With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Elegant Pair of Swedish Gustavian Fire-Gilt Bronze Wall Appliques, 1780s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Fire-Gilt Bronze Wall Appliques, 1780s An exceptionally elegant and rare pair of Swedish Gustavian wall appliques, executed in finely chased fire-gilt bron...
Bronze
Swedish Late Gustavian Brass Wax Candle Holder, Early 19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Swedish Late Gustavian Brass Wax Candle Holder, Early 19th Century A refined Swedish brass wax candle holder, crafted during the late Gustavian period in the early 1800s. Designed...
Brass
Antique Gustavian Candle Holders Set, Hand-Carved Pinewood, Circa 1820
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique set of two Gustavian candle holders with palm décor foliage ornaments, in good condition. The hand carved Pinewood candle stick is patinated in ecru and grey and is accent...
Metal
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Pewter Candlesticks by Hans Wicksten
Located in Knivsta, SE
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Pewter Candlesticks by Hans Wicksten An elegant and highly unusual pair of Swedish Gustavian pewter candlesticks, crafted by the noted pewter master Hans W...
Pewter
Antique Swedish Gustavian Oval Wall Mirrors, Gilded Pinewood, 1880
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A late 19th Century, antique pair of Swedish Gustavian style oval shaped wall mirrors made of hand crafted gilded Pinewood, bronze with its original mirrored glass, in good condition. Each of the Scandinavian wall décor...
Metal, Bronze
Pair of Gustavian Pewter Candlesticks from the late 18th or early 19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Beautiful Pair of Gustavian Pewter Candlesticks from the late 18th or early 19th Century. Period Gustavian design. Wear consistent with age and use
Pewter
Gilded Pine Wall Mirrors by Carl A. Carlsson, Swedish Design, 1935
By Carl A. Carlsson
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold, antique Swedish Gustavian pair of wall mirrors with its original mirrored glass, made of hand crafted gilded Pinewood, designed by Carl A. Carlsson in good condition. The Scandinavian wall...
Mirror, Giltwood, Pine
Gustavian Brass Candlesticks, Sweden 18th century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Gustavian Brass Candlesticks. Made in Sweden during the reign of Gustav III. The brass used in these candlesticks have high levels of copper, giving ...
Brass
Antique Swedish Gustavian Candle Holders, Pinewood, Gilded, Circa 1860
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Swedish pair of mid 19th Century Gustavian candle holders made of hand crafted Pinewood, in good condition. The sticks are patinated in...
Pine
Set of 11 Vintage Swedish Gustavian Brass Candle Holders, 1960-1980
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold, vintage Swedish Gustavian similar set of eleven candle holders made of hand crafted brass, in good condition. The Scandinavian candlesticks, stands are enhanced by derail cra...
Metal, Brass
Gustavian Style Brass Light Fixture, Hand-Painted, Sweden, Circa 1965
Located in New York, NY
Patinated brass and brass details copied from the pre-electricity Gustavian period, featuring six faux candles hanging on three decorative brass chains,...
Brass
Pair of 18th Century Gustavian Bronze Candlesticks with Egyptian Female Figures
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of Gustavian bronze candlesticks featuring stems in the form of a standing Egyptian woman with crossed arms. The candleholders are adorned with intricate ciselé work. Displays a...
Bronze
Swedish Gustavian Candleholders Late 1800th in Pewter
Located in Stockholm, SE
Swedish Gustavian candleholders. Made late 18th century in Pewter, signed N. Height ~ 16,5cm. Ribbed columns on a bell shaped postament, with loose light cuffs and charmingly patinat...
Pewter
$8,500 / set
Pair of 18th Century Gustavian Candelabras
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine pair of 18th century Gustavian three light candelabras. Gilded bronze and marble (Bleu Turquin) with a caryatid supporting three candle arms adorned with foliage, pedestal of ma...
Bronze
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style Nickel Silver Column Candlesticks
Located in Brentwood, TN
A pair of Swedish Gustavian style nickel silver column candlesticks, circa 1900, featuring a clean neoclassical form with square bases and columnar stems. This refined pair has the ...
Nickel
Candlesticks Swedish Gustavian Neoclassical Gray Marble Brass, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Candlesticks Swedish Gustavian neoclassical gray marble brass, Sweden. A pair of gorgeous white marble candlesticks made during the Gustavian period. Column shaped with polished bras...
Gustavian Pewter Pair of Candlesticks by Skandia Tenn, Sweden, 1984
By Svenskt Tenn
Located in Bochum, NRW
A pair of Gustavian‑style pewter candlesticks, shaped with the quiet discipline of Swedish neoclassicism and crafted by Skandia Tenn, Karlshamn in 1984. Their fluted stems rise with ...
