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 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
2010s Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Velvet, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1870s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Birch
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1820s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Antler
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1950s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Walnut
19th Century Swiss Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Birch
Mid-19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Spruce
2010s Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Glass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-19th Century Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Pearwood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Pine
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Oak, Pine
1950s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate, Gold Leaf, Metal
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Nutwood, Spruce
19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cotton, Linen, Walnut, Down
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Olive
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pine, Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Velvet, Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce