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.
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Cane, Amboyna
1960s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Mohair, Upholstery, Foam, Polyester, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
PVC, Walnut
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Pine, Wood, Birdseye Maple
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
1940s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Biedermeier Furniture
Oak
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Burl
1960s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Beech
1960s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1960s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Faux Leather, Birch
1960s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Glass, Wood
1960s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1960s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1960s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
1960s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
1960s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Metal, Gold Leaf