Gustavian Seating
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 Seating
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
1810s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary English Gustavian Seating
Pine
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
1870s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
2010s American Gustavian Seating
Brass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
1840s Danish Antique Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Oak
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Wood, Paint
1780s French Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood, Birch
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Birch
1830s Scandinavian Antique Gustavian Seating
Birch
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
1830s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Birch
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Birch
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Birch
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Wood
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Birch
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Seating
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Birch
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Seating
Brass
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Pine, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine, Paint
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Birch
Mid-19th Century French Antique Gustavian Seating
Walnut, Silk
1970s Danish Vintage Gustavian Seating
Canvas, Wood
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Beech
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Wood, Birch
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Gustavian Seating
Fabric, Cotton, Upholstery, Pine
20th Century Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Ceramic, Walnut
19th Century European Antique Gustavian Seating
Pine
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
1970s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Seating
Birch
Early 20th Century Argentine Gustavian Seating
Wood, Fabric
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Seating
Wood, Fabric
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood, Giltwood