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.
1970s British Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain, Wool
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cotton, Wood
20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Chrome
1970s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass
1970s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Chinese Biedermeier Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century Spanish Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
1960s Belgian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century English Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ebony, Fir
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
Early 20th Century Belgian Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Birch
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1970s North American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1970s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1970s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
1970s German Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass