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 German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Nutwood
1890s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Belgian Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Walnut, Pine
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1880s Polish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Linen, Oak
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1920s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Rosewood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1810s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany, Maple, Oak
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Glass
20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
1890s Norwegian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Bone
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Enamel
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Lacquer, Spruce
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pine
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold, Brass, Iron
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Velvet, Cherry, Paint
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Wood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry