Gustavian Furniture
GUSTAVIAN STYLE
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Item Ships From: Louisiana
Style: Gustavian
Massive Gustavian Trestle Base Dining Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This massive Swedish Gustavian pine dining table is over 12 feet long, (12’-3 ⅝” to be exact). The simple wooden top sits over a pair of hand-cut and painted trestle base legs, each ...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Iron
Swedish Gustavian Painted Banquette-Trundle
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A Swedish 18th century Gustavian banquette with its original hand-scraped painted finish. The solidly constructed frame makes for a sheltering sofa as well, with a removable bench se...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Gustavian 19th Century Cabinet with Original Paint
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A Swedish Gustavian cabinet from the 19th century or earlier with its original vibrant paint, reeded doors, and an open shelf. The top portion is removable and features a sharply mol...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Metal
Swedish 18th Century Gustavian Painted Chest
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A Swedish Gustavian chest of drawers from the late 1700’s with its original paint finish. The top is painted a charcoal color, mimicking Belgium bluestone. The cabinet has a layered ...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood, Paint
Swedish Set of 5 Gustavian Dining Chairs
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A set of five Gustavian- style dining chairs, circa 1810, with fantastic potential in any space. The curved backrests feature horizontal reeded texture on the outside and are perfect...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Swedish Gustavian Painted Cabinet
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A painted Swedish Gustavian armoire from the late 1700’s. This solid pine cabinet has its original light gray-blue paint finish that is worn in all the right places. The tall paneled...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Brass
French 19th Century Painted Bibliotheque / Armoire
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A French 19th century bibliotheque converted to an armoire with three-dimensional, geometric details and original paint in soft patina. Dentil molding in two scales lifts the narrow ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paint
Swedish Gustavian 19th Century Painted Secretary
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A generously sized 19th century secretary desk from Sweden, made in the Gustavian style, with a striking painted finish of ruddy, patinated oxblood enveloping the pine construction. ...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Pine
Large Gustavian 18th Century Painted Daybed
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An impressive and elongated Swedish Gustavian daybed from the 1790’s. The bed frame is all hand carved with bell flower motifs and guilloche patterned carvings under layers of light ...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Paint, Wood, Upholstery, Muslin
Early 20th Century Gustavian Style Painted Daybed
Located in New Orleans, LA
A Swedish painted daybed with brass accents in the Gustavian style.
Category
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Brass
Swedish Gustavian 19th Century Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A rustic Gustavian painted pine table from the 1820’s, Sweden. The waxed pine table top is removable, the planks showing incredible texture of soft waves in the wood grain. The base ...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood, Paint
Pair of 18th Century Swedish Klismos Chairs
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite pair of Klismos chairs hails from 18th-century Sweden, a period known for its emphasis on simplicity, functionality, and understated elegance in furniture design. The ...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Burlap, Wood
Swedish 18th Century Painted & Upholstered Settee
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A unique Swedish Gustavian settee from the late 18th century with painted wood frame sheltering the fully upholstered interior of a single bench cushion, matching seatback, and two s...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Set of Four English Painted Pine Chairs
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
These English painted pine dining chairs - with vague Gustavian references - feature straight, slatted backs held with squared handrails and stiles. Well-patinated, the layers of gol...
Category
19th Century English Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Pine, Paint
Swedish Gustavian 19th Century Trumeau
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A Swedish Gustaian trumeau is tall and interesting. The top of the trumeau has a carved scene of Greek Mythology painted blue and gold with faux marbling. The mirror plate is origina...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Brass
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Long Bench
Located in New Orleans, LA
This elegant 19th Century Swedish Gustavian long bench epitomizes the refined simplicity and timeless charm of Gustavian design. Crafted from high-quality wood, the bench features cl...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Burlap, Wood
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Neoclassical Corner Cabinet
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Neoclassical Corner Cabinet is an exceptionally well-crafted piece, designed to make the maximum use of your floor plan, especially since corners are u...
Category
1870s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Oak
Exceptional 18th Century Swedish Daybed
Located in New Orleans, LA
Highly decorative 18th century Swedish daybed with original patina.
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Console with Carving on Stretcher
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite console table dates back to the late 18th century, a period when the Gustavian style flourished in Sweden. Named after King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 to 1792, ...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood
Gustavian Period Table with Faux Marble-Top, 18th Century
Located in New Orleans, LA
Late 1700s Gustavian style table with faux marble top - beautifully carved, lovely color, and great scale.
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Console Table
Located in New Orleans, LA
The 18th century Swedish Gustavian console table is a classic piece of furniture known for its elegance, simplicity, and refined details. The Gustavian style, named after King Gustav...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood
18th Century Swedish Trag Sofa with Cushions
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite 18th Century Swedish Trag sofa is a beautiful blend of comfort and historical elegance. The sofa showcases the understated sophistication typical of Swedish design fro...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Canvas, Wood
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bureau
Located in New Orleans, LA
This lovely 19th century Gustavian slant front bureau features a painted lid with sleek paneling that encloses a fitted interior. The ornate handles perfectly contrast the patinated ...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood
Bench, Swedish with Griffons, 19th Century
Located in New Orleans, LA
With significant size and presence, this armed bench has a long single seat and three separate upholstered back rests and upholstered arm rests. The elaborately carved wood is painte...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century Swedish Neoclassical Bench
Located in New Orleans, LA
This piece depicts cherubs holding torches on the backs of lions.
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Swedish Gustavian Side Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A petite Swedish Gustavian side table made during the mid 1800’s. This table has a worn painted blue frame featuring a plank top with pink painted flowers over a splayed pedestal bas...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood, Paint
Wood Mantle Clock
Located in New Orleans, LA
Very ornate white washed wood mantle clock with gold details. The face is behind a functional glass door with latch. The top is crowned by an urn with a cascading laurel garland that...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Materials
Wood
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Swedish Gustavian 18th Century Settle
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Swedish Gustavian 17th Century Faux Bois Cabinet
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Gustavian furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Gustavian furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, seating, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, softwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Gustavian furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, Scandinavia, and Sweden pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Ephraim Stahl, Hendrix Allardyce, Hans-Agne Jakobsson, and Jonas Frisk. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $50 and tops out at $49,500 while the average work can sell for $4,473.