Formed in the wake of the Jacobin Reign of Terror’s bloody guillotine, the Directoire was established to lead France into order through the leadership of a five-member council of directors. It was brief, lasting only from 1795 to 1799, ending with Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état, and was economically tumultuous. Yet it was an essential bridge between the era of Louis XVI and the elaborate Empire style that followed, with Directoire furniture and decorative arts shaped by a royal passion for classical design and an enthusiasm for postrevolutionary France.
Much of the country’s furniture production had halted during the French Revolution when the furniture guilds system was abolished, but during the Directoire period, the cabinetmakers restarted their businesses, such as François-Honoré-Georges and Jacob-Desmalter who established a new workshop called Jacob-Frères. Pieces made in walnut, elm, mahogany and other inexpensive materials incorporated influences ranging from Egypt to Pompeii, with popular forms including the curule armchair based on an ancient Roman design. The aesthetics of the transitional style were more austere than during the monarchy, with court cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste Sené, for instance, reimagining his workshop’s neoclassical-style furniture with ungilded surfaces and a reduction of ornamentation.
Symbols referencing the revolutionary tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity were frequently carved into Directoire furnishings, such as the Phrygian cap, clasped hands and the fasces, which is an image of a bound bundle of sticks adopted from the Roman Republic, where it was seen as an emblem of strength through unity.
Elements of the French Directoire style continued through Empire style. Designers Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine are credited today as major proponents of both movements. The classically inspired furniture design is represented in pieces such as the boat-shaped daybed and the klismos chair, which endured in French interiors as well as in styles abroad, including American Directoire.
Find a collection of antique Directoire chairs, tables, daybeds, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Antique Directoire Style French Mahogany Buffet with Carrara Marble Top
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique Directoire Style French Mahogany Buffet with Carrara Marble Top is a striking and elegantly proportioned piece, distinguished by its richly figured veneer and refined, archit...
Carrara Marble, Brass
Ebonized Directoire Buffet, Cherry Wood & Brass Hardware, France, 1910
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France in the Directoire style. This piece is circa 1910. It is made of solid wood construction, primarily cherry-wood. There are four doors that feature detailed brass h...
Brass
French Directoire Style 2-door 3-drawer cabinet in solid wild cherry wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This cabinet with 2 doors and 3 independent drawers belongs to our MELANIE collection that proposes handcrafted modernized reinterpretated pieces of furniture from the French Louis X...
Wood, Cherry, Oak
French Directoire Buffet, Solid Cherrywood, Bronze Hardware, 1830
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France from the Directoire period; the piece was in the main Salon of a famous French Restaurant in Vienne (Rhone Valley) ”La Pyramide.” This architectural sideboar...
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Painted Buffet
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautiful 18th century Italian Tuscan Buffet. The Painted Images and the Vibrant Colors make this piece a standout. It is a very large storage piece...
Wood
$3,984Sale Price|20% Off
18th Century Directoire Period Country French Whitewashed Buffet
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century Directoire Period Country French Whitewashed Buffet is a splendid example of the tailored architecture made popular just before and after the turn of the 19th century. ...
Brass
French Handcrafted Directoire Style 2-Door Cabinet in solid-cherry wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This 2-door small sideboard ( "mini-bahut") is a handcrafted reproduction of the French Directoire Style at the end of the 18th century. This period style is remarkable with its str...
Brass
$7,996Sale Price|20% Off
Fine French Breche D' Alep Marble Top Faux Tambor Doors Directoire Sideboard
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This fine French Directoire style sideboard is a superb example of craftsmanship and elegance, distinguished by its stunning Breche d’Alep marble top and refined architectural form. ...
Breccia Marble, Bronze
French Mid-20th Century Directoire Buffet
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Very interesting, small cabinet with inlay and brass. Elegant with a lot of character.
Walnut
Una 'Articolo Indeterminativo' Wood and Brass Buffet
Located in Roma, IT
The buffet is the first item of the collection Una (Articolo Indeterminativo) by the Italian woodworker Stefano Marolla. The title refers to the indeterminate article in the Italian grammar, as these pieces trick the eye playing on the ambiguity of the matter: A sturdy element like wood, hand-curved and levigated, looks like a light tapestry. The curves and the soft drapery of the wood are inspired by a long and attentive study on the usage of drapery in art’s history, going back from the ancient Greece to Bernini’s sculptures...
Brass
Solid Oak Cabinet, France, 1940s
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Discover the allure of French craftsmanship with this charming and compact oak buffet from the 1940s. Despite its smaller size, this piece exudes timeless elegance and showcases the ...
Oak
French Carved Oak Cabinet, France
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
A quiet yet resolute expression of mid-century French craftsmanship, this carved oak cabinet from the 1940s is imbued with a sense of order, geometry, and gravitas. Its sculpted door...
Oak
$9,899
H 30 in W 48 in D 18 in
Industrial Steel Console Cabinet with Double Doors in Blackened Steel Finish
By Redsoul
Located in Seattle, WA
Bailey Console: A Statement of Timeless Design and Practicality The Bailey Console is an sleek and robust storage solution that combines classic craftsmanship with contemporary appe...
