Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Breton Oak Footstool
Located in High Point, NC
19th century French oak footstool from the Breton region of France. The top has been newly upholstered in linen and finished with a single welt. The frame of the footstool has wond...
Linen, Oak
$3,400
Napoleon III Stool
Located in Chireno, TX
Napoleon III stool, circa 1870-1889: ebonized frame newly covered in white linen. Note: Regional differences in humidity and climate during shipping may cause antique and vintage wood...
Linen, Wood
$976Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.95 in W 27.37 in D 15.95 in
19th Century French Mahogany Footstool, circa 1850
Located in Faversham, GB
A large and simply stunning 19th Century French footstool. Made in mahogany with delicate Ormolu mounts to legs ending in square tapering supports. The gently bowed sides are topped ...
Mahogany
Hexagonal Tripod Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stubby wooden hexagonal stool, made in France, circa 1950s. Thick seat with three rounded legs. No nails or hardware. Great lines and shape. Petite stoo...
Wood
19th Century French Louis XVI Walnut Six Leg Oval Footstool
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Charming 19th century French walnut footstool featuring an elongated oval form supported by six fluted legs. Made in the grand Louis XVI taste with neoclassical carved rosettes on th...
Brass
Perriand Style Tripod Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic wood stool from France in the style of Charlotte Perriand. Made in the 1960s with three legs. No hardware. Good vintage condition.
Wood
Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Beautiful soft velvet leopard print upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
Velvet, Beech
19th Century Biedermeier Footstool
Located in Darmstadt, DE
We present an authentic small Biedermeier footstool from around 1830. The piece features a solid walnut top resting on oak legs, displaying the w...
Oak, Walnut
Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Beautiful soft velvet leopard print upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
Velvet
$2,050
H 20.08 in W 29.14 in D 29.14 in
Fully Restored George III Style Hand Carved Bench Stool with Lion Hairy Paw Feet
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this fully restored absolutely sublime George III style vintage hand carved mahogany bench stool A very well presented hand carved stool, each leg starts at the top with a lions main then flows downwards with elegant cabriolet legs and finishes with Lions hairy paw feet The timber has all been stripped back, stained and French polished, its in perfect order This piece is designed as a large dressing table...
Upholstery, Hardwood
Burgundy Vintage Stool, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Beautiful soft velvet burgundy upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, characte...
$975
H 9.75 in W 16.5 in D 13.5 in
19th Century French Louis XV Style Walnut Footstool with Custom Linen Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV style walnut footstool from the 19th century with custom linen upholstery. This exquisite 19th-century French walnut footstool is a testament to the enduring elegan...
Fabric, Linen, Upholstery, Walnut
Russell Stool
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Russell stool, a handcrafted recreation of one of Gordon Russell's earliest and most successful Cotswold School designs, crafted in white oak by Wooster and Essex having an uphol...
Oak
French Wooden Tripod Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage wooden stool made in France, circa 1950s. Thick seat and tripod legs with ribs that taper near the bottom. No nails or hardware. Great lin...
Wood
Napoleon III Luigi Bevilacqua Velluto Tigre Verde Green Velvet Footstool
Located in Houston, TX
19th Century Napoleon III ebonized incised wood footstool, newly upholstered in Luigi Bevilacqua Velluto Tigre verde green velvet.
Velvet, Wood
Sold
H 7.75 in W 13 in D 12 in
French Napoleon III Giltwood 19th Century Footstool with Needlepoint Upholstery
Located in Savannah, GA
This charming petite French footstool dates from the Napoleon III period. Features include a hand-carved painted giltwood frame with neoclassical motifs and decorative molding. The s...
Fabric, Giltwood
Napoleon III Giltwood Bamboo Stool
Located in Houston, TX
Napoleon III giltwood bamboo stool newly upholstered in a Yves Klein blue silk with orange welt detail.
Silk, Giltwood
Sold
H 7.5 in W 11 in D 11 in
French Napoleon III 1870s Petite Footstool with Floral Needlepoint Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoléon III period petite footstool from the late 19th century, with floral needlepoint upholstery. Created in France during the third quar...
Tapestry, Wood
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Walnut Needlework Footstool
Located in Birmingham, AL
A lovely French Napoleon III period footstool handcrafted of walnut in Normandy having a beautiful floral needlework seat embellished with a velvet trim and brass nailheads, circa 18...
Walnut
Sold
H 7 in W 14.5 in D 12 in
Pair of 19th Century, French, Carved Mahogany Foot Stools with Aubusson Tapestry
Located in Dallas, TX
Incorporate neoclassical beauty into your home with this exquisite pair of colorful Napoleon III carved bombe footstools. Crafted in Paris, circa 1860, and made in mahogany wood, the...
Tapestry, Mahogany
Napoleon III Foot Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
A Napoleon III foot stool from France, circa 19th century. Original stuffing and linen-cotton cover. Carved wood legs with black lacquer. All original.
Wood
Fournier Style Napoleon III Gilt Rope Ottoman, circa 1860
Located in Houston, TX
A.E.M. Fournier style pouf à cordes shows his true mastery of skilled Parisian craftsmanship exemplified by the open rope knots and gilding. This stool has been newly upholstered in ...
Mohair, Giltwood, Wood
19th Century French Gilded Tabouret with Upholstered Seat
Located in New Orleans, LA
Tara Shaw Antiques - 19th century French gilded tabouret with upholstered seat. Lovely gilded and carved spiral twist legged antique stool with brown silk upholstered cushion seat.
Silk, Wood
French Footstool/Bench Ebonized Finish, 19th Century, Napoleon III
Located in New York, NY
19th century, French, Napoleon III ebonized spool leg footstool. Upholstered in vintage Belgian linen. Nailhead accent design.
Walnut
Napoleon III Ebonized Faux-Bamboo Stool - France, 19th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
A large, round Napoleon III stool with a faux-bamboo, ebonized wood base. The top has been re-upholstered with elegant, vintage chintz.
Pair of French Napoleon III Bead Work Upholstered Footstools
Located in Hudson, NY
This pair of small footstools is made in France during the reign of Napoleon III, circa 1870-1880. Crafted from ebony and then decorated with ...
Bronze