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.
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
19th Century Swiss Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Mid-20th Century Dutch Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1930s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 1900s British Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
1940s British Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
1930s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Carrara Marble, Metal
Early 1900s English Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Enamel, Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century English Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Rosewood
1890s English Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
1890s British Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
1660s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1890s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1860s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1840s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1840s Russian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver