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.
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Beech
1720s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Steel
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gesso, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1940s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Early 2000s French Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Enamel
20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood, Upholstery
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Rosewood, Satinwood