From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.
Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. 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.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th C. Balkans Empire Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Mahogany Nightstand Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A fine and rare antique Balkans Empire style gilt bronze mounted mahogany marble-top bedside cabinet. circa 1830 Balkan Peninsula, first half of the 19...
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Pair of Period Empire Mahogany and Gilt Chest of Drawers, Denmark, circa 1800
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Danish late 18th Century pair of period empire chest of drawers. This rare pair was recently found here in the USA, which makes them very attractive because of the new UN/US import restriction of rare and protected wood sorts. More to the point, it is highly unlikely to locate a pair of chests...
Bronze
19th Century French Empire Style Mahogany Bedside Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A French Empire style marble-top mahogany bedside cabinet (nightstand - end table) with elegant beautifully aged warm rustic patina. circa 1870 Hand-crafted in France in the secon...
Marble, Brass
Vintage Casa Nova Italian Empire Style Burl Wood 2 Tier Nightstands - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Casa Nova Italian Empire Style Burl Wood 2 Tier Nightstands - a Pair. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: 22" H x 27.5" W x 17" D.
Wood
Pair of Italian Empire-style bedside tables, 1950s
By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.
Located in Cantù, IT
Pair of Italian Empire-style bedside tables, 1950s
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Nightstand / Side Table Cabinet With Columns, 19th Century
Located in Houston, TX
19th Century French Empire Walnut Nightstand with Brass Mounts A handsome 19th-century French Empire bedside cabinet or nightstand crafted in warm walnut. The restrained neoclassica...
Walnut
19th Cent Ebony Empire Commode or Nightstand, Refinished, Bronze Mounted
Located in Stamford, CT
19th Century, Hollywood Regecny Style Commode, Chest or Nightstand. Bronze Mounted Empire Commode or Nightstand, Refinished in a fine ebony finish to suite the Hollywood Regency Decor of any home. 19th century Empire commode or nightstand. This fine commodes...
Marble
French Empire Nightstand or Side Table with Marble Top and Ormolu Mounts
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Beautiful mahogany French Empire ormolu mounted mahogany side cabinet, nightstand or side table with two interior shelves and a frieze drawer with black marble top. From Paris, Franc...
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Empire Period Walnut Night Stand
Located in Prato, IT
Veneered in walnut, three drawers with black columns with caryatid head and pure gold base. Four ebonized turned legs. Coeval Carrara marble top. Very good condition.
Carrara Marble
Empire Nightstands, Walnut, Full Columns, Gold-Leaf, Brass, Italy, circa 1810
Located in Regensburg, DE
Beautiful, neoclassical and greatly restored Pair of Venetian Empire Nightstands, bedside tables or pillar cabinets from northern Italy, circa 1810. Walnut, veneered on softwood and ...
Brass, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Walnut Nightstand or Cabinet
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This small scale early nineteenth century French Empire period walnut cabinet features two classic half columns with bronze detailing that flank the front of the piece. A single draw...
Bronze
STUNNING PAIR FRENCH EMPIRE STYLE GOLD DETAILED BURR WALNUT BEDSIDES NiGHTSTANDS
Located in Pulborough, GB
Antiques of London We are delighted to offer for sale this Stunning Pair Of French Empire-style bedside Nightstands. They exude opulence and sophistication. Crafted from beautif...
Walnut
French 19th Century Empire Solid Walnut Nightstand
Located in Carmine, TX
French 19th-century Empire nightstand crafted in solid walnut, featuring a rich warm finish, a single paneled door, and elegant cylindrical columns accented with brass ormolu mounts....
Bronze
9th Century Mahogany French Empire Bronze Mounted End Table Nightstand
Located in Long Branch, NJ
19th Century Mahogany French Empire Bronze Mounted End Table Nightstand Dimensions : 43.25" Tall X 12.25" Wide X 16.25" Deep This nightstand was made in France in the 19th century ...
Mahogany
1960's Pair French Empire Style 2 Drawer Brass Mount Night Stands
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
An elegant and highly versatile pair of Directoire-style two-drawer nightstands, beautifully executed in warm walnut and accented with refined brass detailing. Inspired by the restra...
