Gustavian Side Chairs
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood, Paint
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Pine, Cotton
1910s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Side Chairs
Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1850s Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wool, Wood, Paint
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Side Chairs
Birch
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Linen, Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Pine
Late 18th Century European Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Finnish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Pine
1840s Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Brass
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Oak
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Birch
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Ceramic, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
19th Century Portuguese Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Rosewood
1970s Danish Vintage Gustavian Side Chairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Side Chairs
Pine
1950s English Vintage Gustavian Side Chairs
Silk, Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1890s Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Oak
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Linen, Wood
1820s Danish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Suede, Beech, Mahogany
Early 18th Century English Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Walnut
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Paint, Fabric, Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Paint, Fabric, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Pine
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Calico, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century English Gustavian Side Chairs
Oak
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Side Chairs
Wood