Gustavian Furniture
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.
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
20th Century Persian Gustavian Furniture
Wool
20th Century Persian Gustavian Furniture
Wool
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1990s Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Glass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Stone, Iron
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
1890s French Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Pine, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1890s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pewter
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine, Mirror, Giltwood, Wood
1840s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine
Early 1700s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine, Paint
Late 18th Century Antique Gustavian Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Wood, Paper
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Scandinavian Gustavian Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass
1960s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Birch
20th Century American Gustavian Furniture
Hemp, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1830s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Crystal, Brass
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century Persian Gustavian Furniture
Wool
1780s French Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Glass, Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Birch
17th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Blown Glass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Birch
1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1840s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass
1970s Spanish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Brass