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.
20th Century Spanish Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1940s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Cane, Walnut
1820s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1850s English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Metal
1940s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1980s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
2010s American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1870s Swedish Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Paint
1870s Swedish Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
2010s Portuguese Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Wood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1870s Swedish Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Oak
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Plaster, Wood, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1990s Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Paper
18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1940s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1990s American Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut