French Country Louis Xv Style Cane Back Chairs
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Slipper Chairs
Velvet, Cane, Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Walnut
2010s American Louis XV Chairs
Linen, Cane, Hardwood
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2010s British Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Sheepskin, Oak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wicker, Wood
Antique 17th Century French Panelling
Softwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Wood
Antique 1860s French Louis XVI Chairs
Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Louis XVI Loveseats
Wood
Early 20th Century French Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Chairs
Cane, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Chairs
Cane, Oak
Early 20th Century French Sunburst Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Lounge Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Vintage 1930s French French Provincial Corner Chairs
Cane, Giltwood
Recent Sales
Vintage 1960s American Louis XV Side Chairs
Faux Leather, Wood
Vintage 1940s French Louis XV Swivel Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut, Silk, Cane
Vintage 1960s American Louis XV Chairs
Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Vintage 1980s Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Country Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Walnut
20th Century American Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Cane, Foam, Linen, Paint, Upholstery
Late 20th Century Louis XV Stools
Brass
20th Century American Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Wood, Paint
Antique 1890s French Louis XV Armchairs
Cane, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Cane, Wood, Beech
20th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Walnut, Fabric
Vintage 1940s French Louis XV Swivel Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Linen, Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Pine
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Chairs
Linen, Cane, Foam, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Vintage 1960s Italian Louis XV Armchairs
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Linen, Upholstery, Cane, Hardwood
Early 20th Century English Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Dry Bars
Brass, Copper
A Close Look at 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.
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.