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.
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1840s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1880s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Elm
1850s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Fir
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Wood
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Concrete
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Maple
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Fir
17th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Upholstery
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Mahogany, Giltwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Burl, Walnut
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery, Burl
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Hardwood, Beech
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Walnut
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1850s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Fir
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
20th Century Dutch Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
18th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Glass, Walnut
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Birch
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Satin, Birch, Maple
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Burl