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.
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Pine
1990s American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Pearwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany, Upholstery
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1880s Swiss Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Steel
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Pearwood, Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
1830s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas, Hardwood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Elm
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1860s Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ormolu
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Satinwood, Glass
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Magnets
1940s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Beech, Elm
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Walnut, Spruce
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Czech Biedermeier Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut