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.
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane
Early 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Velvet
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood, Lacquer
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Fruitwood
19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wool, Satin, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Mirror
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Maple
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Tapestry, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Canvas, Pine
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1760s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Paint, Wood, Cane
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1750s German Antique Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Argentine Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Fabric
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Textile, Cotton, Silk, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Cane
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1830s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Beech
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood