Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
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 Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Wood, Fur, Fabric, Upholstery, Elm
1840s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Wood
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Wood
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Chenille
Mid-20th Century European Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Oak
1950s French Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Iron
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Upholstery, Velvet
20th Century Moroccan Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Stone
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary North American Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery
Late 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Linen, Walnut
1860s Dutch Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1920s English Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Nutwood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Walnut, Faux Leather
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric, Wood
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Ottomans and Poufs
Metal, Gold Leaf