Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right garden-ornaments for You

Vintage, new and antique garden ornaments and classical statues can help elevate your outdoor space. The right decorative touch can accentuate the areas you’ve set aside for outdoor meals and garden parties as well as create a welcome, relaxing environment for guests and family.

In ancient civilizations, garden ornaments and statues were symbolic of religious devotion, conveyed wealth and social class, and eventually were used primarily as decoration. Today, the addition of antique garden ornaments can still elevate garden decor and help personalize an outdoor entertaining area. Finding the right decorative elements and deciding where to integrate them can greatly enhance the visual impact of your home’s exterior and transform your landscape design.

Over time, artists have used ceramic, iron, stone and metal to cast garden ornaments such as porcelain urns, cast-iron lanterns, stone obelisks and marble seating. Positioning antique and vintage garden ornaments amid meticulously manicured greenery can help render more prominent the beauty of the outdoor space you’ve tended over the years. We promise that your brightly colored flowers and other plants will pop against the antique building and garden elements you’ve introduced to your outdoor space.

Nestling a garden bench or other garden furniture near statues or an antique fountain proves welcoming to guests, offering a place to appreciate the work you’ve done on your outdoor space or to enjoy a cocktail in the open air. A large statue in the corner of the garden can draw attention to an area that might otherwise go overlooked, while a grouping of smaller statues can create a similar effect in a less-traveled corner of the yard.

Exterior design matters. Express your individuality and emphasize the natural beauty of an outdoor space with a collection of antique and vintage garden ornaments on 1stDibs that includes modern garden ornaments, Art Deco fixtures, Victorian ornaments and more.