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.
1990s Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Burl
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s American Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Upholstery
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Burl, Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cane, Cherry
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cane, Cherry
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Faux Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1990s American Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1990s North American Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Maple
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1960s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Burl
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood