Biedermeier Furniture
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Iron
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Velvet, Cherry, Paint
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Crystal
1870s Italian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Art Glass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Enamel
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bouclé, Beech, Walnut, Softwood
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Tin
1880s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Alpaca, Glass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1920s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1850s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Glass
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Walnut
19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Pine, Burl
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Pearwood, Maple
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1880s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
1940s German Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Art Glass
2010s Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Murano Glass
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood, Pine
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Chenille, Cherry, Lacquer
2010s Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1920s English Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Nutwood
1850s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany, Velvet
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Polish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Beech
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Steel
1970s North American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Mahogany