Brass
French 19th Century Empire Solid Walnut Marble Top Nightstand
Located in Carmine, TX
French 19th Century Empire Walnut Nightstand, featuring two drawers with brass ring pulls, turned legs, a lower shelf with a shaped apron, and a veined marble top. Classic Empire neo...
Marble, Bronze
Pair of Empire Style Side Tables
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome pair of Empire style polished mahogany and rosewood side tables, serpentine tops on four legged bases with carved and gilded caryotid legs and with ormolu mounts
Pair of French Empire Style Marble-Top Nightstands with Cabinet Doors
Located in BÉTERA, ES
Elegant pair of French Empire style nightstands, distinguished by their striking combination of richly figured wood veneers, dark contrasting trim, and white marble tops. Each night...
Marble
Pair of French Empire Style Wood Nightstands with Marquetry and Black Columns
Located in BÉTERA, ES
Elegant pair of French Empire style nightstands crafted from wood, featuring beautiful floral marquetry decoration and contrasting black columns with gilt accents. Each nightstand f...
Brass
Pair of Empire Style Mahogany Wood Nightstands, 1930s
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful pair of 1930s empire style mahogany nightstands. They are shaped like a half moon and two legs give elegance and typical style of their time. They also have a central dra...
Bronze
French Empire Nightstand with Drawer and Door 19th Century in Solid Walnut
Located in Milano, MI
Antique Bedside Table in Empire Walnut with an elegantly threaded brass drawer surmounting a door concealing two interior shelves. The cabinet is solid walnut and has been fully line...
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Mahogany Nightstand End Table
Located in Forney, TX
A period French Empire (1804-1815) mahogany chest of drawers nightstand with beautifully aged patina. Born in France in the early 19th century, hand-crafted of warm rich solid mahog...
Belgian Black Marble
Baker Furniture French Empire Cherry and Burl Side Tables, Newly Refinished
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous pair of French Empire style two-tier end tables or nightstands By Baker Furniture USA, Circa 1960s Carved cherry wood, with burl wood banding and satinwood string...
Cherry, Satinwood, Burl
Empire bedside table - 19th century
Located in Porto, PT
Empire style bedside table - 19th century. Portuguese, 19th century; made of mahogany and mahogany veneer. With one drawer and door. Dimensions: 95x61x41 cm.
Wood
Two cylindrical Empire-style bedside tables in Noble Wood - 19th century
Located in Porto, PT
Two cylindrical Empire-style bedside tables in Noble Wood - 19th century. Portuguese, 19th century; Empire style; in Noble Wood, mahogany and mahogany root; one shows traces of woodw...
Wood
Pair of French Empire Style Wood Nightstands with Inlay and Bronze Mounts
Located in BÉTERA, ES
Elegant pair of French bedside nightstands in the Empire style, crafted in wood and decorated with contrasting geometric wood inlays. Each cabinet features a single upper drawer and ...
Bronze
19th Century French Empire Marble Top Mahogany Bedside Table with Drawers
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in France circa 1870 and built of mahogany wood, the elegant antique cabinet stands on front rounded columnar supports embellished with decorative bronze mounted rings at the...
Marble
French Empire Mahogany Bedside Table with Marble Top, Circa 1810
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A classically inspired French Empire marble topped mahogany bedside table which the french call sono. fThe round column shaped table has a black marble top with a recently applied ge...
Marble, Breccia Marble
Elegant octagonal empire column bedside table
Located in Cesena, FC
Elegant empire column nightstand, octagonal. Origin: emiliana (Bologna) Empire-era (early 1800s) Entirely veneered in poplar burl with a special stain that enhances the intricate gr...
Poplar
Empire Burl Wood Desk
Located in Hudson, NY
Beautiful burl wood set against ebonized legs and trim. Desk has a single compartmentalized drawer with key and elegantly curved legs.
Burl
Empire Style Marble-Top Nightstand or Console
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Empire style marble-top nightstand or console. One drawer and lower ledge, gilt bronze details and neoclassical columns.
Siena Marble, Bronze