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.
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Gustavian Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Wood, Fabric
1790s Danish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
1860s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Canvas
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine, Paint
Late 20th Century Gustavian Furniture
Composition
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Marble
20th Century European Gustavian Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Argentine Gustavian Furniture
Wood, Fabric
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Textile, Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Birch
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1910s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mirror
1810s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Terracotta
1840s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Canvas
20th Century Scandinavian Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1910s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Pine
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1910s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Birch
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Beech
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood, Pine
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1820s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Clay
Mid-20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Gustavian Furniture
Wool
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture
Birch
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Wood
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Pine
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture
Brass, Other
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture
Pine