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 German Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
1990s American Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
1870s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1850s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer, Maple
Late 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Spruce
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Lucite
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Elm, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pearlware, Upholstery
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Birch
1830s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Spruce, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Spruce
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Nutwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer, Spruce
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
2010s Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Brass
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1820s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Burl
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1940s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1950s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pine, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Walnut