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.
$240Sale Price / set|31% Off
24 Vintage European Christmas Ornaments Churches
Located in Boca Raton, FL
24 pcs of Vintage European Christmas Ornaments Church figurines in 3 colors. Blown Mercury glass Handpainted and with glitter. In a gift box.
Blown Glass
Gustavian Painted Flambeau Flame Urn Sculpture with Finial
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Impressive sculpture of an urn or trophy with removable flame finial. The flame was often used as decorative element in antiques similar to this modern one. The wooden sculpture is p...
Wood, Paint
Bust of David Von Schulzenheim, Signed by Erik Gustav Göthe, Sweden, Dated 1821
Located in New York, NY
Bust of David von Schulzenheim, owner of Gröönsö castle, signed by Erik Gustav Göthe, a principle of Sergel and inscribed: David Schulz v. Schulzenheim. / MDCCCXXI plaster, Dated 1821 This is a bust of Dr. David von Schulzenheim, owner of Grönsöö Slott. In the 18th Century Grönsöö Slott was owned by the famed Stockholm doctor David von Schultzenheim. Dr. von Schulzenheim introduced the smallpox vaccine to Sweden and served the public’s health needs during its crisis from 1873 – 1874. When not in public health service, he devoted a significant amount of passion and money to beautify the palace and park in the romantic spirit of the time. The castle blossomed towards the end of the 18th century with the palace’s upper floors serving as the residential apartments of the family and furnished in exquisite Gustavian and late Gustavian style. Never one to rest on his laurels in science or design, in 1786, with the smallpox outbreak leveling, Dr. von Schulzenheim ordered the construction of a Chinese...
Plaster
$3,800
Painted Wooden Toy Horse
Located in Washington, DC
A painted wooden toy horse.
Wood
A Composite Marble Bust Of David
Located in London, GB
A good scale and form composition marble bust of David mounted on a Black socle. David inscription to base. Very probably by Anthony Redmile London.
Composition
Vintage German Christmas Tree Stand Iron Folk Art .
Located in Kitzbühel, Tirol
Hugh Christmas tree stand made of iron. The stand is decorated with three large hands painted Santa Claus. The Santa Claus is decorated on both si...
Iron
$205 / item
H 5.02 in Dm 2.67 in
Small Agua Elemental Spinning Top in Oiled Walnut by Alvaro Uribe for Wooda
By Wooda, Alvaro Uribe
Located in Omro, WI
The initial inspiration for the elemental top collection by Alvaro Uribe for Wooda was wooda’s iconic logo of a tree. We felt it captured the company’s synergy for working with wood ...
Hardwood, Walnut
$535 / set
H 3.83 in Dm 3.35 in
Set of 3 Small Elemental Spinning Tops in Oiled Walnut by Alvaro Uribe for Wooda
By Alvaro Uribe, Wooda
Located in Omro, WI
The initial inspiration for the elemental top collection by Alvaro Uribe for Wooda was wooda’s iconic logo of a tree. We felt it captured the company’s synergy for working with wood ...
Wood, Hardwood, Walnut
$670 / item
H 10 in W 8.5 in D 4.5 in
Hermanos Calavera Conquistador in Oiled Walnut by Miguel & Ilse Silva for Wooda
By Miguel Silva, Wooda, Ilse Silva
Located in Omro, WI
These handsome but quirky brothers designed by Miguel and Ilse Silva for Wooda are the result of an engaging mix of personality, love, fun and mischievousness. Los Hermanos Calavera(...
Hardwood, Maple, Oak, Walnut
Vintage Sommerso Aventurine Art Glass Flame Sculpture
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage art glass sculpture features a restrained tone-on-tone palette of amber glass with delicate gold leaf, or aventurine, accents. The colored glass is encased in a layer clear ...
Gold
Christmas ornaments with Dachshund By van Heinen Delfts Bleu
Located in Delft, NL
Christmas ornaments with Dachshund By van Heinen Delfts Bleu 4 pieces Christmas tree decorations designed by Janny van der Heijden for Heinen Delfts Blue A Christmas ball with scene...
