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 French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
1980s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1950s North American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Upholstery, Wood
1930s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Cane, Oak
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1980s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1770s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Down
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Polyester, Mahogany, Down
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Oak
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century North American Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century British Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Steel
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Tapestry, Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Wood
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1960s Belgian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Oak
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Upholstery, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
1910s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Giltwood, Wood