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.
1810s Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Pine, Lacquer
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Pine
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1830s Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Steel
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Silver
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1810s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Birch
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Elm
Mid-19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Glass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Ash, Lacquer
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1880s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Elm
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1830s English Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Spruce
Early 19th Century Swiss Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Spruce, Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Plate, Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1830s Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut