Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Upholstery, Walnut, Paint
20th Century Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Maple
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Satinwood
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
1870s French Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Giltwood
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Early 20th Century American Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Wood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Silk, Walnut
1890s French Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Maple, Pine
19th Century Chinese Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Gold Leaf
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Satinwood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Cherry
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Maple
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Burl, Birch
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Maple
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut, Wood