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
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Iron
1870s Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1840s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Cherry, Softwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1980s Liechtenstein Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Spruce, Nutwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Iron
Late 20th Century Australian Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Fruitwood
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Birch, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Cherry
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
19th Century Russian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Maple
19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Sandalwood
1850s Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate
Mid-19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Glass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Velvet, Cherry, Paint
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Cherry, Mirror
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 18th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gesso, Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Mirror
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Velvet, Cherry, Softwood
Mid-20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Cherry, Softwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Spruce, Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 20th Century Czech Biedermeier Furniture
Crystal
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s Swiss Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Burl