Louis Xiv Salon Set

As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.

When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.

Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.

The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.

Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.

Your living room — how your antique and vintage living room furniture is arranged, what style of furniture you’ve chosen, what kind of decor best suits your needs — should be an opportunity to express yourself as well as to unabashedly show off your design taste and preferences.

Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading and displaying your books, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.

A living room that doesn’t double as a family or TV room is a luxury. But even if the electronics are elsewhere, this is a hard-working, well-used space.

In an era that sees an increasing number of professionals working from home, sometimes your living room is multifunctional in ways you never thought possible. A corner of this room might be a designated home office, outfitted with a desk, your laptop and notebooks and, of course, the best possible lighting for those unscheduled Zoom calls. Perhaps you’ve sectioned off an area with side tables and armchairs for entertaining small groups while another corner of the room is home to a cozy reading nook.

The appetite for antique and vintage furniture — sculptural mid-century modern case pieces crafted in teak and other dark woods, the sexy, sensuous seating of the 1970s — has only broadened in recent years, with design lovers treasure hunting online and on Instagram.

A Scandinavian modern living room set, featuring lounge chairs and sofas by the likes of Hans Wegner or Kaare Klint, will help you introduce quality craftsmanship characterized by gentle, organic contours into your space, while a Camaleonda sofa by legendary Italian designer Mario Bellini will dazzle with its chunky form and convenient modular setup.

On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary collection of antique and vintage living room furniture inclusive of Space Age living room sets, other clever and provocative furnishings of the 1950s and ’60s, postmodern pieces and much more.