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-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s Russian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1860s Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Fabric
18th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
1910s French Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Lacquer, Beech, Cherry
1940s Spanish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Gold Leaf
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Nutwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Elm
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Leather
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Burl, Walnut
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Elm
Early 1800s Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Birch
19th Century Russian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Birch
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Ash, Burl
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Pearwood, Maple
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Mirror
Early 1900s Norwegian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Oak
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass
1890s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany, Upholstery
1960s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ormolu
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Softwood, Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Giltwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Iron
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Walnut, Softwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas, Paint