Ceramic
$383Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 5.12 in W 11.42 in D 5.91 in
Vintage Decorative Golden Bee Ornament Bumble Bee Sculpture LUXURY ORNAMENT Bee
Located in Wembley, GB
A beautiful vintage golden bee ornament for your room. An impressive size, this golden bee is a gorgeous statement piece for a shelf or sideboard! 29 x 15 x 13cm As you see in a pic...
Metal, Gold Plate, Sheet Metal, Gold Leaf
$383Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 5.12 in W 11.42 in D 5.91 in
Vintage Decorative Silver Bee Ornament Bumble Bee Sculpture LUXURY ORNAMENT Bee
Located in Wembley, GB
A beautiful vintage silver bee ornament for your room. An impressive size, this silver bee is a gorgeous statement piece for a shelf or sideboard! 29 x 15 x 13cm
Metal, Gold Plate, Sheet Metal, Gold Leaf
$2,350
H 28.5 in W 9.75 in D 5.5 in
Pair 19th Century Neoclassical Style Italian Plaster Urns with Flame Finials
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of Italian neoclassical style urns in relief that can either stand on their own or hang from the wall as decorative elements. Quite handsome, with acanthus leaf decoration and f...
Plaster
$1,917
H 3.82 in W 5.52 in D 8.98 in
Pair of Silver Plate Pheasant Table Ornament Sculptures, Europe, 20th century
Located in London, GB
A pair of beautifully modelled silver plate pheasant table ornaments, made in Europe in the 20th century. Both the hen and cock pheasant sculptures are realistically modelled with ...
Silver Plate
Italian Giltwood Rococo Flambeau Decoration
Located in New York, NY
Antique carved giltwood and painted Rococo-style flame decoration on pedestal, Italy, 19th century. Dimension: 10.5" H x 4.75" W x 3.38" D.
18th-Century Gustavian Wooden Horse on Wheels
Located in Mckinney, TX
Carved from a single log, this 18th-century Swedish wooden horse is a rare surviving example of early Scandinavian craftsmanship. Featuring hand-pegged joinery and a primitive, scu...
Iron
Bertil Vallien for Kosta Boda Glass Boat, 1990s, Sweden
Located in Delft, NL
Signed with signature and sticker In mint condition.
Glass
Sold
H 2.96 in W 1.7 in D 0.99 in
Bertill Vallien for Kosta Boda Sweden Mini Sculpture Owl ”Night Eyes”
Located in Delft, NL
Bertill Vallien for Kosta Boda sweden mini sculpture Owl ”Night Eyes” Bertil Vallien has designed many classics for the Swedish glassworks in Åfors,...
Art Glass
Sold
H 32.25 in W 13.5 in D 9 in
Bust of Roman or Greek Man, Venetian Style, Metal Stand, Sculpture, 20th C.
Located in Manhasset, NY
A stunning example of a blasted cement or cast stone bust of a bearded man. The head mounted on a custom metal stand. Finely detailed hand made. Bust itself measures: 16.5 H x 11 W ...
Cast Stone
Gustavian Style Carved White Painted Laurel Swags
Located in Essex, MA
A unique pair of architectural wall ornaments in the Swedish Gustavian style. Grey/ white-painted and hand-carved laurel swags of significa...
Wood
Pair of 17th Century Carved Antique Swedish Gustavian Gilt Tassels
Located in Stockholm, SE
Pair of Gustavian 17th century carved antique Swedish Gustavian gilt tassels. The tassels are hand carved and thus different, but similar. Origi...
Wood
19th Century Swedish Hand Carved and Painted Horse
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century Swedish hand carved and painted horse features lovely lines of a simple design and with leather ears in Classic Swedish flair! Sweden, circa 1870s Measures: 22 H x 24 ...
Leather, Hardwood
A Large Painted Gustavian Toy Horse
Located in Washington, DC
A Very Rare Large Painted Gustavian Toy Horse. Exceptional quality of craftsmanship.
Wood, Paint