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.
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Elm, Walnut, Burl
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Burl
1860s Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century Balkan Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Wire
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Cherry
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
1990s American Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Fabric
1950s German Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Wood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Spruce
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
1840s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Oak, Bone
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Pine
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1830s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Opaline Glass, Uranium Glass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Pearwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Natural Fiber, Cherry
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Stone
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Muslin, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Linen, Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1830s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Enamel
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Cherry
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Burl, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Nutwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut