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.
Dark Green 1830 Floral Painted Cupboard
Located in Vo', Veneto
Dark Green Painted Wardrobe Dated 1830 Period: 1830 (dated) Origin: European Alps Wood essence: Fir Dimension : Height: 166 cm Width: 123 cm (127 cm to the corners) Depth: 50 cm (54 cm to the corners) Description Antique alpine wardrobe...
Fir
French Directoire Style Library Cabinet in solid Cherry wood, Handcrafted
Located in Landivy, FR
This 3 doors bookcase is a handmade reproduction of the French Directoire Style at the end of the 18th century. This period style is remarkable with its straight, classical and timel...
Glass, Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
19th c. Venetian Painted Secretary
Located in New Orleans, LA
Fantastic Italian Venetian Painted secretary/cabinet. This piece has a wonderful color palette but I believe that was done in the early 20th...
Wood
Custom Made Old Plank Directoire Style Bookcase in Stock Floor Model Reduced
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
Handmade Country French style glazed bookcase, display cabinet or china cabinet. Our Directoire style bookcase or china cabinet was hand-crafted right here in our Old Plank workshop....
Glass, Wood, Paint
French Directoire Style Bookcase in Solid Oak white Stained pearl grey Lacquered
Located in Landivy, FR
This 3 doors bookcase is a handmade reproduction of the French Directoire Style at the end of the 18th century. This period style is remarkable with its straight, classical and timel...
Glass, Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
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
Narrow Depth Metal Cabinet with Antique French Directoire Period Doors
Located in Sheffield, MA
These Directoire period metal doors were once window shutters on an 18th century French chateau that now have been repurposed and made into doors for this cabinet which can lend itse...
Iron
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
$22,000 / set
Pair of Demilune Cabinets, France 1800
Located in Belmont, MA
Elegant Pair of Demilune Cabinets, 1800 Discover this beautifully refinished pair of Demilune cabinets, crafted in France around 1800. These rare, matching cabinets feature mahogany ...
Marble
$4,493Sale Price|60% Off
French Directory Bureau Bonheur du jour desk, wood and leather, and bronze inkwe
Located in Valladolid, ES
Stunning French Bonheur du Jour mahogany desk or bureau, dating from the early 19th century, with a leather top and mirrored upper doors. The piece, entirely crafted in a beautiful ...
Crystal, Bronze
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 Re-Interpreted Style TV Cabinet in Solid Oak with 2 Lift Doors
Located in Landivy, FR
This TV cabinet coffee table with 2 independent drawers belongs to our MELANIE collection that proposes handcrafted modernized reinterpretated pieces of furniture from the French Directoire style at the end of the 18th century. This period was remarkable with its straight, classical and timeless lines ornamented with grooves, diamonds or rings on fronts. The finish we propose here is a canelle / cinnamon oak stain and a natural varnish on the 2 diamonds and lower grooves. You can also customize your furniture with an other finish of your choice. The 2 doors open from the top in a "garage door" style, and give the impression of false drawers. A vertical interior partition divides the cabinet into 2 compartments. The left compartment is equipped with a CD rack...
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Metal Cabinet with Antique French Directoire Period Doors
Located in Sheffield, MA
These Directoire period metal doors were once window shutters on an 18th century French chateau that now have been repurposed and made into doors for this cabinet which can lend itse...
Iron
French Directoire Style interpreted handcrafted TV cabinet in solid cherry wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This TV cabinet is a free hand crafted interpretation of the French Directoire Style at the end of the 18th century. This period style is remarkable with its straight, classical and ...
Brass
Antique Directoire Style Night Stand with Marble Lining
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Antique Directoire Style Night Stand with Marble Lining. Beautiful piece purchased in France. Has minor scratching on the marble top. Age appropriate wear. Message us with any questi...
Marble
Grande Bureau Italiano in Noce Intarsiato Undici Cassetti e Abattant 1750 Circa
Located in Milano, MI
Ribalta Antica Italiana della metà del secolo XVIII di origine trentina, la regione a nord vicina all' Austria. Lastronata in legno di noce, decorato con filettature geometriche in ...
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
Louis XVI–Style Tambour Bureau Cabinet in Mahogany and gilt bronze, 19th Century
Located in NICE, FR
This elegant Louis XVI–style bureau cabinet dates from the Napoleon III period, late 19th century, and exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of the great Parisian ébénistes. Crafted ...
Bronze
Decca French Neoclassical Louis XVI Style Cream & Gold Bar Cabinet Buffet (B)
By Decca
Located in Philadelphia, PA
French Neoclassical Louis XVI Style Cream & Gold Painted Bar Cabinet by Decca (B). Item features a heavy two part construction with crackle distres...
