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.
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Satinwood
Late 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
1990s Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Satinwood, Glass
1990s Canadian Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Late 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1970s British Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Porcelain, Wool
Late 20th Century Swiss Biedermeier Furniture
Leather, Wood
1990s American Biedermeier Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 20th Century North American Biedermeier Furniture
Metal
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Other
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
1980s Liechtenstein Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Australian Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Cotton, Wood
Late 20th Century North American Biedermeier Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century British Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Maple
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Ebony, Yew
1990s American Biedermeier Furniture
Maple, Fabric
Late 20th Century North American Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Olive
1980s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Maple, Lacquer