Gustavian Sideboards
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 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Pine, Paint
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Berlin Iron
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Brass
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Brass
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
20th Century British Gustavian Sideboards
Hardwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sideboards
Brass
1920s French Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Walnut
1970s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary English Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
Early 20th Century Belgian Gustavian Sideboards
Brass
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Gustavian Sideboards
Brass
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
1910s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
1920s French Vintage Gustavian Sideboards
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Bronze