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A Close Look at louis-xiv Furniture
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.
Finding the Right corner-cupboards for You
Storage space is crucial in any home and proper antique, new and vintage corner cupboards can make all the difference.
Corner cupboards are different from standard cupboards in that they are tall, spacious cupboards with curved or diagonal fronts and triangular backs that are designed specifically to fit into a room’s corner, or they’re not freestanding and have been built directly into the room. This kind of case piece — one of the offerings in what was deemed “corner furniture” — rose to popularity during the 18th century in England and America, occupying a prominent position in dining rooms before they were later moved into kitchens. Overhanging tops and urn-shaped finials adorned Chippendale-style corner cupboards in the mid- to late 1700s, while Victorian corner cupboards were made in woods such as walnut and mahogany and featured decoratively hand-carved cabinet doors.
There is a case piece for every storage conundrum, and in dining rooms it was helpful to have items for meals on hand in a tall corner cupboard. Smaller corner cupboards were built to hang from ceilings while larger versions stretched from floor to ceiling to make the most of the area.
Behind cabinet doors with curved glass, the top section of a corner cupboard might house several shelves on which a family’s silver or dishware would be displayed, while the bottom half’s doors concealed whatever home goods were stored below. While corner cupboards are roomy and robust — and an antique freestanding piece is going to be heavy to move — it was the ideal way to keep serveware on hand while taking advantage of little-used corner space. Not unlike a stylish credenza or buffet, a corner cupboard isn’t merely a storage solution.
Crafted in a range of woods and embellished with brass or bronze accents, corner cupboards were striking furnishings of a certain era and will surely command attention in your home.
On 1stDibs, find antique and vintage corner cupboards in a number of styles, including mid-century modern corner cupboards, Georgian versions and more.