Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.
Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.
The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.
Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.
Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Ormolu
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Ormolu
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
1950s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Burlap, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Walnut, Burl
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Walnut
1910s British Vintage Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Hardwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Hardwood, Leather
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Walnut
1760s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Silver
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Glass, Walnut
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Ormolu
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bedroom Sets
Wood