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.
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Louis XV Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Furniture
Resin
Early 2000s American Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood, Paint
Early 2000s American Louis XV Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s American Louis XV Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
2010s English Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XV Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 2000s Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Wood
2010s Italian Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Faux Leather, Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 2000s French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s Italian Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
2010s English Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Gold, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Sheet Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
2010s English Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Gold, Gold Leaf
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal, Copper
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Early 2000s Vietnamese Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany, Leather
2010s American Louis XV Furniture
Metal
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Sheet Metal
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Sheet Metal
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XV Furniture
Wood
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Cane, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Velvet
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Louis XV Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XV Furniture
Metal
2010s French Louis XV Furniture
Pine
2010s Indian Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal
2010s Italian Louis XV Furniture
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
2010s Italian Louis XV Furniture
Beech