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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Softwood, Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1940s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Ash
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Hardwood, Beech
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Oak, Softwood
1950s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate, Gold Leaf, Metal
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1850s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Mohair, Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1820s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Antler
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Softwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Oak, Beech, Cherry, Lacquer
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Softwood
1930s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Spruce, Ash
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
Early 1900s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
1890s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Early 1900s European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1930s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Plywood
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-18th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Hardwood
1870s Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Ash
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
1890s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Nutwood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Oak
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron