Gustavian Sofas
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.
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery, Pine, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Canvas, Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Upholstery, Wood, Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery, Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Birch
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Fabric, Birch
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine, Paint
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
1820s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Gold Leaf
1820s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Berlin Iron
Late 18th Century Antique Gustavian Sofas
Fabric, Beech
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Oak
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Gustavian Sofas
Brass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Cotton, Pine, Linen, Damask
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Linen, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
1840s Danish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Fabric, Oak
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
1840s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Birch
1850s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wool, Wood
1810s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood
1930s Vintage Gustavian Sofas
Textile
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Fabric, Wood
1850s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Birch
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Upholstery
1820s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Pine
1880s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Gustavian Sofas
Bronze
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
1810s Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Beech
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sofas
Wood