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
Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Mohair
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1830s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Plaster
Early 1800s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Tin
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1820s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 1800s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Fruitwood, Oak
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1890s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Felt, Glass, Walnut
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1940s Spanish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Beech, Maple
1830s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Cherry
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Lacquer, Wood, Spruce
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Oak, Walnut, Spruce
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Mirror
1910s French Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Lacquer, Beech, Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Ebony
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Glass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Ebony
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas