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.
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Beech
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Gesso, Fruitwood
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Siena Marble, Metal
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Tulipwood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1850s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
1940s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Composition, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Maple
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Maple
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Walnut, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Giltwood
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Steel
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1990s American Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
20th Century European Louis XV Furniture
Hardwood, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1830s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Giltwood
1930s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut, Burl
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Linen, Walnut, Down
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Beech, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Wood
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Suede, Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass