Empire Bedroom Furniture
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.
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
1940s American Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Carrara Marble
1960s American Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Cherry, Satinwood, Burl
Late 20th Century American Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Bedroom Furniture
Rosewood
1930s Italian Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Silk, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble
1960s American Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Empire Bedroom Furniture
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Bedroom Furniture
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Gold Leaf, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass, Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Metal
1860s Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
1980s Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Empire Bedroom Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble, Brass
18th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Wood
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Empire Bedroom Furniture
Cherry
1960s American Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Danish Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze
1960s American Vintage Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Marble, Breccia Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Empire Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Empire Bedroom Furniture
Siena Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Brass
1820s American Antique Empire Bedroom Furniture
Cherry, Poplar