Steel
19th Century French Renaissance Henry II Walnut Buffet
Located in Forney, TX
A most impressive antique, circa 1880, French carved walnut marble-top top buffet- sideboard server with nicely aged patina. Born in France during the late 19th century Renaissance Revival, hand-crafted of warm, rich solid walnut, exceptionally executed in 16th century King Henry II...
Marble, Brass
Painted Louis XVI Buffet, French, Carrara Marble, Antique 1920s
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France in the Louis XVI style. This enfilade is made of solid wood construction, primarily mahogany. It has been finished with a hand-painted milk paint in a dove gray Tr...
Marble, Brass
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Buffet Cabinet in Cherrywood
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A beautiful 18th century French buffet/ sideboard in cherry wood with rounded bevel-edged, rectangular top resting on a base with two drawers over two cabinet doors. This graceful bu...
Steel
Louis XVI style buffet / sideboard mahogany with white marble top
Located in Houston, TX
The clean linear lines In this piece makes it special The fine mahogany wood is in fine condition with the Original finish. The white marble top is also original Without blemishes ...
Marble
Fine French Art Deco Cherrywood Buffet by Maxime Old
By Maxime Old
Located in Long Island City, NY
A fine French Art Deco three-door cherry buffet or commode by Maxime Old with refined patinated metal and bronze hardware. Bibliography: "MAXIME OLD Architecte - decorateur" by Yves...
Bronze
$5,795
H 47.2 in W 66.3 in D 21.6 in
1850s French Provincial Oak Buffet, Solid Wood, Four Drawers, France
Located in High Point, NC
This 1850s French Provincial oak buffet showcases the warm, timeworn character that defines countryside craftsmanship of the era. Built from solid oak and preserved in its original p...
Oak
18th Century French Walnut Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
18th century walnut buffet from France with gorgeous burl walnut details throughout the piece. The top is banded and has a beveled edge, following down to hand paneled sides with sca...
Walnut, Burl
French Art Deco Buffet with Marble Top
By Maxime Old
Located in North Bergen, NJ
French Art Deco mahogany buffet with beautiful marble top. Four central draws flanked by cabinet doors covered with very detailed designed door panels. This buffet is remarkable, wit...
Mahogany
18th Century French Directoire Enfilade Made From Walnut
Located in High Point, NC
18th century walnut Directoire enfilade from France. The top is made from the most gorgeous matched grain planks, and banded as well to prevent shrinkage over the years. The top fo...
Walnut
Directoire Style Ebonized French Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
This impressive French antique grand buffet crafted in the Directoire style is made of solid wood construction, primarily mahogany. It showcases a magnificent neoclassical design wit...
Brass
French Directoire Painted Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France in the Directoire style. This piece is made of solid wood construction that has been finished with a milk paint in the pistachio green color. There is gold leaf tr...
Brass, Gold Leaf
Sold
H 40.75 in W 68 in D 21.75 in
Early 19th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Lyonnaise Enfilade Buffet
Located in Birmingham, AL
A stately early 19th century French Directoire period enfilade buffet, handcrafted in the historic city of Lyon, circa early 1800s. Constructed of rich, solid walnut, this elegant ...
Walnut
French Directoire Small Chest/Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet/cabinet from France in the Directoire style. This piece is made of solid wood construction, primarily mahogany, that has been ebonized and finished with a lustrous French poli...
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century French Directoire Period Cherry Enfilade Buffet
Located in Birmingham, AL
An elegant late 18th century French Directoire period enfilade buffet, handcrafted from solid cherrywood in Saint-Malo, a historic port city in the Brittany region, circa 1790s. Show...
Brass
Early 20th Century French Directoire Style Walnut Enfilade Buffet
Located in Birmingham, AL
A striking early 20th century French Directoire style enfilade buffet, handcrafted in the Île-de-France region near Paris, circa early 1900s. Showcasing the refined symmetry and unde...
Walnut
Directoire French Antique Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France from the Directoire period. This piece is made of solid wood construction, primarily walnut. There are two dovetailed drawers at the top with wood pulls. Below, tw...
Bronze, Iron
French 19th Century Louis XVI-style Demilune Enfilade
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Stunning mahogany enfilade in the style of Louis XVI, with classic demilune shape. The top surface is a captivating slab of Brèche d’Alep marble in a range of ochre tones and flashes...
Marble, Brass
Ebonized Directoire French Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France in the Directoire style. This piece is made of solid wood construction, primarily mahogany. This piece has been ebonized and finished with a lustrous French polish...
Brass
Directoire French Ebonized Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet from France in the Directoire style. This piece is made of solid wood construction, primarily mahogany. This piece has been ebonized and finished with a lustrous French polish...
Brass
Sold
H 41.75 in W 73.75 in D 18.75 in
Antique French Directoire Buffet Restored with an Ebonized Finish Early 1800's
Located in Highwood, IL
Antique French Directoire Buffet with its Original Marble Top still in place. Our inhouse Old Plank Restoration department carefully stripped the old finish, without the use of any harsh chemicals down to the bare mahogany and rebuilt the entire Directoire Buffet as necessary without taking any shortcuts. After which our Old Plank Finishing department gave the Antique Directoire Buffet an old world Ebonized finish. Directoire style furniture...
Marble, Brass