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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
1910s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Gold Leaf
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Upholstery, Giltwood
18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Wood
1980s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1850s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
1780s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Fruitwood
1760s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Tapestry, Beech
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1780s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 2000s Italian Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Beech
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1920s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1850s English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Palisander
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood