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 Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Glass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Upholstery
Late 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Softwood
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Textile
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Elm
1910s English Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cotton, Linen, Walnut, Down
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Maple
1840s French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Oak, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Iron
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century American Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Birch
Late 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Linen, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Baize, Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany, Pine
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Oak
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Spruce
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
1810s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Rattan, Wood, Lacquer, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1950s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate, Gold Leaf
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut