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.
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1990s Italian Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Giltwood
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Giltwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s American Louis XV Furniture
Suede, Fruitwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Cane, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Walnut, Paint
1990s American Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Giltwood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Silver Plate, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Granite, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Amethyst, Rock Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
1950s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Art Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Walnut