Pewter
Pair of Swedish Late Gustavian Brass Candlesticks, Early 19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Pair of Swedish Late Gustavian Brass Candlesticks, Early 19th Century A refined pair of Swedish late Gustavian brass candlesticks, dating from the early 19th century. Executed in so...
Brass
Candlesticks Gustavian Swedish 18th Century Brass, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Candlesticks Gustavian Swedish 18th century 1790-1810 made in brass, Sweden. A pair of Gustavian candlesticks made in Sweden during the late part of 18th century and the Gustavian pe...
Brass
Pair of 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Carved Wooden Candlesticks
Located in Hastings, GB
An exceptional pair of Swedish carved wooden candlesticks, dating to circa 1870, showcases the finest characteristics of Scandinavian country elegance and historic craftsmanship. The...
Wood
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Pewter Candlesticks, Johan Fredrik Gellerstedt, 1833
Located in Knivsta, SE
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Pewter Candlesticks, Johan Fredrik Gellerstedt, 1833 An elegant pair of late Gustavian pewter candlesticks, crafted in Härnösand, Sweden, by the pewter ma...
Pewter
$3,800 / set
19th Century Late Gustavian Candlesticks
Located in Allerum, SE
Pair of early 19th century Swedish Late Gustavian gilt and dark patinated bronze candlesticks. Sweden ca 1810.
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Pair of 18th Century Swedish Candlesticks
Located in Greenwich, CT
Good pair of 18th Century Swedish baroque hand hammered brass candlesticks with removable drip pan over barleytwist shafts with central drip collar, standing on bulbous bases having ...
Brass
Four Swedish Gustavian pewter candlesticks made year 1810
Located in Stockholm, SE
A rare set of four Swedish pewter candlesticks by Petter Höijer of Örebro, made ca year 1810. Executed in the Gustavian style at the close of the period, the candlesticks display ele...
Pewter
A Pair of Late Gustavian Faux Porphyry Reverse Glass Candesticks, 19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The pair of reverse glass faux porphyry candlesticks with brass mounts (lacking one tassel)
Glass
$392Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Vintage Brass Gusum Candlesticks by Bernt Karlsson, Sweden, 1980
Located in New York, NY
A pair of solid brass candlesticks by Metallslöjden Gusum Bruk, Sweden. Designed by Bernt Karlsson. Dated 1978 and 1980.
Brass
$1,800 / set
Cobalt Blue Swedish Girandoles, A Pair
Located in Bradenton, FL
Pair of Swedish Girandoles of Gustavian style, crafted with cobalt blue ovoid shafts resting on a white marble base. These elegant two-piece girandoles feature two brass candleholder...
Crystal, Marble, Brass
Antique Pair Of Swedish Brass Elegant Neoclassical Gustavian Manner Candlesticks
By Skultuna
Located in Norwich, England
Pair of Antique Swedish brass candlesticks in a Neoclassical Gustavian manner. Circa 1900. Stamped marks. Skultuna Bruk No. 23. Dual arm urn-shaped candle holders with fluting colu...
Brass
Imperial Russian Crystal Cobalt Blue Glass and Gilt Bronze Girandoles Tsar Era
By Johann Zech
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A pair of very rare exquisite Imperial Russian crystal girandoles, each with five scrolling candle branches set in a cobalt blue glass baluster vase mounted in gilt bronze, the centr...
Crystal, Marble, Bronze
Candlesticks Gustavian Pair Swedish 18th Century Red Marble Dark Bronze Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Candlesticks Gustavian pair Swedish 18th century red marble dark bronze Sweden. A pair of candlesticks made during the early 19th century in Sweden. Base in red marble with women sha...
Porphyry, Bronze
Candlesticks Pair of English Mahogany, 18th Century, England
Located in New York, NY
Candlesticks pair of English mahogany, 18th century, England. A pair of candlesticks made during the 18th century in England. Made from mahogany with candleholders in brass.
Mahogany
$4,500 / set
Pair of Late Gustavian Candlesticks
Located in Ljungby, SE
A pair of late-Gustavian candlesticks made in Stockholm around 1800. The stems are made of glass columns with a porphyry-imitation paper on the inside. The fittings and light sockets...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Pair of Late Gustavian Carrara Marble Candlesticks
Located in Ljungby, SE
A pair of Swedish late Gustavian candleholders in white Carrara marble and fire-gilded bronze.
Carrara Marble, Bronze