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 French Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s American Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
1720s Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Satinwood
1940s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Ormolu
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
Late 18th Century British Antique Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Iron
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Paint
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak, Pine
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut, Leather, Textile
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Oak, Rosewood
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Softwood
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Oak
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Metal
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Art Glass, Mirror, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 1900s English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paper