Louis XV Armchairs
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Cane, Walnut
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Louis XV Armchairs
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Louis XV Armchairs
Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Leather, Fabric
1860s French Antique Louis XV Armchairs
Birch
20th Century Italian Louis XV Armchairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XV Armchairs
Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Wood
2010s Portuguese Louis XV Armchairs
Wood, Leather
20th Century European Louis XV Armchairs
Upholstery, Cane, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XV Armchairs
Oak
20th Century American Louis XV Armchairs
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Armchairs
Fabric, Cane, Walnut
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Giltwood
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
1970s Unknown Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Cotton, Polyester, Wood
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Leather, Mohair, Mahogany
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Hardwood
1970s Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
1970s European Vintage Louis XV Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood, Paint