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.
1760s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1970s Dutch Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1860s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1910s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Stone, Breccia Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Fruitwood
1960s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry
20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
1770s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Down
1770s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood, Mahogany, Satinwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Crystal, Bronze
1920s Czech Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Beech, Paint
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Palisander
1910s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1720s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1770s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rosewood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1980s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut, Linen
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Limestone
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Grasscloth, Beech
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut, Leather
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rosewood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
1920s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass