Empire Dining Room Chairs
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 2000s American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Maple
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
1810s Italian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Cherry, Walnut
1860s Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Rosewood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Boxwood, Kingwood, Rosewood, Satinwood
Late 18th Century Baltic Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Brass
Early 20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 20th Century British Empire Dining Room Chairs
Damask, Silk, Velvet
20th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs
Brass, Bronze
2010s Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
2010s Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
19th Century Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
1810s French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Nickel
Mid-20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
1810s French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs
Bronze
2010s Italian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Late 20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Ultrasuede, Wicker, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century European Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Cherry
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Damask, Upholstery, Mahogany
1940s American Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany