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.
1950s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
1790s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Fruitwood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Louis XV Antique Marble Fireplace Mantel in Rouge Royal Belge
Origin: Boulevard de Sébastopol, Paris – A ra...
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Slate, Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Granite, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mercury Glass, Canvas, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Kingwood, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Walnut
Mid-20th Century European Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut, Burl
20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Siena Marble, Metal
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron