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.
1940s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wicker
1940s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Beech, Elm
1940s Spanish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut, Wood
1940s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1960s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Foam, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Faux Fur
19th Century Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Down, Wood
Early 20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1990s Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Biedermeier Furniture
Marble
1940s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Birch
1940s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Brass
1940s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1940s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1940s European Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1940s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1940s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
1940s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1940s German Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Satinwood, Ebony, Leather, Burl