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.
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1870s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Burl
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Elm
Late 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany, Pine
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1810s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold, Silver
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1880s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Elm
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Softwood, Pine, Spruce
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
Early 20th Century Czech Biedermeier Furniture
Crystal
1810s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Cherry
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 20th Century Unknown Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Birch
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Softwood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Birch
20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Other
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Pine
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Walnut, Spruce
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate, Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Maple
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold
20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Stone, Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Dutch Biedermeier Furniture
Silver