Louis XV Furniture
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
19th Century Chinese Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1940s Unknown Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
1790s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Tin
2010s American Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1970s North American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Amethyst, Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Beech
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
1790s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Tin
20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Oak
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1950s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Onyx, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Stone, Brass
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silver, Bronze