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 1800s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1880s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1810s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Lacquer, Wood, Spruce
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cane, Cherry
1820s Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
1820s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
1890s Norwegian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Birch, Mahogany
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1830s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Plaster
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
1890s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
1890s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Nutwood
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1870s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silk, Wood
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1820s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1830s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Rosewood
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1820s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer, Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Softwood, Cherry, Glass
20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
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
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1840s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 1800s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Fruitwood, Oak
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Glass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Mirror
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas