Directoire Furniture
Formed in the wake of the Jacobin Reign of Terror’s bloody guillotine, the Directoire was established to lead France into order through the leadership of a five-member council of directors. It was brief, lasting only from 1795 to 1799, ending with Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état, and was economically tumultuous. Yet it was an essential bridge between the era of Louis XVI and the elaborate Empire style that followed, with Directoire furniture and decorative arts shaped by a royal passion for classical design and an enthusiasm for postrevolutionary France.
Much of the country’s furniture production had halted during the French Revolution when the furniture guilds system was abolished, but during the Directoire period, the cabinetmakers restarted their businesses, such as François-Honoré-Georges and Jacob-Desmalter who established a new workshop called Jacob-Frères. Pieces made in walnut, elm, mahogany and other inexpensive materials incorporated influences ranging from Egypt to Pompeii, with popular forms including the curule armchair based on an ancient Roman design. The aesthetics of the transitional style were more austere than during the monarchy, with court cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste Sené, for instance, reimagining his workshop’s neoclassical-style furniture with ungilded surfaces and a reduction of ornamentation.
Symbols referencing the revolutionary tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity were frequently carved into Directoire furnishings, such as the Phrygian cap, clasped hands and the fasces, which is an image of a bound bundle of sticks adopted from the Roman Republic, where it was seen as an emblem of strength through unity.
Elements of the French Directoire style continued through Empire style. Designers Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine are credited today as major proponents of both movements. The classically inspired furniture design is represented in pieces such as the boat-shaped daybed and the klismos chair, which endured in French interiors as well as in styles abroad, including American Directoire.
Find a collection of antique Directoire chairs, tables, daybeds, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
1930s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze, Steel
Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century European Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
2010s Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
1920s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Sycamore
Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1990s American Directoire Furniture
Brass
1980s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze, Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Rush, Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Directoire Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Carrara Marble
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century Argentine Directoire Furniture
Silver Leaf
1960s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Walnut
20th Century Italian Directoire Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Limestone
1980s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Velvet, Walnut, Paint
Early 20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Fabric
1880s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1980s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s European Directoire Furniture
Marble, Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Oak, Paint
1980s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Directoire Furniture
Marble
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1950s Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Iron
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Gold, Brass
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Directoire Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze