Biedermeier Loveseats
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Fruitwood, Walnut
2010s American Biedermeier Loveseats
Oak, Walnut
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Loveseats
Fabric, Wood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Cherry
1880s French Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Iron
2010s Spanish Biedermeier Loveseats
Iron
1870s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Pine
Early 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Loveseats
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Biedermeier Loveseats
Linen, Bamboo, Cane
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Upholstery, Fruitwood
2010s Biedermeier Loveseats
Pine, Lacquer, Upholstery, Velvet
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Fabric, Cherry
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Maple, Birdseye Maple
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Walnut
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Wood, Velvet
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Mahogany, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Leather, Cherry
1810s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Upholstery, Cherry
19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Loveseats
Upholstery, Muslin, Mahogany