Antique sofa from Northern Europe, circa 1890.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Sofa, Northern Europe, circa 1890. Very good condition, after professional renovation and replacement of upholstery. Wood: mahogany dimensions : sofa height 113 cm seat height 45...
Fabric, Walnut
Pair of Flemish Mid 19thC Flame Mahogany Sofas
Located in Altrincham, GB
Pair of Flemish Mid 19thC Flame Mahogany Sofas with Reeded Leg of Biedermeier Influence - 60" w x 30"d x 44"h (18" to the seat)
Upholstery, Mahogany
$2,874Sale Price|20% Off
Antique sofa from the late 19th century, Northern Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
This elegant antique sofa, dating from around 1880, originates from Northern Europe and reflects the refined aesthetics of the Biedermeier style.
Walnut, Fabric
19th Century Continental Biedermeier Period Figured Maple Table
By Josef Danhauser
Located in Forney, TX
A scarce elegant and most distinctive Biedermeier Period (1815-1848) highly figured maple table.
Birdseye Maple, Maple, Burl
19th Century Small Oval Biedermeier Side Table. Vienna, c. 1830.
Located in Vienna, AT
We are proud to present a small oval Viennese Biedermeier side table, crafted in Vienna around 1830, representing the refined aesthetic and superb craftsmanship of the early 19th cen...
Walnut
Antique sofa from the late 19th century, Northern Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique sofa from around 1880 from Northern Europe. Furniture in very good condition, after professional renovation. The sofa has been covered with new fabric. Dimensions: height 1...
Fabric, Walnut
Antique American Empire Figural Carved Mahogany Recamier Gold Chaise Lounge Sofa
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique American Empire Figural Carved Mahogany Recamier Gold Chaise Lounge Sofa. Item features a carved face to lower crest ands further carved wooden frame throughout raised on paw...
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century Fine Biedermeier Table. Vienna, c. 1820.
Located in Budapest, HU
Biedermeier Walnut Table – Vienna, circa 1820 From the Collection of Baron Von Planta, Budapest This distinguished Biedermeier table, crafted in Vienna around 1825, stands as a test...
Walnut
Early 19th Sofa Bench from Lindome, Sweden
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Karl Johan (Biedermeier) carved-wood sofa bench, with upholstered seat, from the early 19th century.
Wood, Upholstery
$1,507Sale Price|20% Off
Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery
Located in Opole, PL
Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery We present you a two-person walnut sofa that resembles Biedermeier furniture.
Upholstery, Walnut
$5,200Sale Price|20% Off
Austrian Biedermeier Settee Sofa, Walnut, Reupholstered, 1820
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Austrian Biedermeier solid walnut setteee sofa, 57” long. Original condition with shellack polish.
Nutwood
$4,900Sale Price|44% Off
19th Century Biedermeier Settee or Sofa
Located in Milford, NH
A 19th century Biedermeier birch settee or sofa, ebonized detail, freshly appointed in Belgian linen, raised on four sea serpent or dolphin foliate carved feet.
Biedermeier Parlor Suite in Walnut with Sofa and Pair of Armchairs, circa 1830
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A very beautiful South German Biedermeier suite in fine walnut consisting of a sofa and a pair of armchairs/ bergères, each with shaped, fan-carved crest rail above scrolled armrests...
Upholstery, Walnut
Dutch Willem III sofa, ca 1870-1890
Located in Delft, NL
Dutch Willem III sofa, ca 1870-1890 A Dutch Willem III sofa from the period 1870-1890 with a curved back and covered with striped fabric upholstery. In the middle of the top of the ...
Fabric, Wood
Restored Biedermeier Birch Seating Set, Revived Polish, Vienna, Austria, 1830s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Restored Biedermeier Birch Seating Set of Sofa and Two Chairs.
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Birch
Restored Biedermeier Seating Set, Oak Walnut, Stable Constructon, Austria, 1840s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Restored Biedermeier Seating Set (Sofa, 2 Armchairs and 2 Chairs) Source: Austria Period: 1840-1849 Material: Oak, Walnut, Fabric Sofa dimensions: Height: 92 cm (36.2 in) Width: 13...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Oak, Walnut
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.
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.