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 North American Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Fruitwood
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Bronze
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
1940s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery
Early 2000s American Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Olive
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 1900s European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Fabric
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Burl
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bone
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Danish Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1820s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Art Glass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
1860s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
1920s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1860s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Ebony
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint