Charles Landre

Known as the “Citizen King,” Louis Philippe reigned from 1830 to the Revolution of 1848 with the support of the upper bourgeoisie. Whereas the monarchs of 18th-century France, including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI, dictated aesthetics through the decadence of the aristocratic court, Louis Philippe had a more down-to-earth presence. He could be seen walking the streets like an ordinary person, carrying his own umbrella and shaking hands with subjects. Antique Louis Philippe–style furniture reflects a sense of simplicity and the sovereign’s passion for the country’s history, such as his establishment of a Museum of the History of France at Versailles, which had been mostly disused since the French Revolution.

Middle Ages, Gothic and Renaissance design informed a nationalist style that celebrated this heritage, with the hodgepodge of influences becoming prevalent in the homes of the bourgeoisie. Cabinetmakers Guillaume and Jean-Michel Grohé created reproductions of historic pieces for the king as well as royal houses abroad. Louis Philippe commissioned sculptor François Rude to create patriotic monuments that paid tribute to military heroes, while designs for furniture published by Claude-Aimé Chenavard, an ornamentalist who conceived widely loved objects for the Sèvres manufactory, further helped spread a revival of Renaissance style.

The rounded profiles of authentic Louis Philippe tables and chairs were preferred in the apartments rather than palaces being furnished by the affluent middle and upper classes. Ornamentation was minimal on the finely crafted pieces, such as large rectangular mirrors adorned with gold and silver leaf finishes and subdued carvings. The popular Louis Philippe commodes were solidly made with clean lines that showed off the grain of the wood and were often topped with marble surfaces.

Find a collection of antique Louis Philippe seating, dining tables, bedroom furniture and other items on 1stDibs.

Antique, new and vintage bentwood furniture has become very popular in interiors over the years. Today bentwood chairs, tables, sofas and pendants are receiving striking modern interpretations from makers like Thonet, which are being carried on by the next generation.

Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century German-Austrian cabinetmaker Michael Thonet who is most often associated with this now-classic technique. Thonet in 1856 patented a method for bending solid wood through the use of steam, and from there the bentwood look skyrocketed to furniture fame. Bentwood was embraced by design greats ranging from Josef Hoffmann to Gio Ponti, and Adolf Loos to Alvar Aalto for its versatility, timelessness and simple elegance.

In the Czech Republic — home to a range of talented but unsung mid-century modern and Art Deco designers — the company TON held a bentwood furniture exhibition in Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat in recent years. TON manufactures their bentwood furniture in the same workshops where Michael Thonet set up his operations in the 1800s.

Sophisticated bentwood furniture designs include Alvar Aalto’s cantilever lounge chairs, Italian designer Luigi Crassevig’s 1970s rocking chairs — which feature cane seats — curvaceous hanging lamps and other lighting by Spanish architect José Antonio Coderch and lots more.

Find a collection of antique, new and vintage bentwood furniture on 1stDibs.

Vintage and antique wall mirrors add depth and openness to a space — they can help create the illusion that a narrow hallway isn’t so narrow. But you don’t need hundreds of enormous arched French or Italian mirrors framed in gilded bronze to dress up your home (maybe just a few).

A few well-placed large wall mirrors and other types of mirrors can amplify lighting and help showcase the decorative and architectural features of your home. For the Palace of Versailles during the 17th century, French King Louis XIV ordered the construction of the Hall of Mirrors after spending millions of dollars importing expensive Venetian mirrors from the revered glass-blowing factories on the island of Murano. A mirror-manufacturing rivalry between Paris and Venice took shape, and soon, across from 17 large windows that open out over the adjacent Palace Gardens on one side of the Hall, more than 350 mirrors — large mirrors made of groupings of small panes — were installed, effectively bringing the radiant colors of the outdoors into the opulent corridor.

Wall mirrors for your living room can work miracles — pull your landscaping’s colors and textures indoors, Louis XIV–style, by covering the length of an interior wall across from your living-room windows with wall mirrors.

For a similar effect, surrounding your mid-century modern wall mirror with leafy air plants and fern floor plants can amplify the sense of serenity that greenery offers in your home. Choose wall mirror frame styles to match your home’s decor, or shop for a frameless, organically shaped mirror that’s cut or beveled for a clean yet distinctive showpiece. For a free-spirited Bohemian feel, create a cluster of mismatched antique wall mirrors — an arrangement of circular Art Deco wall mirrors, Rococo-style silver leaf mirrors and decorative oval Victorian mirrors could add spice to an otherwise unadorned dining-room wall.

Elsewhere, there’s nothing vain about buying a full-length mirror for your bedroom, bathroom or walk-in closet to help you perfect your look for the day. Another may be needed in your entryway for a last-minute ensemble inspection. In fact, a shimmering 18th-century hall of mirrors awaits visitors behind the steel door of Stephen Cavallo’s atelier in Manhattan.

“We like to see the look on people’s faces when they walk in,” says Cavallo.

Decorating your home and office with wall mirrors is an art form in and of itself — get started today with the variety of antique and vintage wall mirrors on 1stDibs.