Masonite, Paint
French Directoire style handcrafted striped Bonnetiere in solid cherry wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This piece belongs to our MELANIE collection, which is a handmade modernized interpretation of this French Directoire style. The Directoire periode started at the end of the 18th cen...
Wood, Cherry, Lacquer, Oak
French Handcrafted Directoire Style 2-Door Cabinet in Solid Cherry Wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This 2 doors small sideboard ( "mini-bahut") is a hand-crafted reproduction of the French Directoire Style at the end of the 18th century. This ...
Brass
2-door 3-drawer Cabinet in solid oak, a French Directoire style interpretation
Located in Landivy, FR
This 2 doors cabinet is a handmade and modernized interpretation of a French Directoire style cabinet at the end of the 18th century. The des...
Cherry, Oak
French Directoire style 6-drawer handcrafted chiffonier in solid cherry wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This Chiffonier's design is in a French Countryside style, also called "Campagne chic". This storage furniture features 2 white cream, 2 basalt grey lacquered drawers and two smoked...
Wood, Cherry, Oak
19th Century, French Center Cabinet with Marble Top
Located in IT
19th century, French center cabinet with marble top This central cabinet was made in France, during the Directoire period, between the late eighteenth and the beginning of the ninet...
Marble, Bronze
French Consulat Mahogany Period Commode with Paw Feet and Fossil Marble Top
Located in Pembroke, MA
French Consulat period mahogany commode with three-drawers, ebonized griffin feet and pilasters, and black fossil marble top. Gilt bronze escutcheons i...
Ormolu, Bronze
A 19th Century Swedish Painted Armoire - Cupboard
Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire
An extraordinary early 19th century Swedish cupboard. Demonstrating a particularly striking and unusually exaggerated arched pediment sha...
Pine
$2,835
H 74.02 in W 49.22 in D 20.48 in
Antique Rustic Farmhouse Painted Folk Art Bridal Cabinet from 1830
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
Beautifully painted bridal cabinet from Germany, specifically from the Swabian Alps. The cabinet has a very rustic appearance and shows plenty of character. Considering its age, this...
Pine, Paint
$1,795
H 54 in W 32 in D 14 in
Milo Baughman Style Burl Wood Lighted Bookcase or Display Cabinet by Henredon
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Milo Baughman style lighted display cabinet or bookcase with glass front doors By Henredon, "Scene Two" Collection USA, 1980s Burled olive wood, with ash case and...
Glass, Mirror, Ash, Ebony, Burl
$12,500
H 102.5 in W 99.5 in D 20.25 in
Large French Carved and Painted Wood Display and Storage Cabinet
Located in Atlanta, GA
A large French carved and painted wood display and storage cabinet from the mid-20th century. This vintage French buffet à deux-corps (whic...
Metal, Wire
19th Century French Provencal Bleached Oak Buffet Cabinet
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
French Provincial Painted Oak Buffet, France, 19th Century Folk ornament and gentle patina — a poetic fragment of rural French life. This charming painted oak buffet captures the sp...
Oak
Grand Scale Mahogany Custom Bookcase with Leaded Glass Sliding Doors
Located in Milford, NH
A fine large two-door bookcase with sliding leaded glass doors and adjustable shelves, originally a built-in floor to ceiling piece, with a cut-in on the left side, built around heat...
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century Painted French Dresser
Located in Cirencester, GB
We have added the off white painted pattern detail to this lovely authentic antique 19th century French cupboard. A very versatile piece i...
Pine
Classic 19th Century Country French Paint Decorated Cabinet
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Retailed by Peter Roland, Westport CT. A lovely cabinet in a later pale Aqua Green paint with two carved short apron drawers with a diamond motif and later black painted metal figura...
Wood
19th Century English Olivewood and Brass Inlaid Cabinet
By Town & Emanuel
Located in London, GB
A William IV cabinet attributed to Town and Emmanuel Constructed in a strongly grained olivewood and dressed with gold brass inlays and an etched and engraved brass panel; rising from a plinth base, the lockable single door having an inset panel in the manner of Jean Berain, enclosing a shelved interior, and flanked by narrow vertical conforming panels; the apron being dressed with three bronze rosettes, and the Jura Jaune marble is dressed with a three quarter arcaded brass gallery, circa 1830 The cabinet is illustrated and discussed in Christopher Payne’s “British Furniture 1820 to 1920” published in 2023. Payne singles out the rarity of the olivewood timber used as well as the necessity for hand cutting the large marquetry panel. Literature: Payne, Christopher. British Furniture 1820 to 1920 : The Luxury Market. ACC Art Books, 2023, pp. 38-39 (illus. fig. 1.33). Town and Emanuel Recorded in the 'Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840', published by the Furniture History Society, as being situated at 103 New Bond Street between 1830 and 1840, and apart from being manufacturers of furniture, also dealt in 'curiosities and antiques'. The late renowned connoisseur Christopher Gilbert records in his 'Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture' London 1997, also published by the Furniture History Society, a writing table in the Transitional manner with similar plaques. Their label reads 'Town and Emanuel, manufacturers of Buhl Marquetrie, Resner (sic) & Carved Furniture, tripods, screens & c. of the finest and most superb designs of the Louis 14th. Splendid cabinets and tables inlaid with fine Sevres and Dresden china...
