Empire Home Accents
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.
1820s French Antique Empire Home Accents
Brass, Steel
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Home Accents
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Metal, Brass
2010s Brazilian Empire Home Accents
Rock Crystal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Home Accents
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Paper
19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Home Accents
Metal
1830s American Antique Empire Home Accents
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Mexican Empire Home Accents
Brass, Copper
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Canvas, Wood
1920s American Vintage Empire Home Accents
Iron
20th Century French Empire Home Accents
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Empire Home Accents
Pine
19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Empire Home Accents
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Empire Home Accents
Wood, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Empire Home Accents
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Paint
1810s Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Walnut
1880s English Antique Empire Home Accents
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Wood, Paint
2010s Brazilian Empire Home Accents
Rock Crystal
2010s Brazilian Empire Home Accents
Rock Crystal
19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Glass, Wood, Giltwood, Fabric
1970s American Vintage Empire Home Accents
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Home Accents
Onyx, Marble, Brass
20th Century American Empire Home Accents
Malachite, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Home Accents
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Empire Home Accents
Marble