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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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Style: Gustavian
Period: Early 1900s
Swedish Gustavian Style Unique 4 Drawer Chest f Drawers
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Swedish Gustavian Style Unique 4 Drawer Chest of Drawers. its been restored and repainted with Milk Paints "Oyster White"
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Antique Farm Table Mostly Old Paint with Restored Top Probably Swedish c1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Large Antique Farm Table Imported from Europe and fully restored in our Old Plank workshop. The paint on the Farm Table base is Original Paint, although we could not save the top. The Antique Farm Table top surface is made from reclaimed Oak and carefully executed to match the Original Painted Table base. Structurally the Antique Farm Table is now probably stronger than it was when first made for our Old Plank restoration department reinforced the Antique Tables base. Our Antique Farm Table should comfortably seat (12) for dinner and we could build matching benches to seat even more at the Farm Table. Some of us think the Antique Farm Dining Table...
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Oak, Pine

Turn of the Century Scandinavian Wooden Cabinet
Located in High Point, NC
This vintage wooden cabinet embodies the subdued elegance of Gustavian style. Built in Scandinavia at the turn of the century, delicate Neoclassical elements give the case an air of ...
Category

Early 1900s Scandinavian Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

1900s Swedish Two-Seater Gustavian Style Gilt Velvet Sofa with Carved Decoration
Located in London, GB
This wonderfully large and comfortable Swedish two-seater gilt sofa dates from the 1900s period and is designed in the Gustavian style. The sofa features classic scrolling decoration...
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Giltwood, Velvet

Unique Swedish Gustavian 3 Drawer Chest Of Drawers
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Unique Swedish Gustavian 3 Drawer Chest Of Drawers . its been restored and repainted with Milk paints "Oyster White"
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Swedish Gustavian Dining Chairs
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a very unique set of six Gustavian dining chairs, I was told in Sweden they where called "Kung Stolar" King Chairs. I found ...
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Birch

Grey Painted Swedish Settee with Shell and Foliate Carving
Located in Essex, MA
Grey painted Swedish settee with shell and foliate carving with turned stretcher bottom and gently curved legs. Off-white muslin seat cover. Measures: 44" H x 50.5" W x 21" D.
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

1900s Scandinavian Wooden Table
Located in High Point, NC
A wooden table from Scandinavia, produced circa 1900. A graceful side table featuring a sliding drawer with original lock and key. Looking like it sprang from a Hans Christen Anderse...
Category

Early 1900s Scandinavian Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Extending Gustavian Style Painted Wood Dining Table
Located in Montreal, QC
Extending Gustavian style painted wood dining table with faux marble Antico Verde top finish resting on tapered legs. When fully extended 120...
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

100% Original Painted Swedish Gustavian Sofa
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a 100% original painted Swedish Gustavian sofa. Seating restored and recovered in muslin.
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Upholstery

6 Swedish Gustavian Dining Chairs
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a set of 6 Swedish Gustavian dining chairs. They have been restored and repainted with milk paints "Oyster White" the seating is new a...
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Josef Ekberg, 1908
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a handmade vase, this is a very rare 2 tone green. The only one of its kind. Signed and dated, J-Ekberg 1908. A Swedish Artist that started working for the Gustavsberg Cerami...
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

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Antique Set of 12 Swedish Gustavian Gray Painted Dining Chairs
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Pair of Gray Painted Gustavian Chest of Drawers, Sweden circa 1860
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Antique Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
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Antique Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
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Pine Farm Table With Single Drawer, Sweden circa 1840
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The beauty of this pine farm table comes from the warm aged pine and the clean tapered legs of the simple stretcher base. It may have originally served as a kitchen work table in a c...
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Swedish Gustavian Painted Chest of Drawers Commode Grey White C.1860
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Early 1900s European Antique Gustavian Furniture

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Mora Clock
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H 78.7 in W 21.3 in D 10.2 in
Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
A classic Mora Clock made in the 1960s in white/cream with carved parts. This Mora Clock has a longcase clock mechanism of 2 weights and a pendulum and chimes on the hour and has one...
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Early 1900s European Antique Gustavian Furniture

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Mora Clock
Mora Clock
H 74.8 in W 19.7 in D 7.1 in
Swedish Painted Blue Mirror, C. 1900
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swedish blue painted framed mirror. The paint is beautifully distressed as depicted in photos. It works both vertically and horizontally.
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Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

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Swedish Painted Blue Mirror, C. 1900
Swedish Painted Blue Mirror, C. 1900
H 47.5 in W 35 in D 2 in
Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Antique Mora Clock 1800s with original floral paint details and gilding. Face inscribed AAL. Original longcase clock mechanism with weights and pendulum. Measures: Height: 206cm/81".
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Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

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Mora Clock
Mora Clock
H 81.1 in W 24.4 in D 9 in
Swedish Painted Console C. 1900
Located in Los Angeles, CA
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Swedish Painted Console C. 1900
Swedish Painted Console C. 1900
H 29 in W 84 in D 17 in
Antique Swedish Gustavian Style Settee in Distressed Putty Grey Paint
Located in Chicago, IL
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Early 20 Century Gustavian Four Drawer Chest, Painted, Having Graduating Drawers
Located in Stamford, CT
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Antique Swedish Gustavian Style Settee in Putty Grey Paint with Newer Linen
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Swedish Gustavian Settee in a classic putty grey paint that leans towards the blues. The linen fabric on our Gustavian settee appears to be fairly recent, although we have no personal knowledge of where it was reupholstered. Paint appears to have been enhanced and probably was executed during the upholstery process for the Swedish settee. We have a matching pair of Gustavian Swedish chairs...
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Antique Scandinavian Table with Locking Drawer
Located in High Point, NC
The roots of Scandinavian style shine true in this handcrafted hardwood table, sourced in Scandinavia, produced, circa 1900. Carved legs support a thick table apron, framing a practi...
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Gustavian Style Freestanding Side Table
Located in Kastrup, DK
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Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

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Gustavian Style Freestanding Side Table
Gustavian Style Freestanding Side Table
H 27.96 in W 31.89 in D 21.26 in
Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers with "À La Grecque" Motif
Located in Kastrup, DK
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Turn of the Century Bleached Oak Dining Chairs, Set of Six
Located in High Point, NC
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Early 1900s British Antique Gustavian Furniture

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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.

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