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.
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1860s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood, Lacquer
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s Czech Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1770s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Gold
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brocade, Wood, Down
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Olive, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Plexiglass, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
1960s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century European Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silver
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Maple
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood, Mirror
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Burlap, Wood, Paint
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wire
1930s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Giltwood
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Grasscloth, Beech
1960s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Granite, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Enamel, Ormolu