Marble, Brass
French Art Deco Cabinet in Rosewood Palissander
By Maxime Old
Located in Miami, FL
Exceptional quality piece of furniture in rosewood, (Palissandre) Art Deco period, standing on a base ending by four rectangular feet each one encased in a nickel plated metal parts. Two thick metal rings on each front doors. This piece is an authentic antique furniture...
Rosewood
$4,760Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 61 in W 30 in D 13 in
Pair Of Custom Handmade Arts & Crafts Style Solid Oak Bookcases Cum Cabinets
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Warm Oak patina and excellent hand crafted details create a refined air about these special bookcases. Uncompromisingly made from solid wood with excellent hardware and strong shelve...
Oak
$3,960Sale Price|43% Off
H 93 in W 95 in D 22 in
Auffray & Co French Provincial Antique Distressed Style Bookcase China Cabinet
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This elegant French Provincial bookcase and china cabinet by Auffray & Co is a remarkable piece that captures the timeless sophistication ...
Oak
Antique French Directoire Style Mahogany Cabinet with Carrara Marble
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique French Directoire Style Mahogany Cabinet with Carrara Marble features a tailored, classic look that will never go out of style! Crafted from exotic imported mahogany, it fea...
Carrara Marble, Brass
Sold
H 80 in W 78.75 in D 18.25 in
Exceptional Paint Decorated French Directoire style or Louis XVI China Cabinet
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exceptional French Louis XVI or Directoire paint-decorated china cabinet embodies neoclassical refinement and timeless elegance. Finished in a soft cream tone with subtle green ...
Walnut
Pair of Demilune Cabinets, France 1800
Located in Belmont, MA
Elegant Pair of Demilune Cabinets, 1800 Discover this beautifully refinished pair of Demilune cabinets, crafted in France around 1800. These rare, matching cabinets feature mahogany ...
Marble
Antique Directoire Style Buffet Cabinet
Located in Austin, TX
Buffet, French, of cherrywood finished in an ebonized French polish for a museum-quality luster. This Directoire style piece has one dovetailed drawers over two doors which open to a...
Brass
Antique Lombardy Italian Neoclassical Painted Corner Etagere Cabinet
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Lombardy Italian Neoclassical Painted Corner Etagere Cabinet
Wood
Sold
H 42 in W 29 in D 11 in
Antique French Directoire Mahogany Petite Cabinet with Carrara Marble Top
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique French Directoire Mahogany Petite Cabinet with Carrara Marble Top is an unusual find due to its amazing quality executed on such a diminutive scale! Perfect for cozy niches,...
Carrara Marble, Brass
French 18th Century Directoire Cabinet Deux-Corps
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Amazing piece with a wonderful flamed walnut and wood screen on the top doors. The depth of the top is 10''.
Walnut
French Directoire Buffet in the manner of Jacob-Desmalter
Located in Austin, TX
A superb antique French Directoire buffet in the manner of Jacob-Desmalter, the “ebeniste" for Napoleon I. This classical piece is extremely well crafted, the primary wood is a Cuban...
Marble, Bronze
Sold
H 43.5 in W 47.5 in D 18 in
Pair of Custom-Made Maison Jansen Style Marble Top Buffets Credenzas Commodes
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
For customers that require professional insured delivery we are proud to have teamed up with a nationwide professional delivery company that will assist with coordinating your delive...
Carrara Marble, Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 35.83 in W 35.83 in D 18.12 in
Early 19th Century Swedish Chest of Drawers Painted Black with Reeded Detail
Located in London, England
An early 19th century Swedish painted black chest with a reeded detail top drawer. This elegant but simple chest is from Skane in the South of Sweden. T...
Pine
Pair of Painted French Directoire Style Cabinets
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Directoire style painted cabinets with glass shelves & chicken wire doors. These cabinets can be used for both display & storage.
Wood, Paint
Directoire Style Painted French Bookcase with Chicken Wire Doors
Located in Houston, TX
Directoire Style Painted French bookcase with Chicken wire doors. The exterior of the cabinet looks and has the construction of a 19th century piece ...
Wire